Bug#659073: live-boot -- doesn't work on multiboot usb drive with grub2
I finally succeeded in getting the Debian-live iso (6.0.3-live-amd64-desktop.iso) to boot on a multiboot usb drive using grub2.
I extracted the "live" directory from the iso and placed it on the root of my usb drive. I then extracted the rest of the iso and placed the contents into the same "live" directory of the usb drive (don't know if this is necessary). I also placed a copy of the Debian-live 6.0.3 iso into the very same directory.
This is not a very elegant solution -- but it works (I followed a similar procedure in getting BackTrack5 (a Debian derivitive) to boot after reading a Ubuntu forum on the subject.
The following is a copy of my menuentry for grub2:
------------
menuentry "debian 64 bit live" {
#loopback loop /live/debian-live-6.0.3-amd64-gnome-desktop.iso
linux /live/vmlinuz iso-scan/filename=/live/debian-live-6.0.3-amd64-gnome-desktop.iso BOOT=live boot=live live-config nopersistent rw --
initrd /live/initrd.img
}
-------------
I believe the loopback line above is unnecessary so I commented it out.
I haven't tried to make it "persistent" (notice the nopersistent in the menu entry), but I believe it could be done by replacing "nopersistent" above with persistent and by creating a ext2 partition labeled "live-rw" (in gparted, look for box called "label" and enter "live-rw" as you are partitioning -- and, of course, you can use the command line to do the same thing). I have a "casper-rw" partition for Ubuntu, so I don't have room to create another persistent partition -- but I will probably replace it with the "live-rw" partition since I believe that Debian is a much more robust platform.
Debian truly is universal -- AND universally great! (but, as far as Debian-live is concerned, it could be more transparent and intuitive -- like Ubuntu live).
So, as far as I am concerned, this bug has been solved (and probably never existed in the first place). I know this bug has been merged with another (find-iso), so I am not sure whether Debian wants to mark it as solved (I really don't know why "find-iso" is important when "iso-scan" works! -- just my opinion).
Thanks for your (all of you) tremendously hard work and great dedication!!
don martino
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