ISO boot from FAT/NTFS/USB (GRUB.exe, grldr from boot.ini)

**ruymbeke** · 10-06-2011, 11:13 PM

Hello,
Small improvement/bug fix for k670:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/k670/minirt_670e.gz
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/...minirt_670e.gz
and new ones for k671:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/k671/minirt_671a.gz
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/...minirt_671a.gz
Please provide some feedback...
Hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Gilles

PS: Edited to correct the links because for some reason these forum links were not matching the data displayed...

**utu** · 10-07-2011, 04:38 PM

Hi, Gilles

I'm interested to see what you've got to say,
but I don't think making forum links to EXECUTABLE programs is a very good idea.

This mentioned in all friendliness.

**ICPUG** · 10-07-2011, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by utu

Hi, Gilles

I'm interested to see what you've got to say,
but I don't think making forum links to EXECUTABLE programs is a very good idea.

This mentioned in all friendliness.

What is executable about a .gz file? As I understand it, it is a zipped up library.

Rymbeke creates this to replace the standard minirt.gz of a Knoppix live CD to enable booting from an iso file on an ntfs file system - amongst other things. He performs a very useful service as this very long thread attests

**utu** · 10-07-2011, 06:05 PM

When I click on any of gilles' links that begin 'html' and end in '.gz',
one of my cpus goes to 100% and X is locked-up, maybe indefinitely.
I got tired at five minutes and restarted x.

I presume the discussion has to do with some worthy revisions of the init
within the minirt.gz of Knoppix, or something like that.
I'd like to follow that, if that's what it is.

I'll need to counter this lock-up effect if I am to learn much about
what's going on. I wasn't expecting that to be necessary.

Listing the product in the present form is counter-productive, if the
objective is for all forum members to be able to comfortably participate
in the exposition.

**ruymbeke** · 10-07-2011, 08:03 PM

Hi Utu,
Instead of just clicking on the link try the "save link as" option (after a mouse right click on the link).
For some reason your web browser is trying to do something with this cpio compressed initrd file.
This alternate boot ramdisk is backward compatible and adds functionality to the default Knoppix initrd.
Even though Klaus already added some of my improvements in his latest init script (look for #@@@GvR)
there are still some features that I like (and I need) which are missing and since I thought that some
other people may also be interested in them, I just offer to share the result of my wok in here.
The extra features are: boot from iso, also via nfs or samba/cifs, if typo in iso path (wrong partition)
search for and use alternate location, add some kernel module to support Knoppix as a guest virtual machine,
add kernel modules for (pxe) network boot, allow to use custom cloops located within the same directory
as the iso file (also works with nfs and samba/cifs network boot) by looking for and executing local knoppix.sh,
allows for custom data persistence (within a specific local partition as an example), dynamic hostname (based on
either date/time or MAC address) to avoid duplicate hostnames on the same network, ... just to name a few.
Please find below my menu.lst as an example of my grub config file:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/...ample_menu.lst
Hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Gilles

**utu** · 10-07-2011, 08:36 PM

Hi, Gilles.

Thanks for reminding me how to bring this stuff in.
I'm anxious to see what you've done.

Best Regards.

**ruymbeke** · 11-13-2011, 08:37 PM

Hello,
Small improvement/bug fix for k671:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/k671/minirt_671b.gz
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/...minirt_671b.gz
Please provide some feedback...
Hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Gilles

**johnrw** · 12-05-2011, 06:21 AM

Hi Gilles,

I just stopped in, mostly to see if you were still at it... with your minirts. I am really glad to see that you still are... even though you don't have any time to spare.
I also found your vmWare virtual appliance for Knoppix 6.2.0... over at vmWare's appliance section... and I am wondering if you might be updating that to the latest Knoppix.
Now that multi GB thumbdrives are so cheap (I just got a few 16GB sticks for $20 each), I'd like to carry both a bootable Knoppix thumbdrive... and a vmWare virtual machine
of a late model KNOPPIX.

Me??? Well I work way too much these days... 7 days a week... and never have any free time.
I am still using Knoppix 5.3.1... and tonight finding I have a few minutes to spare... to try out something new.

Thanks Gilles... for all you have done...

**ruymbeke** · 12-05-2011, 10:12 AM

Hi johnrw,
Long time no talk... good to read from you. And yes I am also very busy...
Please find below a link to a new VmWare Player 4.0.1 Knoppix 6.7.1 appliance I just created tonight for you:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/vmk671_528969.zip
Hope this helps and please provide some feedback...
Best Regards,
Gilles

FYI: 528969 is the build number for the VmWare Tools of the VmWare Workstation build 528992.

**johnrw** · 12-06-2011, 07:36 AM

Thank You Gilles. I tried looking for Knoppix 6.2.0 and it seems to be removed from all the mirrors.
I'll definitely make time tonight to try and get it running.