Modifying distros iso images to boot with grub2
 

Greetings,

Lately I have been looking around about a new feature of grub2 which allows grub2 to boot iso images directly.

It's simple and actually it works from grub2 point of view which is loading the kernel and running the init script.

But the catch is that the init script should know what to do with the iso image. It should somehow be able to mount the iso file passed by grub2.

I have been running on it for like 3 days now looking everywhere on google and irc. Now I think init script needs to be modified but I am not a script guru to go solo on that. I was looking to see if anyone interested to help on any distro.

So far grml could boot. Some other posts mentioned that ubuntu could boot that way too.

I have inspected grml init and found that they are mounting the image passed from grub2 by isofrom/fromiso parameter.

I was inspecting Sabayon and did not find a match for what's in grml. And that's why booting it, fails. It reads the kernel and part of init script runs but it fails at the point where it's expecting the cd.

I think if I could modify the init to parse the isofrom/fromiso parameter of grub2 to mount it. We could get any distro to boot that way.

If anyone with some knowledge or experience interested on the subject, pls post so we can work on it.

Thanks everyone.

Hey aus9,

I see we are coming from same place. :-) Am silentnights :)

I thought I would see if anyone else interested here. I always had help over here. :D

I am still working on my kernel issue. Hope to get it done today so I can continue testing the iso stuff. It's really exciting. It's very great to be able to test live CDs from hard disk. I am keeping ubuntu and grml isos linked on my grub2 for anytime I need them.

Anyway, Am glad to meet you here too. You have an interesting grub post. :D

NightHorse

I am not sure if you are aware my signature also refers to smxi...so pls don't mention it at sidux. I am not trying to get you to use it either.....grins sheepishly

nice to meet you here too.

I have asked a guru what those init things are and they appear to be UNIX like scripting so I may have to buy a book to learn how its done....with a huge wait before I could mod any init.
Therefore, I am leaving my sidux forum and wiki still underconstruction.

I am not trying to advertise but the name of the book I am thinking of getting is Mastering Unix Shell Scripting

regards


EDIT

I gather you also tried command mode and used the tab key to autocomplete to resolve your ide and sata drives?