Create a Multi-boot USB Stick with MultiSystem
Thanks to tools like Unetbootin and Ubuntu's Startup Disk Creator, creating a bootable USB stick with your favorite Linux distro has never been easier. But both of these utilities have one tiny shortcoming: they allow you to install only one distro on a USB stick. Enter MultiSystem, a nifty tool that can squeeze several distros on to a single USB stick. Not only that, MultiSystem lets you add a persistent storage for each distro, and the tool automatically generates a boot menu with a few handy options.
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An older version of MultiSystem is available in the Ubuntu software repository, but if you want to install the very latest release of the tool, you can do so using a few simple commands:
deb http://liveusb.info/multisystem/depot all main wget -q http://liveusb.info/multisystem/depot/multisystem.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add - sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install multisystem
Using MultiSystem to create a multi-boot USB stick is not particularly difficult. Insert the USB stick, launch the MultiSystem utility, and hit the Validate button to set up the stick. Grab then the ISO image of the distro you want to add and drop it on to the Drag/Drop ISO/img section of the MultiSystem window. The utility then prompts you to specify the size of a persistent storage space, and once you've done that, the utility takes care of the rest. In a similar manner, add other distros to the USB stick. To make sure that the USB stick actually works, MultiSystem conveniently provides the ability to test the stick using either the QEMU or VirtualBox virtualization software.
Comments
Multi Install Multiboot at the same time
Abdul May 01, 2011 5:35pm GMT
Is it possible the following?I want bootable USB drive with the follow options.
1. Install Windows XP
2. Install Windows 7
3. Run Chrome OS
4. Boot Normally
When I select option 1 it should start installation of XP on my hard drive (not running Live XP on my USB).
When I select option 2 it should start installation of Win7 (again not running Live Win7 from Windows 7).
When I select option 3 it should start RUNNING (not installing) chrome os from USB (i.e. just like a live image of any OS).
When I select option 4 it should proceed to boot normally i.e. whatever is installed on my hard drive.
Thanks in advance for your help.
WattOS - Persistence
Vicky Mar 05, 2011 8:16am GMT
Appreciate if you could add support to WattOS (Ubuntu based open box Distro)..It installs fine but I am not able to enable persist featuremultiboot usb
olde Mar 02, 2011 3:54am GMT
Ok, all working now. I got Quicktech Pro working perfectly.Defragment the quicktech pro iso, I used contig and a virtual machine of tiny xp. Copy the iso onto the root of the usb drive. Place the following into the menu.lst file. (Make sure your filename matches)
title QuickTech Pro (Computer Hardware Diagnostics)
find --set-root /Quicktechpro.iso
map /Quicktechpro.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)
Then save the menu.lst file and close out of the window. It will update grub, and you'll be able to run it without issue. Don't try to use the drag and drop import feature, it will return an "unsupported iso" error.
Thanks to the creators of Multisystem I have all my tools on one bootable usb drive. PERFECT!
multiboot usb
olde Feb 28, 2011 9:41pm GMT
Ok, found ERD commander, hidden in the syslinux menu. Managed to get Hirens on, it wouldn't load the iso, but unpacking it to the usb got most of it into the grub4dos menu. So far I have Hirens, SystemRescueCD, Clonezilla, ERD 2007, PMagic 5.8 and Backtrack 4 working. If someone can help me get Quicktech on there I'll be a happy boy.Cheers and thanks, excellent application!
multiboot usb
olde Feb 24, 2011 1:35am GMT
This works for me on a Debian Squeeze system. First time it failed, but after using the drive to install by another means a grub2 it is now working flawlessly with Clonezilla, System Rescue and Pmagic5.8.I have a question though, I'd like to also install another couple of programs, being Quicktech and Hirens, which currently return an unsupportediso response. Any ideas on making them work would be appreciated!
Also, ERD Commander installed as Minint, and doesn't show up in any menu and so far I haven't found a way to get it onto the boot menu, so any help there would also be appreciated.
Cheers, and well done on a nice app.
The first line is not a shell command
Terry Feb 16, 2011 8:48pm GMT
To make it work using root privileges edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list and on a new line at the bottom of the file paste the contents of the first line of the instructions which is actually a repository source and not a command. save the sources.list file. And the copy and paste the remaining lines into the shell. Then it should be installed under Accessories.Multisystem
Abe Feb 15, 2011 6:52pm GMT
<i>information provided to install into linux terminal does not work:ubunbtu 10.04 </i><br>
I am not sure what you meant by "does not work". I just followed the procedure and it installed and launched OK on Kubuntu 10.10. I didn't go farther. I guess the confusion is with the first line "deb ....". I think the procedure failed to clarify what to do with it. Instead of being a command, it should say include the line in /etc/apt/sources.list.<br>
Multisystem
Dimitri Popov Feb 15, 2011 8:02am GMT
Commands in your article as to "how-to install newest version"----copying them into terminal does not work on ubuntu 10.04.