Making an install DVD with multiple distros on it

jopnickcon · 07-04-2004, 04:05 PM

I know its been done with windows ( no so much legally i guess) , a DVD that has multiple versions availible for install from bootup(Its called Windows all-in-one, and has every version from the WinXP, to 2003 servers.. all of them...), it gives you a menu..and you choose the version of windows to install.. then it starts teh installer for that specific type of windows.

i dont like windows, nore do i want it on my machines SOOOOOOOO

I've been successful in rolling the mandrake 10 CD iso's into a bootable DVD using:

mkdvdiso.sh /path/to/the/cd/isos /location/and/name/of/dvd.iso

My question is how can i make a bootable DVD that has the option to boot to mandrake, or slackware.. or SuSE.. and having all the builds on 1 DVD?

if i could build one of the DVD's, i'd be happy to host the ISO for download, but i need help building the first one.

can anyone help?

thx Jopnick

qwijibow · 07-04-2004, 04:12 PM

when you make a bootable iso (you have made a non bootable iso)
you have to specify what program is run when it boots...

since each distro has a different install rpogram, its not going to be easy,

read man mkisofs on how to make a bootable iso,

then you will have to write a sort of dual boot for CD's program..

which will not be easy.

alternativly... just make loads of boot floppy's
so each boot floppy installs a distro from a different folder on the dvd.

Sargeant HacK · 07-12-2004, 12:50 AM

can't you just modify a pre existing boot loader? mess around with lilo or something? i know in windows you can write a basic batch application for boot, like the bootable windows 98/me menus where you hit 1,2,or 3 for what you want or you push up and down. wouldn't you be able to insert a preconfigured version of lilo into the boot sector of the dvd/cd saying to load each folder based on what you type? i remember when i first started messing with linux on my IBM thinkpad 770x i managed to configure lilo to boot from different folders of the cd i had inserted because i had instances of Windows PE and slackware zip installs in different folders. but then again, i can always be wrong, i've been so before