How to get grub to launch isolinux/syslinux boot menu.

narnie · 03-20-2010, 09:46 PM

Hello,

I'm trying to get a multi-boot setup going for a USB.

I have different vfat-32 partitions I have copied ISOs of several linux distros.

The first one I installed using unetbootin, which works great and uses syslinux, but syslinux can't boot other partitions. So, I have grub installed.

I have gotten so far as to be able to get the grub menu up, but trying to load the partition's isolinux (which is how the Linux Mint LDXE distro boots) gives me an grub error 13.

Here is my menu.1st:

Code:

default		0

gfxmenu=/boot/gfxmenu/linuxmint.message

timeout		5

color cyan/blue white/blue


title 		Linux
root		(hd0,5)
kernel		/isolinux/vesamenu.c32

Not exactly sure what to call for the kernel.

I have also tried the isolinux.bin, but still get the grub error 13.

Can anyone help me figure how to get grub to boot an isolinux menu?

Here is the listing of the /isolinux directory:

Code:

$ ls isolinux/
boot.cat  isolinux.bin  isolinux.cfg  memtest  splash.jpg  vesamenu.c32

And the /boot/grub/:

Code:

$ ls boot/grub/
default        fat_stage1_5       jfs_stage1_5    reiserfs_stage1_5  xfs_stage1_5
device.map     installed-version  menu.lst        stage1
e2fs_stage1_5  iso9660_stage1_5   minix_stage1_5  stage2

Thanks,
Narnie

linus72 · 03-21-2010, 03:37 PM

err...
I dont think grub can do that

But, Grub2 can be installed to usb and boot fat32 partitions
I accidently installed grub2 to my fat32 usb and it works great

Many have tried to get to syslinux menu via grub
it doesn't work as far as I know

and see all this about grub4dos and syslinux

http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/wiki...Disk_emulation

http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/MEMDISK

http://knowhowbyromiz.blogspot.com/2...-and-back.html

http://aronzak.wordpress.com/2008/09...one-usb-drive/

narnie · 03-21-2010, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

err...
I dont think grub can do that

But, Grub2 can be installed to usb and boot fat32 partitions
I accidently installed grub2 to my fat32 usb and it works great

Many have tried to get to syslinux menu via grub
it doesn't work as far as I know

and see all this about grub4dos and syslinux

http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/wiki...Disk_emulation

http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/MEMDISK

http://knowhowbyromiz.blogspot.com/2...-and-back.html

http://aronzak.wordpress.com/2008/09...one-usb-drive/

Thanks for the info. I was beginning to think that is what was the case. I just couldn't find anything. I'm surprised that hasn't been worked out.

I was trying to do the "easy way" by not having to hand-code/recode the menues from isolinux to grub for each distro I want to install. Guess I need to not be lazy and start doing it. hehe.

Yours,
Narnie

narnie · 03-22-2010, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narnie

Thanks for the info. I was beginning to think that is what was the case. I just couldn't find anything. I'm surprised that hasn't been worked out.

I was trying to do the "easy way" by not having to hand-code/recode the menues from isolinux to grub for each distro I want to install. Guess I need to not be lazy and start doing it. hehe.

Yours,
Narnie

PS

Evidently, Grub 2 has the ability to somehow reliably boot iso images. I'll explore this and rethink my strategy to including those isos on one partition perhaps and see how I might be able to boot those. which is all I really need, anyway. This will allow me to use the "native" distro's menu.

jefro · 03-22-2010, 04:08 PM

I don't think you need to use grub and syslinx. You should be able to use one or the other.

See this for a way for some distros. http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-mu...multiboot-usb/

Or here http://blog.mycroes.nl/2009/01/creat...ick-using.html

narnie · 03-23-2010, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

I don't think you need to use grub and syslinx. You should be able to use one or the other.

See this for a way for some distros. http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-mu...multiboot-usb/

Or here http://blog.mycroes.nl/2009/01/creat...ick-using.html

The reason to use both is this:

1)
The distros that I'm wanting use isolinux as the boot menu. I would prefer to have virtually "drop-in" use of these as I add distros rather than having to rewrite the menu structure (for grub) for each to give all options available on each.

2)
Isolinux (and therefore syslinux) can't boot across multiple partitions. Hence the desire to use a combo of Grub (so that I may access other partitions) and Isolinux (so that I can retain the original menu structures and options without having to recode them for grub.

I'll check that link, though, so see what I can learn

Thanks,
Narnie

narnie · 03-23-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

I don't think you need to use grub and syslinx. You should be able to use one or the other.

See this for a way for some distros. http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-mu...multiboot-usb/

Or here http://blog.mycroes.nl/2009/01/creat...ick-using.html

I see the first is using grub4dos. I was actually looking at using this the other day as a work-a-round.

I'll look into this further because I think this will be my

Narnie

kostya · 02-07-2011, 06:25 PM

Hey guys, I can see you've given up on this one?
Too bad

))

OK, just in case you should be considering in the future using GRUB2 and SYSLINUX in combination, here is how I do it.
First, let me explain WHY this can by needed.
In my example I created a multiboot USB stick, containing SysRescueCD, Knoppix, Ubuntu and a couple of other useful LiveCD images to boot.
Now with Ubuntu there was no problem booting its ISO with GRUB2, which has that amazing new functionality. It also worked with SysRescueCD after I extracted the ISO into a folder.
But with Knoppix it just don't work this way!!! ...However, Knoppix has the option, after you boot from its LiveCD to install it onto a USB stick WITHOUT disturbing the data there (given you have enough space left on the device). You just call a shell script `flash-knoppix` and it does all the thing.
But the script installs SYSLINUX into the USB stick BOOT SECTOR...
So, here is the dilemma: I need GRUB2 to boot ISO images, yet I need SYSLINUX to boot Knoppix.

SOLUTION -- how we can use multiple bootloaders on one disk:
after the SYSLINUX loader is installed into the USB-stick's MBR, we just copy the BOOT SECTOR with good old DD command:

Code:

sudo dd if=/dev/sdc of=/media/$my-mounted-USB-stick/boot/syslinux.boot bs=512 count=1

after which I reinstall GRUB2:

Code:

grub2-setup --force --directory=/media/MULTIBOOT/boot/grub2 /dev/sdc

Here `/media/MULTIBOOT` is where my USB-stick is mounted, and `boot/grub2` is where GRUB2 installation files reside on the stick. There we also have a `grub.cfg` file, where we add a menuentry for the SYSLINUX loader for Knoppix:

Code:

menuentry "My SYSLINUX bootable OS" {
set root=(hd0,1)
chainloader=/boot/syslinux.boot
}

(Note the slight changes in the config file format)
You see, I'm using that backup SYSLINUX bootsector `syslinux.boot`, created with DD, as a chainloader used by GRUB2. Which works just fine after the real boot sector is overwritten by GRUB2.
I think, SYSLINUX can't do this "chainloading"? Well if it can, you can do the same backing up GRUB2 boot sector etc.

Oh, and if you're seriously interested in HOW TO create a multiboot USB-stick with a SINGLE partition on it, just read
here.

Note, too, that this approach widens multiboot possibilities significantly.
At present, in addition to this multiboot USB, I have 6 OS's on my GPT partitioned HDD, including FREEBSD, all of them booting with GRUB2.

Hope this helps??
Think I'll export this into a little HOW-TO...

PS: This solution has been around for quite some time now. I borrowed it from one FreeBSD guy, who wanted to multiboot it with other OS's is some nearly "impossible" combination.

Gemu · 02-02-2021, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kostya

Hey guys, I can see you've given up on this one?
Too bad

))

OK, just in case you should be considering in the future using GRUB2 and SYSLINUX in combination, here is how I do it.
First, let me explain WHY this can by needed.
In my example I created a multiboot USB stick, containing SysRescueCD, Knoppix, Ubuntu and a couple of other useful LiveCD images to boot.
Now with Ubuntu there was no problem booting its ISO with GRUB2, which has that amazing new functionality. It also worked with SysRescueCD after I extracted the ISO into a folder.
But with Knoppix it just don't work this way!!! ...However, Knoppix has the option, after you boot from its LiveCD to install it onto a USB stick WITHOUT disturbing the data there (given you have enough space left on the device). You just call a shell script `flash-knoppix` and it does all the thing.
But the script installs SYSLINUX into the USB stick BOOT SECTOR...
So, here is the dilemma: I need GRUB2 to boot ISO images, yet I need SYSLINUX to boot Knoppix.

SOLUTION -- how we can use multiple bootloaders on one disk:
after the SYSLINUX loader is installed into the USB-stick's MBR, we just copy the BOOT SECTOR with good old DD command:

Code:

sudo dd if=/dev/sdc of=/media/$my-mounted-USB-stick/boot/syslinux.boot bs=512 count=1

after which I reinstall GRUB2:

Code:

grub2-setup --force --directory=/media/MULTIBOOT/boot/grub2 /dev/sdc

Here `/media/MULTIBOOT` is where my USB-stick is mounted, and `boot/grub2` is where GRUB2 installation files reside on the stick. There we also have a `grub.cfg` file, where we add a menuentry for the SYSLINUX loader for Knoppix:

Code:

menuentry "My SYSLINUX bootable OS" {
set root=(hd0,1)
chainloader=/boot/syslinux.boot
}

(Note the slight changes in the config file format)
You see, I'm using that backup SYSLINUX bootsector `syslinux.boot`, created with DD, as a chainloader used by GRUB2. Which works just fine after the real boot sector is overwritten by GRUB2.
I think, SYSLINUX can't do this "chainloading"? Well if it can, you can do the same backing up GRUB2 boot sector etc.

Oh, and if you're seriously interested in HOW TO create a multiboot USB-stick with a SINGLE partition on it, just read
here.

Note, too, that this approach widens multiboot possibilities significantly.
At present, in addition to this multiboot USB, I have 6 OS's on my GPT partitioned HDD, including FREEBSD, all of them booting with GRUB2.

Hope this helps??
Think I'll export this into a little HOW-TO...

PS: This solution has been around for quite some time now. I borrowed it from one FreeBSD guy, who wanted to multiboot it with other OS's is some nearly "impossible" combination.

Did you ever write a tutorial for this Kostya? Maybe with some example boot scripts?