Hello,

This is my first post to the group so please let me know if i do something jacked up.

The goal is to boot any one of five live isos from the boot prompt.
the requirements are:
Completely ro sd card mounted in USB reader.
A mneuing system with password capability.
Ability to boot deb/ubun distros as well as other linux and os isos as well.
It cannot scan the machines hardware looking for squashfs
it cannot write to the machines hardxdrive
It cannot automount the mmachines drive(s)
I think i have the write issue and automount issue resolved


I currently do not even know if this is possible
Grub is out because it left the filesystem writeable
Casper is out because i just read three articles regarding
Casper writing to target media looking for squashfs
Not sure about LILO/Isolinux ....

I am thinking isolinux but not 100% sure.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I've set up a multiboot flash drive using syslinux, but had to move files from the isos and configure syslinux.cfg manually. Was not ro, but couldn't you just lock the sd card?

Rock doctor - i have a small box of sd cards ranging from 2g to 8 g. Linux seems to write to the iin both the locked and unlocked states. Donno why but it does. Iif i could fewl the kernel to beleiving the sd card was a disc i - i would be in like flyn, but as always if i were born rich would i be not be on a secluded island oblivious to the rest of the world?

I would feel much better with iso ro than a locked sd card that as root i can type: touch book and a file appears on an allegedly ro system. Then remains there after reboot.


I have to assume (we know what that means) that i am not the only one experiencing this situation. So i politely ask of you to try it and let me know if the lock switch had no effect for you either.

Just tried it (in a USB reader - Archbang doesn't seem to want to recognize the built-in reader on my desktop PC). Lock did not work. Very disappointing, but very good to know.

Well i got an answer from outside the group and it goes something like this. Create an ext-whatever filesystem. Get everthing working so you can boot to it cocompletely RO. Then convert into squashfs or iso fs and then test it out on reg build. If all is good then burn it down and test again. Althought it does not guarentee no problems, it should reduce the amount of problems encountered. If that works then use the zip disk image to fix sd card to boot on similar parameters (multiples of zip sect, cylinder, heads). Next dump the iso on the card (heh dont forget to enable the write lock) and you should have it working. Save the original image filesysem to ext hd or cd in the event you want to rebuild with new isos. Good luck.

Oh use ext2 if you dont want journaling. This may not be 100% correct but you should get the idea from it. I will not be able to continue this thread anymore - due to personal circumstances but i hope it all works out for you.