# liveusb-builder

liveusb-builder is a script suite to create multiboot USB stick for GNU/Linux distributions. It's lightweight with few dependencies, and it's extensible and hackable.

The source code is hosted on both [git.wehack.space](https://git.wehack.space/liveusb-builder/) and GitHub.

## Install

You need these packages on your GNU/Linux system to use liveusb-builder.

- udevil: for mounting iso files
- wget: for downloading
- syslinux (recommended): bootloader for legacy BIOS
- GRUB: bootloader for leagacy BIOS if there's no syslinux,  and bootloader for UEFI

For Arch Linux users, just install [liveusb-builder-git](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/liveusb-builder-git/) from AUR.

## Usage

### The easier way: one FAT32 partition

First mount your USB drive partition. I recommend using udevil so that you can write files without as root.

Then run buildlive script as follows, suppose your USB is /dev/sdb and /dev/sdb1 is mount to /media/sdb1:

```
# install Arch, Mint (x86_64 with MATE Desktop) and Fedora 28 to USB
./buildlive --root=/media/sdb1 --dev=/dev/sdb arch mint/64/mate fedora/28
```

### The more customizable way: using a FAT32 boot partition and an ext2 data partition

Partition your disk as follows to create a 500MB FAT32 boot partition, and an ext2 partition using the remaining space, suppose your USB is /dev/sdb.

```
$ sudo fdisk /dev/sdb

Command (m for help): o
Created a new DOS disklabel with disk identifier 0x24c5dd70.

Command (m for help): n
Partition type
   p   primary (0 primary, 0 extended, 4 free)
   e   extended (container for logical partitions)
Select (default p):

Using default response p.
Partition number (1-4, default 1):
First sector (2048-30463999, default 2048):
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G,T,P} (2048-30463999, default 30463999): +500M

Created a new partition 1 of type 'Linux' and of size 500 MiB.

Command (m for help): t
Selected partition 1
Hex code (type L to list all codes): b
Changed type of partition 'Linux' to 'W95 FAT32'.

Command (m for help): a
Selected partition 1
The bootable flag on partition 1 is enabled now.

Command (m for help): n
Partition type
   p   primary (1 primary, 0 extended, 3 free)
   e   extended (container for logical partitions)
Select (default p):

Using default response p.
Partition number (2-4, default 2):
First sector (1026048-30463999, default 1026048):
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G,T,P} (1026048-30463999, default 30463999):

Created a new partition 2 of type 'Linux' and of size 14 GiB.

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered.
Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.
```

Format the partitions:

```
sudo mkfs.msdos -F 32 /dev/sdb1
sudo mkfs.ext2 /dev/sdb2
```

Mount them and create the directory, and we need to make the directory ``liveusb-data`` writable by the current user.

```
udevil mount /dev/sdb1 /media/boot
udevil mount /dev/sdb2 /media/root
sudo install -d /media/root/liveusb-data
sudo chown $(whoami) /media/root/liveusb-data/
```

At last, make the Live USB (we install Arch and Fedora 28 in it):

```
$ ./buildlive --boot /media/boot --root /media/root arch fedora/28
```

## Status

The resulting USB stick works on QEMU with PC BIOS (SeaBIOS), UEFI (OVMF), libreboot (i440fx, GRUB txtmode) as firmware.

## Related work

You can search keyword ``multiboot`` on GitHub and find some related projects. Listed below is some related work I know or find.

- [Yumi](https://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/)
- [MultiBootLiveUSB](https://github.com/moontide/MultiBootLiveUSB)
- [Multiboot USB drive - ArchWiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Multiboot_USB_drive)
- [cbodden/multiboot](https://github.com/cbodden/multiboot)
- [mbusb/multibootusb](https://github.com/mbusb/multibootusb)