grub2 wimboot windows setup

Having recently discovered how to use wimboot (http://ipxe.org/wimboot) to boot msdart isos on my grub2 key.

 

The key is setup (UDF filesystem) with; https://raw.githubus...ate.grub.key.sh

# Successfully boots
menuentry "wimboot DaRT70-x64.iso" {
	set iso_path="/bootisos/DaRT70-x64.iso"
	loopback loop $iso_path
	linux16 /boot/grub/wimboot
	initrd16 \
		newc:bootmgr:(loop)/bootmgr \
		newc:bcd:(loop)/boot/bcd \
		newc:boot.sdi:(loop)/boot/boot.sdi \
		newc:boot.wim:(loop)/sources/boot.wim
}

I was interested in seeing if I was able to boot windows7 setup;

menuentry "wimboot en_windows_7_enterprise_n_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_677704.iso" {
	loopback loop /bootisos/en_windows_7_enterprise_n_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_677704.iso
	linux16 /boot/grub/wimboot
	initrd16 \
            newc:bootmgr:(loop)/bootmgr \
            newc:bcd:(loop)/boot/bcd \
            newc:boot.sdi:(loop)/boot/boot.sdi \
	    newc:boot.wim:(loop)/sources/boot.wim \
	    newc:install.wim:(loop)/sources/install.wim
}

However that leads to;

error: premature end of file newc:install.wim:(loop)/sources/install.wim.

Press any key to continue

Any tips?

Thanks a lot for showing the syntax of wimboot on Grub2!

In an unrelated experiment, I managed to boot WIndows 7 (installed OS) through wimboot from Grub2 using

menuentry 'Windows GPT bootmgr wimboot' { 
    linux16 /wimboot 
    initrd16 \     
        newc:bootmgr.exe:(hd0,gpt1)/bootmgr.exe \
        newc:bcd:(hd0,gpt1)/Boot/BCD  
}

The interesting thing is that the disk is GPT, resulting in the supposed-to-be-impossible situation of Windows booting on BIOS systems from a GPT disk. Check this thread for more info.

Just thought I'd let you know that wimboot from Grub2 worked for me.

As for install.wim, it's obvious... initrd16 is incapable of handling a file of more than 16 MB. install.wim is enormous, more than 2GB. Check the wiki page.

Edited by milindsmart, 09 August 2014 - 09:52 AM.

boot.wim on the DaRT 8.1 ISO is 499.6 MB and loads ok

Having recently discovered how to use wimboot (http://ipxe.org/wimboot) to boot msdart isos on my grub2 key.

How to do the same, but worked under UEFI ? What is the menu ?

Secureboot disabled.

How to do the same, but worked under UEFI ? What is the menu ?

Secureboot disabled.

 

You can try:

menuentry "wimboot DaRT8.1.iso" {
    insmod udf
    set isofile="/dart/DaRT8.1.iso"
    loopback loop $isofile
    linux /syslinux/wimboot
    initrd \
        newc:bootx64.efi:(loop)/EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi \
        newc:bcd:(loop)/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/BCD \
        newc:boot.sdi:(loop)/Boot/boot.sdi \
        newc:boot.wim:(loop)/sources/boot.wim
}

For me this generate error: "couldn't find suitable memory target" - grub2 binary from suse.

 

@Thermionix

install.wim is not a part of winboot chain.

 

pzdr