Boot LiveCD iso from grub2

[drs305]

The trick is the "rdinit=/linuxrc2" option, explanation for that you could find here: http://www.sysresccd.org/forums/view...hp?f=14&t=2808

Good news!

Would you just confirm that you didn't need to manually incorporate the linuxrc2 script into initram.igz? And that the iso you used is the current version of SRCD and not a beta version (which it doesn't appear to be according to the filename)?

Thanks.

[pmt]

Would you just confirm that you didn't need to manually incorporate the linuxrc2 script into initram.igz? And that the iso you used is the current version of SRCD and not a beta version (which it doesn't appear to be according to the filename)?

That's true: linuxrc2 is already included in initram.igz, and this works with SRCD Vers. 1.3.3 as well as with 1.3.4 (which I just tested some minutes ago):

menuentry "SystemRescueCd 1.3.4" {
 loopback loop /boot/iso/systemrescuecd-x86-1.3.4.iso
 linux (loop)/isolinux/rescuecd isoloop=/boot/iso/systemrescuecd-x86-1.3.4.iso rdinit=/linuxrc2 
 initrd (loop)/isolinux/initram.igz
}

again: works fine, when booting from BIOS, but didn't work, when I boot via qemu: sudo qemu -m 512 -hda /dev/sdb
in that case, booting fails at a late stage (couldn't find media)

If anybody knows the reason and have a solution for that, would be great

[Jongi]

I have the following for a sidux livecd

menuentry "Sidux 2009-04 LiveCD" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd1.5)
loopback loop /distros/sidux-2009-04.iso
linux (loop)/boot/vmlinuz0.amd fromhd=UUID=7192F19D15BC0C0A fromiso=/dev/sdb5/distros/sidux-2009-04.iso noeject boot=fll vga=791
initrd (loop)/boot/initrd0.amd

The error I get - http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5694/dsc00180c.jpg

[ddcc]

If you're using the Debian netinstall 700mb CD-image, it will boot using loopback, but then it'll fail to mount the cdrom drive and abort. Instead, you'll need to download the hd-media kernel/initrd, and boot that. It'll automatically locate the CD image, and everything should work out fine. Here's what I have:

menuentry "Debian 5.03 Netboot i386" {
 linux /boot/debian/vmlinuz vga=normal quiet --
 initrd /boot/debian/initrd.gz
}

I've also been able to get DBAN and Offline NT Password & Registry Editor working:

menuentry "Darik's Boot and Nuke" {
 loopback loop /boot/iso/dban-beta.2006042900_i386.iso
 linux (loop)/ISOLINUX/DBAN.BZI nuke="dwipe" silent --
}

menuentry "Offline NT Password & Registry Editor 2008-08-02" {
 loopback loop /boot/iso/cd080802.iso
 linux (loop)/VMLINUZ. rw vga=normal --
 initrd /boot/iso/initrd.cgz
}

Note that for Offline NT Password & Registry Editor, you'll need to use a modified initrd, because the iso image uses syslinux to boot two initrd images, which GRUB2 doesn't support. You have to manually extract initrd.cgz and scsi.cgz from the iso, then combine them to form one initrd image. Here's a script I wrote to automate the process:

mkdir temp
cd temp
gzip -dc < ../INITRD.CGZ | cpio -idum --no-absolute-filenames
gzip -dc < ../SCSI.CGZ | cpio -idum --no-absolute-filenames
find . | cpio -o -H newc > ../initrd.cpio
gzip -c ../initrd.cpio > ../initrd.cgz
cd ..
rm -fr temp

Also, there are newer versions of GRUB2 (1.97+20091130-1ubuntu1) and Memtest86+ (4.00-2ubuntu1) available in the Lucid repositories.

[pmt]

The error I get - http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5694/dsc00180c.jpg

I also have problems with Sidux 2009-04, but Sidux 2009-03 works quiet well:

menuentry "Sidux 2009-03" {
 loopback loop /boot/iso/sidux-2009-03-momos-xfce-i386-200911110039.iso
 linux (loop)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-6.slh.1-sidux-686 fromiso=/boot/iso/sidux-2009-03-momos-xfce-i386-200911110039.iso boot=fll noeject  
 initrd (loop)/boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-6.slh.1-sidux-686
}

works like a charm!
the same thing with Sidux-2009-04 fails:

menuentry "Sidux Moros 2009-04 XFCE" {
 loopback loop /boot/iso/sidux-2009-04-moros-xfce-i386-200912310312.iso
 linux (loop)/boot/vmlinuz0.686 fromiso=/boot/iso/sidux-2009-04-moros-xfce-i386-200912310312.iso boot=fll noeject
 initrd (loop)/boot/initrd0.686
}

I get the following error message: "failed to identify filesystem type of iso"

I discussed that at the Sidux-Forum here:
http://sidux.com/index.php?name=PNph...=147372#147372

[Jongi]

This eventually worked

menuentry "Sidux 2009-04 LiveCD" {
  insmod ntfs
  set root=(hd1.5)
  loopback loop /distros/sidux-2009-04.iso
  linux (loop)/boot/vmlinuz0.amd fromhd=UUID=7192F19D15BC0C0A fromiso=/distros/sidux-2009-04.iso noeject boot=fll vga=791
  initrd (loop)/boot/initrd0.amd
}

notice that fromiso doesn't have the device reference

[Jongi]

That's true: linuxrc2 is already included in initram.igz, and this works with SRCD Vers. 1.3.3 as well as with 1.3.4 (which I just tested some minutes ago):

menuentry "SystemRescueCd 1.3.4" {
 loopback loop /boot/iso/systemrescuecd-x86-1.3.4.iso
 linux (loop)/isolinux/rescuecd isoloop=/boot/iso/systemrescuecd-x86-1.3.4.iso rdinit=/linuxrc2 
 initrd (loop)/isolinux/initram.igz
}

again: works fine, when booting from BIOS, but didn't work, when I boot via qemu: sudo qemu -m 512 -hda /dev/sdb
in that case, booting fails at a late stage (couldn't find media)

If anybody knows the reason and have a solution for that, would be great

this is the format that worked for me for grub2 and sysrescuecd with the latest stable download.

[billybisson]

Hi all,

I am trying to boot a live iso using grub2 within the Mac EFI with rEFIt (v0.14) as the primary boot menu.

Grub2 is working fine, using refit to load it up. I can boot into the Mac partition without problems from the grub2 menu.

I cannot boot the latest system rescue cd iso or an Ubuntu 8.10 amd64 iso.

Upon selecting from the grub2 menuitems it finds and reads the respective kernels, it reads the initrd line. But then hangs. It does not go any further.

Here is what is on the screen before it hangs

[Linux-bzImage, setup=0x3400, size=0x2c09b0]
Video mode: 1280x800-32@59
Display controller: 0:2.0
Device id: 27a28086
MMIO(0) : 0x90380000
VMEM9(2) : 0x80000000
MMIO(3) : 0x90400000
Frame buffer base : 0x80000000
Video line length : 8192
[Initrd, addr-0x5bac7000, size-0x117bd7]

Here is a copy of my grub.cfg

set timeout=10
set default=0
set root=(hd0,2)
menuentry "MacOSX" {
# Set the root device for Mac OS X's loader.
root=(hd0,2)
# Load the loader.
chainloader /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi -v
}

menuentry "SystemRescueCd (isoloop)" {
loopback loop (hd0,4)/systemrescuecd-x86-1.5.1.iso
linux (loop)/isolinux/rescue64 boot=systemrescuecd-x86-1.5.1.iso subdir=/sysrcd docache setkmap=us isoloop=systemrescuecd-x86-1.5.1.iso initrd=/linuxrc2
initrd (loop)/isolinux/initram.igz -v
boot
}

menuentry "Ubuntu 8.10 amd64" {
set root=(hd0,4)
loopback loop /Ubuntu_8.10amd64.iso
linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/Ubuntu_8.10amd64.iso noeject noprompt --
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz
boot
}

menuentry "Boot from MBR" {
appleloader HD
}
menuentry "Boot from CD" {
appleloader CD
}
menuentry "Boot from USB" {
appleloader USB
}

menuentry "Microsoft Windows XP" {
set root=(hd0,3)
chainloader +1
}


Yet to try and boot Windows as I have not restored the partition and worried about the MBR fudge required.

The current partition for where the iso files live are type vfat.

I did move the systemrescuecd iso within /efi on the Mac partition which left me with the same problem. It locates the linux kernel and initrd fine but hangs after initialising initrd.

Both of the iso files boot fine from their cds.

Is this a problem due to an EFI setup and with no BIOS? Or do I need a boot.efi or something similar as for the Mac OS X menu entry? I am using the latest system rescue cd.

Any help will be great. I like to get all this working and learn about the new EFI system. Yet they boot without problems from cd?

My grub2 installation sits within the /efi folder on my Mac partition. Had to be complied on a Linux box and copied across. I dare not remove refit for grub2 just yet.

Thanks
Will

[bond711]

menuentry "Ubuntu Server Installer:" {
insmod ntfs
set root=(hd0,6)
loopback loop /Transmission/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso
linux (loop)/install/vmlinuz boot=install isofrom=/dev/hda6/Transmission/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso noeject noprompt --
initrd (loop)/install/initrd.gz
}

I'm attempting to try and put 10.04 server iso's on a grub2 usb key, but keep getting to the point of it failing to mount the cd. Has anyone successfully got 10.04 server working in a loopback?

(I've tried a few different isofroms/isoscan)
cheers

[bond711]

here is my current entry, but it always fails when it gets to the point of mounting the cd, any advice anyone?

menuentry "ubuntu 10.04 server amd64" {
	set isofile="/boot/ubuntu-10.04-server-amd64.iso"
	loopback loop $isofile
	linux (loop)/install/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed iso-scan/filename=$isofile --
	initrd (loop)/install/initrd.gz
}