How to make a Multi-Boot USB?

[number77]

Hello
I want to make a boot usb key with a number of different Puppy variants. Tahr32, Xenial32 and 64 and any others.
Questions are, how many could I have, do they need separate partitions and frugal installs or just different directories.
In fact how do I do it and what bootloader to use.
Help appreciated.
Thanks
number77

[wizard]

how many could I have,

As many as will fit on the drive

do they need separate partitions and frugal installs or just different directories

Just need different directories.

You can:
1. choose to install them

or

2. create a Ventoy USB and run them from their ISO (this method makes using a save file/folder more complicated)

I would install all of them, then install Grub and it will find them and create your boot menu.

wizard

[number77]

how many could I have,

As many as will fit on the drive

do they need separate partitions and frugal installs or just different directories

Just need different directories.

You can:
1. choose to install them

or

2. create a Ventoy USB and run them from their ISO (this method makes using a save file/folder more complicated)

I would install all of them, then install Grub and it will find them and create your boot menu.

wizard

Thanks wizard, Ventoy usb looks good. Not in ppm though so I could do with link for puppy use. Dont need save files just need to try any puppy variant I wish. You say you would install them, do you mean to a directory and frugal.

[wizard]

Check here for Ventoyl:

viewtopic.php?p=38449#p38449

You say you would install them, do you mean to a directory and frugal.

This is really use dependent. If you just want to try out, do Ventoy, if you want to run and have persistence, do installs.

wizard

[number77]

[float][/float]

how many could I have,

As many as will fit on the drive

[
wizard

Nice one wizard. Got Ventoy going on usb. Just tried xenial32 iso, it found it straight away and ran it. Will have fun and try a few more.
Thanks for letting me know.
number77

[esos]

I use only grub2 for multiOS: any Uefi/Bios-legacy/iso/frugal.

[number77]

I use only grub2 for multiOS: any Uefi/Bios-legacy/iso/frugal.

What a brilliant tool, does exactly what I want.
It says it supports daphile, a music server, but I could not get that going. I am being greedy but any ideas.

[bigpup]

This is how I do multiple Puppy versions frugal installs on a USB stick.
Actually any drive I only want Puppy versions on.

Use Gparted program.
Setup the USB stick with 2 partitions.
First one, small 300MB, fat32 format, flagged boot, esp (location for boot loader files, boot partition)
Rest of drive, whatever other partition(s), but one ext3 or 4 format. (location to put frugal installs)
(this is UEFI standard requirement, and some computers, look for a fat32 partition, for boot loader files)

Run Frugalpup Installer main program.
On the main window are selection buttons.
Select the Puppy button, to do the install.
Go through install process, selecting to install to the ext formatted partition.
Note:
When selecting the partition to install to.
A window pops up, giving option to make a directory, to put the frugal install in.
I make this directory and usually name it, the name of the Puppy version.
Carefully read that windows info.
Press enter, makes the directory, not the OK button.
complete the install.

When it gets back to the main Frugalpup window.
Select the boot button.
Select the location of the frugal install, on the USB stick.
Select the small 300MB partition on the USB stick, as location to install the boot loader. (may need to scroll the selection window)
Select the boot loader type.
UEFI
mbr ->legacy bios boot
both

You can install the UEFI for UEFI computers, mbr for legacy bios computers, or both, to boot anything.

The UEFI will also install the needed files, to support secure boot enabled in UEFI.

When you first boot the USB stick, on a UEFI computer, with secure boot enabled.
A process will start, to allow you to install the Puppy security key, to the computer.
It will add this Puppy key, to the other ones, loaded on the computer.

Note:
Not all UEFI computers are the same, for booting from a USB stick.
Some may require secure boot disabled, CSM enabled, or legacy boot enabled, to be able to boot from a USB stick.
So, for those computers.
The mbr boot loader will work, because the UEFI bios, is basically in, legacy bios operation.
Some computer bios setups have option to enable/disable USB booting. That would need to be enabled.

To put more frugal installs on the same USB stick.
Do the complete process again, for the new Puppy version.
When you run the boot loader install.
It will make entries, for all installs it finds, on the USB drive.

Note:
There is a newer version of Frugalpup Installer
viewtopic.php?t=337
You may want to download and install it before using it.

[number77]

Hello
I want to make a boot usb key with a number of different Puppy variants. Tahr32, Xenial32 and 64 and any others.
Questions are, how many could I have, do they need separate partitions and frugal installs or just different directories.
In fact how do I do it and what bootloader to use.
Help appreciated.
Thanks
number77

[Clarity]

Hello @number77 Earlier @wizard recommended this site for having as many ISO distributions where you selectively choose which you want to launch at PC start time. He directs you to this forum page.
viewtopic.php?p=38449#p38449

If you follow those instructions, EVERY forum distro can be started and each distro will save its session to be found the next time you boot that same distro. This is true for every ISO on your Ventoy disk in its BOOTISOS folder (follow those instruction for success troublefree)

Ventoy Screenshot.jpg (85.46 KiB) Viewed 1248 times

ENJOY!

[bigpup]

I told you how in my post above doing it as frugal installs on the USB stick.

Do you not understand that it has different Puppy versions, as frugal installs, and a boot loader installed on the drive, to boot them with?
A entry for each one in the boot loader menu, you see when it boots.

Each frugal install is a separate specific directory with the specific Puppy version files in it.
That is a frugal install.

[number77]

This is how I do multiple Puppy versions frugal installs on a USB stick.
Actually any drive I only want Puppy versions on.

Use Gparted program.
Setup the USB stick with 2 partitions.
First one, small 300MB, fat32 format, flagged boot, esp (location for boot loader files, boot partition)
Rest of drive, whatever other partition(s), but one ext3 or 4 format. (location to put frugal installs)
(this is UEFI standard requirement, and some computers, look for a fat32 partition, for boot loader files)

Run Frugalpup Installer main program.
On the main window are selection buttons.
Select the Puppy button, to do the install.
Go through install process, selecting to install to the ext formatted partition.
Note:
When selecting the partition to install to.
A window pops up, giving option to make a directory, to put the frugal install in.
I make this directory and usually name it, the name of the Puppy version.
Carefully read that windows info.
Press enter, makes the directory, not the OK button.
complete the install.

When it gets back to the main Frugalpup window.
Select the boot button.
Select the location of the frugal install, on the USB stick.
Select the small 300MB partition on the USB stick, as location to install the boot loader. (may need to scroll the selection window)
Select the boot loader type.
UEFI
mbr ->legacy bios boot
both

You can install the UEFI for UEFI computers, mbr for legacy bios computers, or both, to boot anything.

The UEFI will also install the needed files, to support secure boot enabled in UEFI.

When you first boot the USB stick, on a UEFI computer, with secure boot enabled.
A process will start, to allow you to install the Puppy security key, to the computer.
It will add this Puppy key, to the other ones, loaded on the computer.

Note:
Not all UEFI computers are the same, for booting from a USB stick.
Some may require secure boot disabled, CSM enabled, or legacy boot enabled, to be able to boot from a USB stick.
So, for those computers.
The mbr boot loader will work, because the UEFI bios, is basically in, legacy bios operation.
Some computer bios setups have option to enable/disable USB booting. That would need to be enabled.

To put more frugal installs on the same USB stick.
Do the complete process again, for the new Puppy version.
When you run the boot loader install.
It will make entries, for all installs it finds, on the USB drive.

Note:
There is a newer version of Frugalpup Installer
viewtopic.php?t=337
You may want to download and install it before using it.

Thanks bigpup. I am still working on this.

[esos]

@number77
Additional information for you.
Grub2 is standard recommanded bootmanager for linux in general. You can use it for frugal install, direct isobooting and full install. In my opinion, Just follow bigpup suggestion.

Note.
Direct isobooting is easy/simple, but it is not possible for system update.

[Clarity]

...
Note.
Direct isobooting is easy/simple, but it is not possible for system update.

I have NOT found this to be true.

Can you explain?