installation boot disk vs. boot disk image

tekmann33 · 03-21-2008, 11:14 AM

What is the difference between recovering a linux machine from an installation boot disk vs. a boot disk image?

Or are they essentially the same thing?

aus9 · 03-21-2008, 10:48 PM

afaik a install boot disk....means a boot floppy disk or a boot cd or dvd....they are removable media.

boot disk image normally refers to an iso image or file that needs to be copied to the appropiate removable media such as floppy cdr cdrw dvdr etc.

but, boot disk images can be mounted in loop and accessed by emulators such as virtualbox.
this means you do not have to burn a disk to try it out.

aus9 · 03-21-2008, 10:50 PM

oh I assume you realise boot disk...the media is supposed to be capable of booting a real system...or one under emulation....so differs from a install disk (used to install a system) or a live disk (used to put a system into ram and or to install onto a disk)