Hi,
One other thing to add...
You can boot from an ISO file via Grub
It has been a while since I have done this, so some things may have changed... and NOT ALL DISTROS use casper as the root directory for the initrid/vmlinuz files, so look in the ISO for the file you need... for example Fedora is quite different
Some also need very specific boot parameters (like Arch)
So consult the ISO if you are using something besides *buntu, this is specifically targeted at *buntu use.
## this will be different on your computer, use the TAB completion
## some are something like (msdos1,1)
*set root=(*hd1,1*) *
## use tab completion here as well if you need
*set isofile=*"/path/to/FILENAME.iso"
## same as the root you set
*loopback loop*(hd1,1)*$isofile*
## the main thing is to include the path to the vmlinuz, and set the boot= that directory name... you might also need vmlinuz.efi if you are doing an efi boot
*linux (loop)/*casper/vmlinuz *boot=*casper
## some distros use different compression... so just check
*initrd (loop)/*casper/*initrd*.lz
*boot
*You**can also add a custom grub entry menu.

This could be done from a USB stick, technically, where you keep a bunch of ISO files, and make custom GRUB entries and boot each on separately

Again, I have not done this in a few years, (I have been using mkusb to overwwrite the same USB stick, like Nio) so things may have changed some.

**On 07/30/2016 04:47 PM, Nio Wiklund wrote:
Hi scrooyahoo,

[replying inline]

Best regards
Nio

Den 2016-07-30 kl. 22:58, skrev scrooya...@riseup.net:
I'm looking into MKUSB and OBI.

I see OBI can pick tar-balls stored on a stick. But is it also possible
to work with multiple ISO's?

The OBI does not work with iso files. But there are other tools, that can make multiboot USB drives, for example according to this link:

'One pendrive for all PC (Intel/AMD) computers - single-boot dual-boot multi-boot'

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682

It works for Ubuntu and Ubuntu based distros, but you have to fix the menuentries in grub.cfg for the other linux distros.

There are also multiboot-usb, multisystem and YUMI

Would be nice to have 1 stick that can load:
32 bit
64 bit
pae
and eventually also the PPC

It is possible except PPC, because it has a different architecture, and needs different machine code.

And also to make a stick with all 32 or 64 bit *buntu's side by side.

You can make such a pendrive according to the link above or get one.

Some people like that, but I think it is better to consider pendrives as temporary devices.

I store iso files in my main computer's 'data' partition, and flash one of them to a pendrive, when I want to use it. If you want to bring many iso files in the pocket, you can have a second pendrive with iso files. It is a good idea to have fast USB 3 pendrives. They are faster in USB 2 ports too, because the flash memory hardware is often limiting the data transfer speed. See this link:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick#Prerequisites

I use mkusb (to wrap a safety belt around dd alias 'disk destroyer'), most of the time making simple live-only pendrives that are cloned from the iso files. Most iso files today are 'hybrid' iso files, which means that they work when cloned, so it is a very simple process.

It is a lot of work to keep a multiboot pendrive up to date, it can easily lag behind. It is somewhat complicated to keep the boot script (grub.cfg or a corresponding file for other bootloaders) up to date and working if you have several different distros.

There is also Ubuntu AIO at

http://linuxaio.net/

Specially now that 8GB is about the smallest stick size thats still
available in stores.

This would it make it less of a hassle to try a few distros.

I now have 4 Sticks in use for Lubuntu 16.04 64, 32, and alternate 64
and 32bit
that puts about 28GB doing nothing.

I have tried 2 multiboot options i could find but for some reason only
one of those partially works.

OBI looks like a good solution, but most distro's sit in a ISO.

Please try and find out which way you want to manage your iso files and boot drives :-)



--
Regards

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