Ventoy -- one usb to rule them all !!

[abarbarian]

Create A Bootable USB Drive By Simply Copying The ISO To The USB With Ventoy (Linux And Windows)

 

Above is a link to some information about Ventoy in another thread here at Scot's. I thought this useful tool deserved a thread of its own as it is such a useful tool.

 

Ventoy Updated to Support Local Disk Image Booting

 

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Since it’s initial release back in 2020, Ventoy added some nice features such as support for IMG disk impages, support for GPT paritions or bypassing Windows 11 requirements during installation.

Today, Ventoy was updated to v1.0.66 and introduces yet another useful feature. The new version of Ventoy gives you the option to boot from local disk images.

 

Found this interesting snippet of information over at funkyspacemonkey.com. Looks like Ventoy is going from strength to strength. more information over at their main site,

 

Ventoy Boot Image Files In Local Disk

 

It seems easy enough to use. You download your .iso then for linux,

 

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Create vlnk file for image file in local disk

Linux

Run sudo bash VentoyVlnk.sh -c xxx.iso in terminal. The vlnk file will be created in the current directory where you run the script.

 

• 2.2 Copy the vlnk file to Ventoy USB and boot
•  

After vlnk file created, just copy it to Ventoy USB and boot it. You can put the vlnk file in the root or some subdirectory, no difference with normal image files.
When you boot the vlnk file it will actually boot the corresponding image file in the local disk.

 

Longpanda's GitHub page has extensive information and guides on all aspects of this fine tool.

 

https://github.com/ventoy

 

 

Happy distro hopping folks.

Edited April 9 by abarbarian

[wa4chq]

I was installing a linux.iso to a flash drive yesterday, but not with Ventoy.  Thanks for the post.  I might give this a try.

[crp]

I use Ventory a lot. Have several OS's installed on an old SSD that i have a USB connector for. 

I have run Fedora , Kali Linux, Windows10 PE from it and have a partition setup to keep static files, like installation software for various tools.

The only ISO that I have wanted to run from Ventoy that I have not been able to is SpinRite.

 

[abarbarian]

17 hours ago, crp said:

I use Ventory a lot. Have several OS's installed on an old SSD that i have a USB connector for. 

I have run Fedora , Kali Linux, Windows10 PE from it and have a partition setup to keep static files, like installation software for various tools.

The only ISO that I have wanted to run from Ventoy that I have not been able to is SpinRite.

 

 

My initiall test run two years ago also had a couple of distros that did not boot from Ventoy.

 

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Arch

Fedora SOS

Fenix

They booted to a useable live os.

 

Porteous KDE

Pepermint OS

Did not boot at all.

 

Slacko Puppy

Booted but quit with errors.

 

Keeping Ventoy on a usb/ssd is a neat idea. You could almost keep a copy of every distro out there on a 120 GB ssd.

 

I came across another program that does even more than Ventoy but it looks a tad more complicated. You can even run Ventoy from it or add it to a current Ventoy install.

 

Easy2Boot – Make a versatile, multiboot Legacy\UEFI USB drive for free (includes Ventoy)

 

Add Easy2Boot to a Ventoy USB drive

 

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By adding Easy2Boot to an existing Ventoy USB drive you can add E2B which has these extra Legacy-BIOS features:

• Boot DOS images
• Boot and install XP from ISO with Mass Storage Drivers
• Install Win98/Win2K
• Generic method of legacy-booting Linux ISOs which Ventoy may not support
• Use SDI_CHOCO to automate Legacy Windows 7/8/10/11 installs with drivers and apps
• Run PassPass to bypass Windows User Account passwords (legacy Windows)
• Access a password protected Windows account using UtilMan automated method

 

 

The developer of Easy2Boot sounds a very interesting and decent chap and his about page is well worth a quick read.

 

https://easy2boot.xyz/about/However, if you would like to learn more about Ventoy and how to use the ventoy.json configuration file, learn what are the best options to use when creating your Ventoy drive, learn how to boot ISO and other payload files from Partition 3 of the Ventoy drive, run Linux files with persistence, automate the installation of Windows, install Windows 11 to a non-TPM system, create your own themes, etc, then it's all here!
Details are included on how to remove the Ventoy version menu string without needing to recompile are also included.

 

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Hi 

My name is Steve Si (Contact Me) and I am an experienced (i.e. ageing 60+) Computer Development Engineer from the UK. I was made redundant in 2011 (when my company stopped building PCs) and so I am currently unemployed/retired.  

 

This website is funded out of my own pocket and the ads and eBook sales help towards the website costs.

 

Over the last 30+ years, I have been involved in most things to do with PCs in an OEM/System Builder company, e.g. modifying firmware, writing functional test software in x86 assembler, designing circuits and PCBs, developing apps and BIOS level (x86 assembler) backup/restore software, memory test s/w, hardware and software validation, mainboard and system validation, writing boot managers, developing fully automated production test software and Windows installation processes used to install onto over 1 million new computers in the factory, writing technical knowledge base articles and loads more stuff that is too boring to mention and I can’t even remember now! 

 

I have been interested in USB Flash drives ever since they first appeared (their small size, speed and large storage capacity is amazing compared to the storage media that was available 30 years ago!). 

 

I am particularly impressed with the way he gives credit to all the folk whose work has helped him to develop Easy2Boot. He has written several books which are apparently well regarded. The one which may be of interest to Ventoy users who wish to try out the many features of Ventoy is

 

Getting started with Ventoy v1.14 (for Ventoy 1.0.86)

 

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Ventoy is the latest USB multiboot solution. Easy2Boot includes Ventoy but this eBook can be used for 'official' Ventoy USB drives or for 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot'.

 

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However, if you would like to learn more about Ventoy and how to use the ventoy.json configuration file, learn what are the best options to use when creating your Ventoy drive, learn how to boot ISO and other payload files from Partition 3 of the Ventoy drive, run Linux files with persistence, automate the installation of Windows, install Windows 11 to a non-TPM system, create your own themes, etc, then it's all here!
Details are included on how to remove the Ventoy version menu string without needing to recompile are also included.

 

All a tad too complicated for me so I will stick to just playing around with distro hopping from Ventoy. happy hopping folks.

Edited April 10 by abarbarian

[abarbarian]

I have a ventoy usb that I would like to put rEFInd on

 

The useful information from this is,

 

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To put rEFInd on the drive, you copy in its .img file. Normally we copy in .iso files, but .img files also can work (if supported). It's what one uses for MemTest86, for example.

Edit: Finally got a chance to try the 0.13.2 .img file. Yup, that works fine on my Ventoy drive. Have added to the tutorial. Thanks for the tip.

 

rEFInd flash drive (for emergency boot)

 

The useful information from this is,

 

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Note II: After I posted the tutorial, mikeflan opened a thread relating a clever idea: copy the rEFInd .img file to a Ventoy drive, in effect making that the emergency boot drive. Works nicely, albeit with a complication. The current .img file (0.13.3.1) doesn't boot correctly from Ventoy, but 0.13.2 (available here) does.

 

Any downside to using rEFInd instead of GRUB?

 

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If you are planning on installing rEFInd you might want to read Rod's answer below.

 

Rod's answer is well worth a read.

 

Two excellent points he makes

 

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The simplest way to install rEFInd in Ubuntu is to use the PPA after you install Ubuntu:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:rodsmith/refind
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install refind

 

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If you prefer to test rEFInd before fully installing it, by all means use the USB flash drive, which will let you see how rEFInd works before making any changes to your hard disk.

 

I hate diverting from the OP but can not be bothered making a dedicated rEFInd thread.

Folk here have been using rEFInd since at least 2014.

A lot of guides make rEFIND seem really complicated.

rEFInd is simple to install and use.

How to set up the rEFInd bootloader on Linux systems

Two steps

Install "refind"

Run "refind-install"

 

 

Edited July 5 by abarbarian
lousy spelling

[Hedon James]

2 hours ago, abarbarian said:

I hate diverting from the OP btu can not be bothered making a dedicated rEFInd thread.

Folk here have been using rEFInd since at least 2014.

A lot of guides make rEFIND seem really complicated.

rEFInd is dimple to install and use.

How to set up the rEFInd bootloader on Linux systems

Two steps

Install "refind"

Run "refind-install"

 

 

rEFInd on Ventoy is a GENIUS idea for emergency boot situations!  I imagine that would've been helpful for you last week eh? 

 

I like the 2-step process to setup rEFInd.  If one was considering converting their existing GRUB system to a rEFInd system, what needs to be done with GRUB?  Remove GRUB?  Or will rEFInd supercede GRUB, and reduce GRUB to a fallback position?

[raymac46]

This article is pretty interesting. In addition to how to install and use rEFInd it has a section on how to "freeze" GRUB so it won't get package updates and reset itself as the default bootloader.

 

https://teejeetech.com/2020/09/05/linux-multi-boot-with-refind/

[abarbarian]

5 hours ago, Hedon James said:

what needs to be done with GRUB?

 

See raymac46's excellent article.

5 hours ago, raymac46 said:

This article is pretty interesting.

 

 Certainly is. I never knew about this.

 

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To customize the icons for Manjaro and PopOS, simply copy the icon that you want to use, to the root of the system partition. Rename it to .VolumeIcon.png. Refind supports PNG, JPG, BMP, and ICNF icons.

 

I know you can select which icon to use by fiddling with refind.conf but I have not got around to it yet. Took me all my time to set up refind_linux.conf.

[securitybreach]

At one time, I would customize my bootloader but now I have it set to 0 so I do not even see it anymore. The only thing that I use a bootloader for is to unlock my LUKS partition.

[abarbarian]

13 hours ago, abarbarian said:

Certainly is. I never knew about this.

 

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To customize the icons for Manjaro and PopOS, simply copy the icon that you want to use, to the root of the system partition. Rename it to .VolumeIcon.png. Refind supports PNG, JPG, BMP, and ICNF icons.

 

I have a separate /boot partition so the above did not work for me. I had to place " .VolumeIcon.png " in the /boot partition.

 

Also the article states,

 

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Since GRUB is so deeply integrated with every Linux distribution, it is not possible to uninstall GRUB without breaking the system.

 

That is not true. A basic Arch install does not include Grub. You can install it but why would you ?  A neat article all the same.

[securitybreach]

1 hour ago, abarbarian said:

That is not true. A basic Arch install does not include Grub. You can install it but why would you ?  A neat article all the same.

 

Yeah, I use systemd-boot on some of my machines. There are quite a few bootloaders out there. Here is a list of 15 of them: The 15 Best Linux Bootloader for Home and Embedded Systems

 

The person who wrote that is not very familiar with Linux it seems.

 

[Hedon James]

23 hours ago, raymac46 said:

This article is pretty interesting. In addition to how to install and use rEFInd it has a section on how to "freeze" GRUB so it won't get package updates and reset itself as the default bootloader.

 

https://teejeetech.com/2020/09/05/linux-multi-boot-with-refind/

 

Thanks Ray!  This seems so dead simple, I can't help but wonder why rEFInd isn't the default instead of GRUB?  I'm guessing to accommodate the number of remaining users who still boot using Legacy Bios and MBR partitions....a "one size fits all" solution?  But rEFInd seems like the simplest and most ideal way to boot EFI systems with GPT partitions.  I'll be trying this out on a Debian VM before I implement on bare metal, but I fully expect no issues after that excellent tutorial!

 

and thanks to Abarbarian for making me aware of this cool tool!

[raymac46]

I'm still using GRUB because:

• It is the "default" bootloader for many distros that install with a GUI.
• I still have some legacy BIOS/MBR machines where an EFI based boot manager wouldn't work.

[raymac46]

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That is not true. A basic Arch install does not include Grub. You can install it but why would you ?

Well there could be cases where you want to start using REFInd but your installed O/S is already using GRUB. Maybe you don't want to reinstall everything. Obviously if you don't have GRUB already installed no need to freeze it.

Edited July 9 by raymac46

[abarbarian]

5 hours ago, securitybreach said:

The person who wrote that is not very familiar with Linux it seems.

 

Yes it looks like his knowledge is in the Debian/Buntu world by the sound of it.

 

2 hours ago, Hedon James said:

I can't help but wonder why rEFInd isn't the default instead of GRUB?

 

No need to wonder. Loads of linux folk are just plain old stuck in the mud dinosaurs and stubborn to boot.

 

What Is UEFI, and How Is It Different from BIOS?

 

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The BIOS will soon be dead if it isn’t already: Way back in 2017, Intel announced plans to completely replace it with UEFI on all their chipsets, and the industry quickly followed suit.

 

 

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Intel started work on the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specification back in 1998. Apple chose EFI when it switched to the Intel architecture on its Macs in 2006,

 

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In 2007, Intel, AMD, Microsoft, and PC manufacturers agreed on a new Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) specification. This is an industry-wide standard managed by the Unified Extended Firmware Interface Forum, and isn’t solely driven by Intel. UEFI support was introduced to Windows with Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows 7. The vast majority of computers you can buy today now use UEFI rather than a traditional BIOS.

 

So why are developers creating distros to use with modern uefi mobos and kit yet still using grub. They certainly are not doing so because of hardware concerns or for kernel concerns or some Microsoft compatibility concern.By doing so they are hindering not helping new computer users and I am at a loss as to their reasoning.

 

2 hours ago, Hedon James said:

But rEFInd seems like the simplest and most ideal way to boot EFI systems with GPT partitions.

 

As Josh pointed out there are many excellent bootloaders. On a UEFI mobo you do not even need a bootloader.

 

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/EFISTUB

 

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The Linux kernel supports EFISTUB booting which allows EFI firmware to load the kernel as an EFI executable. The option is enabled by default on Arch Linux kernels, or if compiling the kernel one can activate it by setting CONFIG_EFI_STUB=y in the Kernel configuration. See The EFI Boot Stub for more information.

With EFISTUB a kernel can be booted directly by a UEFI motherboard or indirectly using a boot loader. Using a boot loader is recommended if you have multiple kernel/initramfs pairs and your motherboard's UEFI boot menu is not easy to use.

 

Looking at the Wikipedia page you can see that for a new user choice could be quite complicated.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_bootloaders

 

The Arch wiki shows that GRUB ticks almost 100% of the function boxes but it is a Boot Manager aswell as a Bootloader.

 

I would have gone with the  EFISTUB choice but I knew I would want to try out different os's and possibly kernels and rEFInd seemed the easiest to learn and set up and use for me.