28 replies to this topic

[Irongeek]

Has anyone gotten XBoot with Backtrack 5 yet? I've tried a few options (grub ISO and the default Backtrack) with no luck. Also, if I install UBCD4Win using Xboot it works, but it seems to copy the image to memory. Is there a way to set boot options to stop this so it will work on boxes with less ram?

[steve6375]

grub4dos menu.lst

title BackTrack 5 (1024x768) Persistent\nType startx to run GUI once booted PERSISTENT
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/custom.seed boot=casper text splash vga=791-- persistent
initrd /casper/initrd.gz

title BackTrack 5 (1024x768) Non-Persistent\nType startx to run GUI once booted NON-PERSISTENT
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/custom.seed boot=casper text splash vga=791-- nonpersistent
initrd /casper/initrd.gz

Following must be present on the USB drive


\.disk
\casper
\preseed
menu.lst
grldr
casper-rw (if persistent fs wanted)

[smallpox]

hey steve, i copied .disk and preseed to the root of the usb drive. i am using xboot.

when i boot in with qemu or a physical system, if i press enter on any option in the backtrack menu, it just reloads the list.

### MENU START
title Bactrack\nBT5-KDE-32.ISO (2 GB)
ls /images/BTKDE.iso || find --set-root /images/BTKDE.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 /images/BTKDE.iso (0xff) || map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 --mem /images/BTKDE.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)
### MENU END

thank you.

i initially tried to put 32bit, 64bit of both kde and gnome but i guess that's far too advanced and i have to spend time on it another day

[steve6375]

Please see previous post! My menu.lst looks different from yours - I do not know how to boot BT from an ISO (I don't think it is possible unless you edit the linux files).

[smallpox]

yea i noticed your menu.lst deals with an extracted iso, i guess if i do it that way, i can have a few versions on the drive... i just like having a single file so i can verify md5 if there's a problem.

i'm sure it's possible, i have gotten slax, hiren.. windows installers booting, just not bt, i can get bt to the point of missing init.

thank you.

--

your method instantly worked with the contents that xboot had prepared, all i did was copy preseed and .disk.

Edited by smallpox, 15 June 2011 - 06:32 PM.

[steve6375]

I have tried to get BT to work from ISO and failed _ have seen lots of other people also try and fail. I think Wonko has posted some links in another post on how to modify the contents of the ISO to get it to work though.

re. flat file method - so you did not need the \casper folder???

[smallpox]

no, required the \casper folder for it to run.

i just tried this

title BackTrack 5 32KDE (1024x768) Persistent\nType startx to run GUI once booted PERSISTENT
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/custom.seed boot=casper text splash vga=791-- persistent
initrd /casper/initrd.gz

title BackTrack 5 32GNOME (1024x768) Persistent\nType startx to run GUI once booted PERSISTENT
kernel /BT5-GNOME-32/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/custom.seed boot=casper text splash vga=791-- persistent
initrd /BT5-GNOME-32/casper/initrd.gz

but the GNOME version is still pulling up kde.

i also changed the pathnames in isolinux.cfg of the extracted gnome iso

Edited by smallpox, 15 June 2011 - 07:11 PM.

[steve6375]

what about changing boot=casper line to boot=BT5-GOME-32/casper (though previous reports said this does not work...)

[Wonko the Sane]

I think Wonko has posted some links in another post on how to modify the contents of the ISO to get it to work though.

Sure, here it is:
http://reboot.pro/14463/page__st__13

but unfortunately it is NOT "the solution" or "a solution" for BackTrack, only little more that a "hint" about the direction that needs to be taken.


Wonko

[smallpox]

i hadn't tried that but i just did, kernel panic.

[steve6375]

what about preseed changing to file=/cdrom/BT5-GOME-32/preseed/custom.seed ???

[smallpox]

Wonko's post is something i should look into but it sort of confused me.

steve, the preseed one didn't work. it just booted in, i dont even have to startx, i can see the /etc/kde or kde4 folder, whatever it was

[smallpox]

looking into /scripts and i'm seeing some things, like mountpoint=/cdrom

i renamed the casper folder from root and also the little 1meg iso that xboot had created and it wont mount the gnome one.

hmm

[smallpox]

i'm pretty sure casper file in initrd needs to be modified, seeing it in other posts too

[smallpox]

i'm sure it could be shortened down but i'm too lazy.

mkdir tmp
cp /cdrom/boot/initrd.gz ./
gunzip initrd.gz
cd tmp
cpio -id < ../initrd
mv ../initrd ../initrd.old
###edit the scripts/casper file and modify the pathnames
find . | cpio -oH newc > ../initrd
gzip ../initrd
cd ..
rm -rf tmp

i tend to hate modifying initrd and always have problems, good thing i saw someone else post that part!



68,71c68,71
< if [ -d "$path/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH" ]; then
< if [ "$(echo $path/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.squashfs)" != "$path/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.squashfs" ] ||
< [ "$(echo $path/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.ext2)" != "$path/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.ext2" ] ||
< [ "$(echo $path/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.dir)" != "$path/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.dir" ]; then
---
> if [ -d "$path/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH" ]; then
> if [ "$(echo $path/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.squashfs)" != "$path/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.squashfs" ] ||
> [ "$(echo $path/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.ext2)" != "$path/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.ext2" ] ||
> [ "$(echo $path/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.dir)" != "$path/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.dir" ]; then
84c84
< for try_uuid_file in "$path/BT5-GNOME-32/.disk/casper-uuid"*; do
---
> for try_uuid_file in "$path/.disk/casper-uuid"*; do
121,124c121,124
< if match_files_in_dir "$directory/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.squashfs" ||
< match_files_in_dir "$directory/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.ext2" ||
< match_files_in_dir "$directory/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.dir"; then
< setup_unionfs "$directory/BT5-GNOME-32/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH" "$rootmnt"
---
> if match_files_in_dir "$directory/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.squashfs" ||
> match_files_in_dir "$directory/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.ext2" ||
> match_files_in_dir "$directory/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH/*.dir"; then
> setup_unionfs "$directory/$LIVE_MEDIA_PATH" "$rootmnt"

it works.

< new
> original

Edited by smallpox, 15 June 2011 - 08:14 PM.

[steve6375]

Looking at the script, it seems to look for a parameter live-media-path= , so if you add live-media-path=BT5-GNOME-32/casper then it might work?


http://manpages.ubun...7/casper.7.html



This works for me!

title BackTrack 5 (1024x768) Persistent\nType startx to run GUI once booted PERSISTENT
kernel /BT5/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/custom.seed live-media-path=BT5/casper boot=casper locale=en_GB.UTF-8 keyb=uk textonly noprompt vga=791-- persistent
initrd /BT5/casper/initrd.gz

the noprompt suppresses the 'remove the CD' message on reboot or shutdown. Remove textonly if you want the splashscreen.

[smallpox]

slick, it worked.

just can't get into X now, i'm sure it's another problem though. gives me splash screen then it shuts down X.

anyway! cool, i'm going to try it on all of them

--
bt5 kde 64bit startx fix

http://www.backtrack...tx-problem.html

Edited by smallpox, 15 June 2011 - 10:37 PM.

[smallpox]

can we pass an argument for the kernel through an iso map?

[shamurshamur]

Looking at the script, it seems to look for a parameter live-media-path= , so if you add live-media-path=BT5-GNOME-32/casper then it might work?






This works for me!

Well, that's a great news.so finally backtrack guys have added the much needed support for the live-media-path kernel parameter.


@smallpox
i will release the next beta in few hours, with support for backtrack 5 fixed.

[steve6375]

maybe try root=/dev/ram as iso will be loaded to ram drive?? maybe try (rd) device instead of (0xff) ???

BT does not seem to support the iso-scan/filename= parameter

[shamurshamur]

maybe try root=/dev/ram as iso will be loaded to ram drive?? maybe try (rd) device instead of (0xff) ???

BT does not seem to support the iso-scan/filename= parameter

yes it does not support iso-scan/filename parameter yet. but live-media-path parameter is working fine for me.So that's some progress.

[smallpox]

ok cool. i'm done trying the ISO for now would've preferred it due to md5 and stuff.

shamurshamur, every time you want to add an ISO, do you have to redo the whole thing ? it's always trying to copy everything

[shamurshamur]

shamurshamur, every time you want to add an ISO, do you have to redo the whole thing ? it's always trying to copy everything

sorry i don't get it what you are trying to say here.

[smallpox]

we would have been able to try something like this:

menuentry "BackTrack 5 64 GNOME TEST" {
loopback loop /images/BT5-GNOME-64.iso
linux (loop)/boot/vmlinuz find_iso/filename=/images/BT5-GNOME-64.iso boot=casper nopersistent vga=normal --
initrd (loop)/boot/initrd.gz
boot
}

but that's for grub2

[smallpox]

shamurshamur, if lets say i have 5 iso's, everything is working. how can i add another iso, just reopen the software, drag an iso and create USB ? will it add it or break something ?