Implementation of ISOBoot

[Shalok Shalom]

Hi there :D

The very most users have zero clue about how to change things in the BIOS/UEFI, how to compare the CheckSum and so on.

This is why i like to automate these things, so we can offer open source operating systems into a much larger crowd, since they can simply download one file and follow a GUI then.

I am on the way to create such an easy tool, which use GRUB2Win to write the stuff onto the plate and reboot into the live system.

In order to do this, is it potentially senseful to implement this here into GRUB2Win itself:
https://michael-prokop.at/blog/2011/01/07/booting-iso-images-from-within-grub2/

[Ed P]

You're a little late Shalok. drummerdp implimented the g2wisoboot function into Grub2Win quite awhile ago.

menuentry   'Parrot-lite via isoboot'  --class isoboot   --class icon-isoboot {
#
set reviewpause=20
    clear
    set isopath=/ISOs/Parrot-lite-3.6_amd64.iso
    set kernelpath='/live/vmlinuz'                      # Example '/vmlinuz'
    set initrdpath='/live/initrd.img'                   # Example '/initrd.img'
    set bootparms='findiso='$isopath' boot=live hostname=parrot locales=en_US.UTF-8 keyboard-layouts=en quiet splash'  # Example 'boot=/ iso-scan/filename='$isopath' noprompt noeject ---'
#
    g2wisoboot short                                    # Run the g2wisoboot function - no extra blank lines
#
    }

But Grub2Win supported ISO booting even before that.

menuentry " antiX ISO"  --class debian --class icon-debian {

     set iso='/ISOs/antiX-16.1_x64-full.iso'
     set bootparms='from=all quiet '
     search -f $iso --set=root
     loopback loop $iso
     linux (loop)/antiX/vmlinuz fromiso=$iso $bootparms
     initrd (loop)/antiX/initrd.gz
     }

Ed

[Shalok Shalom]

That is fine. How do you think, is it the most intelligent way to implement this into my project?

[Drummer]

Hi,

I'll be away without access to my main computer systems, returning July 25.

Your ISO ideas are interesting. I'm sure Ed will have comments and thoughts while I'm gone.

I look forward to discussing this with you at the end of July.

Thanks,

Dave

[Ed P]

Shalok, the hardest parts of ISO booting IMO are:

1. Knowing where the vmlinux file is inside the ISO.
2. Knowing where the initrd file is inside the ISO.
3. Knowing the naming convention used for the above two files in the ISO.
4. Determining the boot parameter the Linux system uses to know it is being booted from an ISO.

If you've booted ISOs before you know the first 3 items are reasonably straight forward to determine. From my experience the last one requires more work. Searching the ISO, searching the Linux system's forums, searching Google.

If your app can provide answers to these questions for users wishing to try new Linux systems it will help tremendously.

Ed

[Shalok Shalom]

I am just asking myself, if it would be more useful to simply use your application here as basement.

[Ed P]

It would make for an excellent starting point. imo