Package request: MultiSystem thread ->EZ2B

[Richard]

EZ2B Quick Install
Tonight I installed version 1.A9 and noted some diffs from the older method.
See the long version above:
http://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php? ... 30#p492518

Quick Install Easy2Boot (EZ2B) on Linux
by Richard Holt, 190321

I. 4 GB or larger USB pen drive: on /dev/sdb
A. Two Partitions:
1. Label FAT, fat32, 35 MB.
2. Label EZ2B, fat32, all the rest.
B. Download Easy2Boot:
http://www.easy2boot.com/download/
The current version is Easy2Boot_v1.A9.zip. Extract all content into /media/EZ2B/1A9/*
C. Download grub4dos
https://code.google.com/p/grub4dos-chen ... loads/list
The version, grub4dos-0.4.5c-2013-07-24.7z, has worked well. If one doesn't work for you,
try another. Extract it into the /media/EZ2B/grub4dos/*. Change to this folder:
1. Open a terminal in this folder, and execute: $ blkid, to locate the device number of USB.
2. Execute bootlace for your equipment, in this directory {check device number}:
$ sudo ./bootlace64.com --time-out=0 /dev/sdb
This is the message I receive that indicates success:
"Disk geometry calculated according to the partition table;
Sectors per track = 63, Number of heads= 255
Success."

II. Copy the contents of 
/media/DATA/CDs/EZ2B/Easy2Boot_v1.A9/*
to /media/richard/EZ2B
use Thunar or another file manager.
to the root of your USB device, mine is as follows: /media/richard/EZ2B/
I remove contigo.iso, most .exe & .cmd files since they are for Windows.

You can reboot now and see the Easy2Boot menu to check before copying ISOs. 

III. Finally, copy some Linux ISOs to the _ISO/MAINMENU/ directory, 
then reboot! Make sure your machine is set to boot off 
USB storage, although many devices will let you enter the boot menu
by pressing F11 or F12 to select.

My new stick boots my antiX snapshot!

V. Recommend reading the documentation for Linux installs
on the website for comparison, although it took me several hours
to figure out how to make it work without having to resort to Windows. 

Please advise any oversights or incomplete thoughts.

[asqwerth]

EZ2B Quick Install
Tonight I installed version 1.A9 and noted some diffs from the older method. See the long version above:
http://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php? ... 30#p492518

Quick Install Easy2Boot (EZ2B) on Linux
by Richard Holt, 190321

I. 4 GB or larger USB pen drive
A. Two Partitions:
1. Label FAT, fat32, 35 MB.
2. Label EZ2B, fat32, all the rest.
B. Download Easy2Boot:
http://www.easy2boot.com/download/
C. Download grubr4dos and extract the archive onto your PC, NOT directly on the USB.

Select: Easy2Boot_v1.A9.zip extract to:
/media/DATA/EZ2B/Easy2Boot_v1.A6/
Navigate to /media/DATA/EZ2B/Easy2Boot_v1.A6/_ISO/docs/linux_utils/
1. Open a terminal in */linux_utils/ folder, execute: $ blkid, to locate USB.
2. Execute bootlace or bootlace64 in
/media/DATA/CDs/0-Easy2Boot/Easy2Boot_v1.A6/_ISO/docs/linux_utils/
$ sudo ./bootlace64.com --time-out=0 /dev/sdb. {check device number}:

"Disk geometry calculated according to the partition table;
Sectors per track = 63, Number of heads= 255
Success."

II. Copy the contents of 
/media/DATA/CDs/0-Easy2Boot/Easy2Boot_v1.A6/ 
...

Typos?

Shouldn't it be v1.A9?

[Richard]

Yes.
I took time to try the newer version.
It's been a while since I did it.
I had forgotten that I had created a separate folder for grub4dos parts.

My new stick booted my antiX snapshot. :)

[oops]

I used Multisystem (a very good tool) at the beginning (even to install my first MX17 distrib. into my computer) , but it is not very easy to use it into MX17/18 (su versus sudo, and yad instead zenity (with errors))

I now mostly use multibootusb-pkexec (a nice promising tool too)

Code: Select all

$ multi
multibootusb         multibootusb-pkexec  multisystem  

http://multibootusb.org/page_download/

Code: Select all

$ multibootusb -v
Using python version  3.5.3 (default, Sep 27 2018, 17:25:39) 
[GCC 6.3.0 20170516] on platform Linux-5.0.0localmodconfig01-x86_64-with-MX-18.1-Continuum
Could not find resource 'data/tools/gdisk/gdisk.exe'.
multibootusb version: 9.2.0

[crazysquirrel]

Do you guys see all the hassle it takes to run a lousy program to multi boot iso's from a flash drive??

I got multisystem to work,

After you install it VIA PPA and any dependencies (both are pretty much automatic for the most part),
You insert usb drive.
Click on the program
Allow it to edit/install grub2
choose an iso

point click point click.

It is THAT easy. No command line junk, typing this or that hoping you got it right, wondering if it will destroy 10 years of data on a drive you didn't intend on targeting, etc.

With each successful iso added you get to keep adding all you want until it says the drive is full.

Oh and about protocols I mentioned in another thread and someone being a smarty pants with a picture,

An iso is supposed to be an ISO. It is supposed to be able to be written to a DVD, CD, or even a usb flash drive.

Some versions of linux DO NOT follow that protocol. They use some sort of peculiar protocol where you cannot write the iso to a flash drive and have it work.

Multisystem will even write those even though the iso is not in a standard protocol format.

The ONLY typing you so in Multisystem is entering your password if it asks.

And while it does that you can play solitaire or something or whatever.
Unfortunately Multisystem won't write an IMG file. You have to convert that first to ISO.

Note: it you get the dreaded ( 3 spaces ) error I know how to fix that too.
You have something named in a way that multisystem doesn't like in that folder or something above that tree.
Just check the names for each directory down to the iso you want. If that can't fix it then put the desired iso in the top directory of that drive.

Took me 3 years to figure out that problem....

[towwire]

I think your making it harder than it needs to be, why not do it Easy2Boot's way. Download the 1.A9 zip version and extract it. Do your usb similar to this one of mine.

Here is one ADATA 16 GiB stick.
sdc1==14764 MiB or 14.42 GiB Formated fat32
sdc2==35.00 MiB not formatted or you can format it, up to you works either way

Now you can go to your extracted Easy2Boot and remove as Richard has said. After that do this, copy the ISO's to these:
'Easy2Boot_v1.A9/_ISO/LINUX/' I used for any linux
'Easy2Boot_v1.A9/_ISO/UTILITIES/' I use for Workbench, Gparted type etc.

If you do the ISO's this way, they will be copied when to USB is created.
But as Easy2Boot Says:
WARNING: THIS SCRIPT IS DANGEROUS - IF YOU INPUT THE WRONG DEVICE NAME YOU COULD DESTROY A DIFFERENT PARTITION!

USE THIS SCRIPT AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Now go to 'Easy2Boot_v1.A9/_ISO/docs/linux_utils/' open a terminal there and you will enter the following cammands, ignore what's between the # mark, just giving an idea of the commands:
#to know what your usb is# lsblk -S
#to make the files run as a program# sudo chmod 777 *
#This creates the Easy2Boot USB and copies all the files# sudo bash ./fmt.sh

Here is an example of lsblk -S
towwire@mx17a:~
$ lsblk -S
NAME HCTL TYPE VENDOR MODEL REV TRAN
sda 1:0:0:0 disk ATA ST2000DM001-1CH1 CC27 sata
sdb 2:0:0:0 disk ATA ST1000DM003-1ER1 CC45 sata
sdc 8:0:0:0 disk ADATA USB Flash Drive 1100 usb
sr0 3:0:0:0 rom ATAPI iHAS124 B AL0S sata
towwire@mx17a:~
$

Works for me this way, remember it takes awhile to copy to usb. So now test your USB.

crazysquirrel once the USB is made, if there is room just copy another ISO to the USB. I could never get your MULTISYSTEM to work and I will not use a ppa to install on my system. Happy that you got it to work for you. I see you still have it in your signature though.

[Richard]

See, hopefully the final version in its own thread:

Installing Easy2Boot

http://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php? ... 4f206917a3