Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

HowTo: Multi-boot isos/frugals/full via Ventoy

Been lots of multi-boot solutions posted and some close but somewhat messy attempts using Ventoy usb stick alone (since it comes with pre-installed grub2).

What seems to have been missed is the official Ventoy method that allows for any grub boot stanzas so works with frugal installs too, and isos that otherwise don't boot with usual Ventoy mechanism or don't successfully provide save persistence.

Details were discussed (with example) here: viewtopic.php?p=100455#p100455

So ventoy no doubt is a solution we should be recommending, especially to new-comers who don't have much Linux experience, since it does provide a pretty much universal boot via grub2 mechanisms.

The only drawback really is that ventoy first auto-searches for isos even if you just wanting it to boot normal frugal installs, and that takes time... so slow boot therefore overall to desktop.

Please correct me if I am wrong.
You are trying multiboot using ventoy in first place to boot iso files but still depend on grub2 particular for frugal/full install.

Grub2 is universal, can boot iso also like fatdog, f95, voidpup, qpup, s15, lx, kla, klu and many other Linuxdistros with persistence and work fine for me
and fully working on linux EXT4 platform int-/externaldrive for PC(bios/uefi)/Mac, basically ntfs/vfat is redundant but unfortunately for uefi required vfat-boot partition. Just my opinion.

Good tools for installing grub2: Grub2config or flexibel frugal install.
I think creating autodetection menu-config grub2 can be done if all isos have the same boot stanza style. I saw your multiboot topic to convert isos.
Thanks for your great works.

GRUB2 has the potential of further reducing some boot-time issues no matter if booting directly from ISO file's menu or from being launched from the launchers of Ventoy/SG2D/ISObooter.

The knowledge within the community is really widespread of GRUB2 and many/most members are helpful with the many appeals we see in the forum.

There has been some wrestling that occur from time to time with forum distros boots, as sometimes, the menu emerges as GRUB4DOS/Syslinus/etc while other times we see GRUB2. This can/does lead to confusion when problems in boots occur.

GRUB2 is both stable and consistent with linux CLI command structures when users can drop to its prompt for boot-time needs. This flexibility is very helpful for those developers who are aware of this when doing debugs in real-time to inspect environmentals and institute options/manipulations/changes, when necessary.

Just couple of thoughts.