Dual install and boot linux OS FROM flash drive

[Mystic Twilight]

As the title says, how do i install 2 different linux distros on one flash drive? I have an 8GB flash drive, now i have goggled this but they all speak of installing 1 OS onto a flash drive (and checked the forum, nothing there.). Linux mint, fedora, ubuntu, etc, all come with special software for installing their respective OS onto a flash drive, but how do you install the grub loader to be able to detect 2 different OS to boot from? The one OS i must have is Backtrack 5, the other can be ubuntu, fedora or mint. Last caveat, I need persistence mode for both OS.

Much appreciated.

 

[etherion]

ummm, i think you would need to follow the same procedures as you would for a hard drive. Partition flash drive etc.

btw why do u want to install 2 systems on a flash?

 

[MyWorld]

Create two partitions, install a distro on each and update your GRUB to point to both.

Just Google Grub and read up on how to edit it to point to both installations.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

@Etherion: Backtrack for penetration testing and the other distro for other more common everyday use. I know all in all the kernel is roughly the same, but when I'm accessing a drive and doing other mundane tasks like documents, etc, don't feel like using backtrack for that.

@MyWorld: I assume i would need to install the grub loader somewhere on the flash disk as I'm planning for this to be a plug and play on any system i come across? Persistence is a new thing I've encountered, by doing a straightforward install will i get the use of persistence on both my OS?

 

[bdt]

PDL: go.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

Thanks bdt. One problem though, the YUMI installer is made for multi OS booting but it seems to just keep a copy of the ISO instead of unpacking the ISO and install. Also it doesn't have a persistence option. Am I missing something?

 

[Smiley_lauf]

this will be tricky--not sure I have not tried this, but as others have suggested, partition ur USB stick and install grub on the USB stick my experience with this is that is does not see the USB as an external hdd, thus does not offer grub installation to its boot sector. it works if you have a USB hdd though.

why not just install the 2 OS on 2 different USB sticks.. problem solved? or don't you have another USB stick?

 

[NeonNinja]

I know. It's frustrating when google doesn't have what you're looking for the way you're looking for it.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

I can use 2 separate USB sticks but preferably 1 would be better, my lanyard is rather full.

 

[bdt]

... Am I missing something?

Yes. I recently gave YUMI a whirl and now, on *my* 8gig flash drive, I have 32/64 versions of the latest Mint/Ubuntu editions, an AVG rescue CD, Offline NT Editor and a coupla other toys. The part it appears you missed is here:

How It Works: YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) enables each user to create their own custom Multiboot UFD containing only the distributions they want, in the order by which they are installed. A new distribution can be added to the UFD each time the tool is run.

..id est you keep running YUMI and pointing it at ISOs until you either get the collection you want or run out of space, whichever comes first.

 

[Smiley_lauf]

what will they come up with next...great news this!

 

[bdt]

what will they come up with next...great news this!

I'm glad you asked, thank you for that. While this multiboot-off-a-stick trick is all well and good, the holy grail we're after is ...isostick. As mcuh info as you want here. I'm patiently watching and waiting for this to be available and you can BET that when they land I'll be getting one! Although it does mean I can redeploy only 3 of the 6 flash drives I have on my bunch. Oh, have some moneyshots:

Motherlode here

 

[ponder]

I'm glad you asked, thank you for that. While this multiboot-off-a-stick trick is all well and good, the holy grail we're after is ...isostick.

How would one do a persistent image you can write to like a hard drive? Say you want to install your own apps, customise the interface, safe your docs etc.

I'm sure it's possible, just not how.