Easy2Boot a very neat tool.

[Abarbarian]

I found this very useful tool which allows you to try out Live Linux OS's and much much more very easily.

Easy2Boot Introduction

Easy2Boot is just a collection of files that you can add to a grub4dos bootable USB Drive - it is NOT a Windows or linux application. Once you have made the grub4dos bootable USB drive and copied over the Easy2Boot files, just copy over any bootable payload files (linux LiveCD ISOs, Windows Install ISOs, memory test .bin files, floppy and hard disk images, etc.). Easy2Boot automatically looks at all the files on the drive and dynamically creates a new menu each time you boot from the USB drive. Each file will be booted according to it's file extension (unlike most MultiBoot Utilities, E2B does not look at the file name and does not need to recognise what type or version of linux is inside the ISO file).

Easy2Boot instructions for everything !

I did try to use the instruction for making a E2B usb with linux but I kept on coming up with a fault when I tried to add the " bootlace.com " component. I also could not find " defrags " in the Arch or AUR packages so I defected to Windows to accomplish the task.

Easy2Boot Linux instructions

The Windows install was a piece of cake, just a couple of clicks and the job was done. The instructions given were very simple to follow.

Easy2Boot Windows instructions

There is a list of 142 os's and tools that work with E2B here

Working os list

The reason I am posting here is that I feel that using this tool will be a very good way for folk to try out a whole host of different distros especially now that XP is going to be pushing up the daisy's soon.
One of the good aspects is the very easy Windows install of the tool. Also once you have the tool set up on your usb adding or changing from an older version is pretty darn easy too. Add in the fact that you have the ability to add persistence to the relevant os's, and you have a very easy way to show folks just what they have been missing. Did I mention it is free !

Look at it this way. I have a 16 GB usb to which I can add at least 8 or 10 different linux's. I can carry it around with me and if folks ask "what is this linux stuff" I can show them several different linux's and be sure that some of them will work on their set up.
Or you could have almost every testing,rescue or penetration tool kept on a single stick as you can now get cheaply sticks as big as 32 GB to 64 GB.
Remember you can add new versions very easily which makes this a very attractive tool.Another attraction is that a USB HDD can be used but a USB Removable flash drive will give the most trouble-free results.

I did some real life tests using the system in my profile.Here is a refresher list of the main components. My rig only has USB2 and I found E2B pretty slow to load, not surprising with the os's I had loaded.The os's were slower to load I think than from a cd or as a single os on a usb.Once loaded they seemed to run just as a normal live distro.I use a separate sound card and this may have thrown some of the os's, however several did find the card successfully.

CPU
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600 2.9Ghz

Motherboard
Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe

Graphics Cards
Asus ENGTX 460 TOP

Memory
Geil Black Dragon 4 GB PC6400

Sound Card
Asus Xonar DS

I have run the following successfully as live distros. I tested for wired connection to the net, playing a video file,sound,browsing to you tube and playing yt video.All tests were done straight out of the box with two exceptions.If a test failed it was noted.

antiX-13.2_386-full.iso
No sound.

debian-live-7.4-i386-kde-desktop.iso
No flash

debian-live-7.4-i386-xfce-desktop.iso
No sound and no flash

Mageia-4-LiveCD-KDE4-en-i586-CD.iso
No flash and I could not find a video player in the menu

Simplicity14.1Desktop141Release.iso(based on Slacko Puppy which has great affinity with Slackware)
I had to click on the Network icon and then make one further click to gain access to the net after that everything worked otb

matelivecd-14.029.2321.iso (Arch with a Mate)
No sound

MX-14.iso
No sound

slackel64-openbox-6.0.iso
This got me to a point where I could do a full install or drop to a command line to do stuff

These next three are rescue and partitioning os's so you would not expect a full set of positive test results.

clonezilla-live-2.2.1-25-i686-pae.iso
This worked perfectly up to the point I tested and am confident you could use it with perfect results

gparted-live-0.17.0-4-i486.iso
I had to make two clicks to get internet.No sound.No flash as their browser of choice is Netsurf

pmagic_2013_08_01.iso
No sound ,no vide player,no flash


SimplyMEPIS-1.5G_11.0.12_32.iso
Very sweet full pass, neat

KNOPPIX_V7.2.0CD-2013-06-16-EN.iso
Very sweet full pass, neat

linuxmint-16-cinnamon-dvd-32bit.iso
Most impressed.Very newcomer friendly.Full pass.

zorin-os-6.4-core-32.iso
Top of the class and classy with it. The best of the buch for a XP jumper. I was pretty well blown away with the presentation and the nippy response

This I found started to set up as a live distro but threw a fault before it would install fully. I think the installer could not find the correct disk or some such.I really wanted it to work as it seems a super easy way to introduce folk to the fearsom Arch.

antergos-2013.11.17-i686.iso

the fault was,

Error: '/dev/mapper/arch-usr-share' device did not show
sh: can't access tty: job control turned off

This also gave a fault,

dsl-4.4.10.iso

Can't find knoppix file system .sorry dropping you in to a very limited shell.

I have not tried to add persistence to any of the distros as I have been a tad busy an I got fed up of reading.

Enjoy

 

[Ian]

Thanks for the heads up on this one . So this means I can stick loads of bootable ISOs on one USB stick and I'm all sorted? It would be extremely handy to have Windows 7/8 (32 and 64 bit), Ubuntu and UBCD all on one bootable drive!

 

[Abarbarian]

I just concentrated on the linux side especially linux distros that had LIVE versions. Looking on the main site you get details of everything that the tool does.
I believe that it only copes with Windows install discs and such like. Seems you can set it up for unattended installs and you can use BART or PE stuff. All a tad too windowy for me to read through.
You can make your own usb to suit without E2B but it was the ease of use that attracted me. The ability to add or subtract .iso's easily was very attractive.

I used the RMPrepUSB tool from Windows to set everything up and it was very easy to do.

RMPrepUSB allows the Windows user to easily and quickly 'roll their own' multiboot USB drive. It allows the user to quickly test, partition, format, install a boot manager, extract or copy files and then test a multiboot (aka multipass) USB bootable drive. It can also make or restore an image and much more. Multiboot 'point-and-shoot' utilities like YUMI or XBOOT are excellent, however they don't support every different ISO or image. You will learn too enjoy making your own personal multiboot drive using RMPrepUSB!

https://sites.google.com/a/rmprepusb.com/www/home/what-you-can-do-with-rmprepusb



I suppose you could use it for Windows 7/8 (32 and 64 bit), Ubuntu however I was hoping that it would be attractive to folks who were a tad more adventurous

 

[TriplexDread]

I can't DL this. I keep getting a network error message

 

[Ian]

Did you get it from this page?: http://www.easy2boot.com/download/

At the bottom there's an alternate download from a Google Drive folder which seems to work ok

 

[Abarbarian]

I can't DL this. I keep getting a network error message

I used the first link in the opening post,then the download link tab and then to a choice of download. Works ok here in FF.

I added two more distros and tested them,

absolute-14.05.iso (based on Slackware)
This took me to a full install selection screen, looks like it will work ok.

Porteus-v2.0-i486.iso (based on Slackware)
No sound.

I also retested "dsl-4.4.10.iso" and it took me to a full install choice window. So I am assuming that it would run ok. I may give it a try as it is so small that it would not take very long.

I am also tempted to try out " Absolute " which is based on Slackware. The home site has some excellent and easy to follow guides on first installs and any beginner should be able to follow the and have a luverly speedy os installed on their pc in very short order.

Forgot to mention that all the distros tested were the 32 bit versions as I have a penguin convert with an old Dell laptop who wanted to see what was what in penguin land.

I am also showing my niece some alternatives to the Knoppix on a stick I supplied her with a few years ago as she now has permanent broadband at home and 10.5 months maternity leave left. So she is keen to start wandering the web from a pc rather than her phone.

 

[steve6375]

The only dsl version I could get to work was the initrd version.