190 replies to this topic

[Rootman]

steve6375 , I've been off a few weeks.  Wanted to say thanks for straitening out the starup_menu.txt.  It makes it a lot easier to kep up to date having the user menu stuff right at the top.  Weird how the other partition designation didn't work out.  I just keep a file with my additions in it and copy the SAMPLE file over and edit it with my personal menu items then edit msdos to gpt for my gpt drives.  Works great and I always have the latest startup_meu.txt with any changes that were made to the recent AGFM version too. 

[steve6375]

using (hd0,1) should be working now.

[Rootman]

I'll give it a try, will it work with the ${bootdev] variable as well? 

[steve6375]

$bootdev is just an hd number - e.g. hd0 or hd1.

[Rootman]

OK, tried it and it works for both MBR and GPT booting, makes it much simpler. Works with the variable as well, nice in case for some screwy reason the $bootdev is NOT hd0.

 

Thanks again. 

[a1ive]

grubfm+ventoy test version

Ventoy version: 1.0.09 

download: https://github.com/a...mx64.efi.tar.gz

known bugs: https://github.com/a...ager/issues/197 (Chinese)

[wimb]

grubfm+ventoy test version

Ventoy version: 1.0.09 

download: https://github.com/a...mx64.efi.tar.gz

known bugs: https://github.com/a...ager/issues/197 (Chinese)

 

 

Boot ISO (Ventoy) option was tested

OK   for Win10_1909_Dutch_x64.iso and Win10XPE_x64.ISO

FAIL for ubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso and Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-32-1.6.iso and runtimelivecd.iso

[a1ive]

Boot ISO (Ventoy) option was tested

OK   for Win10_1909_Dutch_x64.iso and Win10XPE_x64.ISO

FAIL for ubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso and Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-32-1.6.iso and runtimelivecd.iso

Thanks for report.

Which filesystem and partition table do you use?

[wimb]

Thanks for report.

Which filesystem and partition table do you use?

 

USB_FORMAT plus addon-glim-agFM with Setting Other EFI Mgr was used to format USB with MBR and 2 partitions being active FAT32 + NTFS

Linux ISOs were tested located on FAT32 and NTFS but all FAIL to boot with Boot ISO (Ventoy) option (mounting problem ....)

The Windows ISO files were located on NTFS partition

[a1ive]

USB_FORMAT plus addon-glim-agFM with Setting Other EFI Mgr was used to format USB with MBR and 2 partitions being active FAT32 + NTFS

Linux ISOs were tested located on FAT32 and NTFS but all FAIL to boot with Boot ISO (Ventoy) option (mounting problem ....)

The Windows ISO files were located on NTFS partition

press 'c' to commandline and enter "vtdebug on" to enable debug output.

then press ESC and boot with "Boot ISO (Ventoy)" option. you will see some debug output like this:

[wimb]

Linux ISO on FAT32 Portable SSD partition Results:

Nothing special in Debug Info for:

ubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso - everything normal and boot menu is reached but ubuntu fails to boot at purple screen just before desktop

and

Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-32-1.6.iso - everything normal and boot menu is reached - booting FATAL Failed to mount block device of live image -  wrong fs type

 

Debug Info for runtimelivecd.iso everything OK until:

Find boot file, now try to boot

[VTOY] read iso sector several times OK but then Stop with -

 

Ventoy  also is not capable to boot runtimelivecd.iso in UEFI mode and stops also with -

 

EDIT:

Linux ISO On FAT32 USB-Stick partition Results:

Repeated experiments using as before USB_FORMAT to make now USB-Stick instead of Portable SSD

Linux ISO Ubuntu and Fedora located on 1st partition FAT32  now booting OK with a1ive Boot ISO (Ventoy) option.

runtimelivecd.iso fails to boot with - as before

 

The three tested Linux ISO files located on FAT32 of USB-Stick Or on FAT32 of Portable SSD always boot OK using a1ive Boot from ISO option.

 

In recent versions a1ive option Ctrl + Alt + F12 to make Screenshots is missing. Why ?   

[antonino61]

Excuse me, guys, I was suggested I try a1ive. I would like to, but I am not sure I know how to do it.

how would the following

 

title vhd.vhd

nvme --set-drive=0x80 --set-controller=0 --showselected

map --top --mem (hd0,0)/vhd.vhd (hd0)

map --hook

nvme --uninit

root (hd0,0)

chainloader /bootmgr

 

and

 

title vhd1.vhd - SVBus  RAMDISK  - 0.6 GB - map as (hd) for WIMBOOT

find --set-root --ignore-floppies /vhd1.vhd

map --top --mem /vhd1.vhd (hd)

map --hook

root (hd-1,0)

chainloader /bootmgr

 

translate into a1ive lingo for proper a1ive use?

 

Thanx in advance

[wimb]

 

Excuse me, guys, I was suggested I try a1ive. I would like to, but I am not sure I know how to do it.

how would the following

 

 

In BIOS mode you can launch a1ive grubfm.iso from Grub4dos Menu.

The title's that you give are Grub4dos entries that can be launched straight from Grub4dos.

There is no advantage to launch first a1ive from Grub4dos and then through grub.exe return to Grub4dos to use your Grub4dos entries.

Inside a1ive Grub2 FileManager there is no replacement available for your specific Grub4dos entries.

[antonino61]

so, if I have understood correctly, this software is of no advantage to me.

or else, I can make use of a1live advantageously only if I become of another idea how to go about booting vhd's.

in the latter case, I wonder why I was advised to give it a try.

[Wonko the Sane]

so, if I have understood correctly, this software is of no advantage to me.

or else, I can make use of a1live advantageously only if I become of another idea how to go about booting vhd's.

in the latter case, I wonder why I was advised to give it a try.

Look, it is not difficult, quick check list/questionnaire:
1) Do I have BIOS and NOT UEFI and grub4dos can boot anything I am interested in? -> I have no need for GRUB2
2) Do I have besides BIOS also UEFI machines AND I am interested in something that is UEFI only (or I simply want to try booting something in UEFI)? -> I have a need for GRUB2
3) Do I have a need for GRUB2? -> If yes, I want the most powerful/flexible version I can find (which is currently the newish A1ive's GRUB2+grubfm)

 

Wonko

[alacran]

@ Antonino61

 

This tool is mainly used for booting (on Bios and UEFI) from USB devices by means of Grub2, there is not any use for it on your Wimboot install on your PC.

 

alacran

[steve6375]

@wimb

From FAQ

Can I reformat the 1st partition ?
Yes. But you can only select exFAT filesystem with Cluster Size >= 2048

[antonino61]

thank you ever so much. I will tell the one who advised I should try it.

[wimb]

@wimb

From FAQ

 

You mean Ventoy FAQ ?

Yes I know that exFAT is the only supported FileSystem for Ventoy Drive.

However in this case a1ive Grub2 FileManager is NOT so useful, since exFAT FileSystem does NOT allow to boot a lot of Boot Image files.

 

What you need is in fact 2 partitions for Boot Image Files on a MultiBoot USB Drive:

1. FAT32 for Linux ISO Files (almost always less than 4 GB)

2. NTFS for Windows VHD (System only boots when located on NTFS) and Windows Installation ISO files (size more than 4 GB)

PE WIM or ISO files can be located on both types of partition

[steve6375]

You say that if you have Ubuntu ISO on an exFAT volume and you boot to it using the a1ive grub2 (ventoy) boot entry - it does not boot?

Is that correct?

But if you use a Ventoy drive which also has an exFAT volume and boot an Ubuntu ISO using Ventoy then it does boot OK.

This does not seem to make sense?

 

As I understand it (which is not very well because i have not yet seen a nice, top-level description of how exactly the ventoy Linux boot process works), the Ventoy technique for booting Linux relies on it using an exFAT filesystem driver to trick the linux boot process into loading a modified initrd. So it is essential that the ISO is on an exFAT volume for the Ventoy linux boot process to work.

[a1ive]

In recent versions a1ive option Ctrl + Alt + F12 to make Screenshots is missing. Why ?   

https://github.com/a...ager/issues/200

 

You say that if you have Ubuntu ISO on an exFAT volume and you boot to it using the a1ive grub2 (ventoy) boot entry - it does not boot?

Is that correct?

But if you use a Ventoy drive which also has an exFAT volume and boot an Ubuntu ISO using Ventoy then it does boot OK.

This does not seem to make sense?

 

As I understand it (which is not very well because i have not yet seen a nice, top-level description of how exactly the ventoy Linux boot process works), the Ventoy technique for booting Linux relies on it using an exFAT filesystem driver to trick the linux boot process into loading a modified initrd. So it is essential that the ISO is on an exFAT volume for the Ventoy linux boot process to work.

you got it.

Ventoy grub2 will pass blocklist to linux and then scripts in initrd will mount the iso file with device-mapper.

Ventoy only implemented fast blocklist for exFAT, other filesystems are not supported.

[steve6375]

Thanks.

re. CrScreenshotDxe.efi - you could add an F4 option to load the driver CrScreenshotDxe.efi ?? But I guess it would mean adding language translations for 'Enable/Disable Screenshot (Ctrl-Alt-F12)'  which is a pain!

[wimb]

You say that if you have Ubuntu ISO on an exFAT volume and you boot to it using the a1ive grub2 (ventoy) boot entry - it does not boot?

Is that correct?

 

 

Your remark is NOT correct.

At that time there was not yet the ventoy boot option available in a1ive.

So it means that using a1ive in Ventoy and then using in a1ive Boot from ISO then Ubuntu and Fedora FAIL to boot since they don't support exFAT FileSystem.

 

@a1ive

Thanks for explanation why Screenshot option was removed from a1ive Grub2 FileManager  but hopefully another solution will make it available again ...

[steve6375]

@wimb - OK. that makes sense now. So using a1ive partnew would work even on exFAT.

That is why the partnew technique is so powerful and compatible.

Unfortunately, it requires a write-enabled MBR drive, a spare primary partition table entry and a contiguous file. 

[a1ive]

In my version of grub2, I've modified the source code of ventoy module, and it can be used in any filesystems. grubfm+ventoy (https://github.com/a...ager/issues/197) should also work on ntfs / fat partitions.But ventoy's script in linux initrd may not work on non-exfat partitions.

Edited by a1ive, 15 May 2020 - 10:16 AM.