Test Results - Booting-KLV Airedale directly from its ISO download

[Clarity]

Results: Tests of booting KLV-Airedales from its ISO file to its desktop

Note: Booting KLV-Airedales from its ISO files eliminates issues of extractions and boot-menu changes which often can result in errors. The ISO file booting is trouble-free retaining all the properties expected in a Frugal use.

The Approach and Intent:

• Merely download the ISO file to the launch USB and boot it to desktop to be operational. No intermediate step(s) required.

• At boot for all tests, KLV's default boot Menu item taken without menu change.

Forum	------ Bare-Metal ------	------- QEMU (VM) -------	PXE

Distro	Ventoy	SG2D	Native	Ventoy	SG2D	PXE
KLV-Airedale-sr11	N(1)	N(3)	N(6)	N(6)	N(6)	N
KLV-Airedale-sr12	N(6)	N(3)	N(6)	N(6)	N(6)	N
KLV-Airedale-sr13	Y	Y	Y	N(3)	Y	N
KLV-Airedale-sr14	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N

Legend for 'N' (No) in table

• (1) - Drops out to GRUB prompt

• (2) - Stops at Console w/o Desktop

• (3) - TRAP/Abend during boot

• (4) - IMG Not Supported by Launcher

• (5) - Requires session-save parm, manually added, to GRUB2 Menu stanza for boot

• (6) - Not tested

.
QEMU stanza used in tests

Code: Select all

qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -vga std -m 2G -smp 2 -device AC97 -net nic -net user -rtc base=localtime -name "KLV-Airedale-sr14 via QEMU" -hda /dev/sdd\

Where "/dev/sdd" is the Ventoy USB (also same path when the SG2D USB is in the PC slot)

[williwaw]

Cool project catorgizing distro and boot methods, producing EZ to read tables.
Can I assume the NATIVE column refers to booting with grub2? Perhaps providing a sample stanza would be a nice addition.

I see more and more people post asking how to boot with their existing bootloader (usually grub2), so I suppose a tutorial would be in order. Especially how to add their stanzas in the proper places as many installs of grub2 have the "Do not edit this file" warning.

[Clarity]

... Can I assume the NATIVE column refers to booting with grub2? Perhaps providing a sample stanza would be a nice addition. ...

Actually a bit more accurate is that during a Ventoy launch, it offers the user the option to take one of 3 paths (called 'modes') to lead the ISO. I choose the GRUB2 path on ALL occasions. Sometimes (not often) if the ISO itself traps or drops to prompt during its boot, I would rerun the launch choosing the alternate to verify the ISO's offending boot behavior. For example:

Launch site for forum distros.jpg (20.96 KiB) Viewed 590 times

Launch site for forum distros(1).jpg (17.93 KiB) Viewed 590 times

I see more and more people post asking how to boot with their existing bootloader (usually grub2), so I suppose a tutorial would be in order. Especially how to add their stanzas in the proper places as many installs of grub2 have the "Do not edit this file" warning.

Agreed. But there is a problem in producing one in Puppyland. The developers are NOT consistent with ensuring the GRUB2 package is included so that GRUB's "official" utilty will do the user's job. Thus we have, across the forum, various people offering alternate approaches for their specific uses.

It the GRUB2 utility was offered, consistently by the differing areas of the forum distros, the single GRUB2 utility approach could be simply documented and it would be "universally" presented and actually would cut down on the constant miscues I have seen over the years across the forum!

@williwaw I think, you have either a Ventoy USB or a SG2D USB. Using these, there is little to no need to adjust a boot stanza during the forum distro's ISO choices, each offers. And in all cases for me, the ONLY time, if change a Linux line in boot is to add/change where the persistence is to be saved.

I am in the process or creating a "Universal USB" that includes ALL 4 BOOT Launch methods seen on the forum. This will be a tiny USB when complete. I ask: When I do, would you test? It will support booting all known forum distro from either of the 4 Boot Launch utilities it houses.

And, thanks for your comments.

[williwaw]

there is a problem in producing one in Puppyland. The developers are NOT consistent with ensuring the GRUB2 package is included

yes, not all pups etc are shipped with grub2, but I assume anything can be booted with grub2. Grub2 is quite ubiqutious in the linux world, and there are many cases where someone with an existing grub2 wishes to add a frugal install to their debian or whatever. Have you looked at ISO Booter developed by forum member Rsrcn51?
Reformatting drives to utilize ventoy or similar is a lot to ask just to boot an ISO, same with installing and becoming proficient with VMs.

[Clarity]

... Have you looked at ISO Booter developed by forum member Rsrcn51?...

YES, Its one of the '4' I mention in my prior post.

[Clarity]

... Reformatting drives to utilize ventoy or similar is a lot to ask just to boot an ISO, same with installing and becoming proficient with VMs.

This comment sounds like you've not used any Ventoy instructions made on the forum. The forum instructions are specific and unique to eliminate boot issues affording successful booting of forum distros to a desktop.

Use the instructions to create a USB that you ONLY do once. Follow the instructions as they are specific to use with forum distros.

1. Make the USB (Only ever done once)

2. Add ISO/IMG files of your choosing (any at your discretion)

3. No maintenance or changes necessary to your USB.(forever unless, of course, you choose to do so)

Works like any other Frugal booting; except without the hassle of extractions of ISO or IMG files. Same as ISObooter.

Hope this is helpful.
P.S. if you run into ANY problems in using the instructions, please post on that forum thread and expect that members will come to the rescue.

[williwaw]

why not a post at viewforum.php?f=155
that lists nothing except grub2 iso boot stanzas?
maybe rockedge will make it sticky

[Clarity]

Thanks @williwaw ... +1
Yes, I think @rockedge may be in the process with evaluating placement of the KL reports along with another KL member to make it easy for anyone, new or experienced, to find the reports. Reports like these can be beneficial, overall, to both users and developers, I think.

If relocated, I think ONLY the Opening Post should be moved and to replace the OP with a link to the pin leaving the remainder of thread's discussion intact without the OP. Maybe with some wording like: "The Report and chart is moved to a forum page, here." ...(where "here" is the new link to the Report table)

FATDOG has already done what you suggest.

[williwaw]

I think @rockedge .........

post the grub2 stanzas first, then add to them as your projects progress. rock will notice...
just grub2 stanzas, following the KISS principle
(well ok, you might consider a link or two too your other posts)

[wiak]

Reports are different from howto docs, and there are lots of types of possible reports, so reporting really needs this subforum of its own, and these kind of reports are often concerned with boot matters, but not only that. Main thing is to keep this subforum as reports only. If any howto doc type material is involved dont put that here. Instead put in separate howto areas and link to that in reports. Otherwise it is chaotic mess. Previous reports on boot matters tend to be less about reports, per se, and more about implementations and howto docs. On the whole should leave these where they are and simply include links to them in reports when (still) relevant. Moving reports into howto or application threads is messy, takes a lot of effort, and isn't logical organisation.

Main thing is to insist anything posted as a 'report' in this section should only be a report (of course that could include grub stanzas used if that is relevant part of the report, but that should not be a howto doc; if howto also needed that should be put in relevant howto area. Other related posts should go into appropriate sections and links to them if and only if relevant.

There is no need for separate report section for KL or any other distro. One place for all forum distros under this README FIRST section lets user know there are several distro choices to consider using. Most reports are about same kind of thing such as does the distro boot in Ventoy, bare metal, qemu and so on. Even KL distros can be very different beasts, but comparison style reports are important info in terms of telling new users what might work for them.

This forum is primarily concerned as a centre of frugal install expertise, no longer distro specific, which has been out-of-date form of organisation focus for years, and that has to stop to improve also how the resources maintained and provided via this forum are marketed.

[Clarity]

Yes! That is why the thread is started, ONLY. It is presented "To merely report findings of booting the ISO file via the various means seen on the forum". It provides a simple basis of what one can expect should they launch a reported ISO file from any of the various "launchers" in either bare-metal or within a VM.

For the VM, I have traditionally provided the BIOS based stanza used that works, within the report. The stanza, will create a VM that is identical no matter which Linux is used to run the QEMU stanza which creates a VM for ISO operations. As such, this guarantees the user an identical experience should they use the offered VM stanza.

These reports do not include howto's. The uses of the various launchers are already documented in couple locations on the PLDF forum. Those forum instructions are kept accurate in an effort toward making it easy for user use without problems...when followed. And the launcher layouts expressed in the instructions are designed for both good-housekeeping and at-a-glance understanding.

Thanks @wiak for assisting in making those points plain.