Build bootable (installation) usb with dd

Started by ZEROF, March 01, 2015, 12:11:38 AM

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ZEROF

Hi,

First thanks to b4d_bl0ck to start talking on our IRC about this and helping me to bring this solution to you today. As maybe some of you may know, we can't build BackBox bootable USB because our image is not hybrid (can be build from Win$ with Linux live creator etc., but building from Linux is not same story, tools like unebootin will fail, didn't try but we can trust to some users :) ). But in only 5 sec we can do that.

apt install xorriso syslinux
isohybrid backbox-4.1-amd64.iso  (you can get some error, but that is not problem or almost, i will explain after)

For UEFI or new BIOS users you will need to try option:

isohybrid -e backbox-4.1-amd64.iso

You will not get new file just isohybrid will get MBR config pushed inside.

Now we will move to dd part. First you must be root user, like that you can check path for you USB device.

sudo -i
fdisk -l

In my case 8GB USB is /dev/sdb but for you that can be something else.

dd if=backbox-4.1-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdb oflag=direct

Wait before dd write new ISO to your USB, then you can boot from your usb.

EDIT: If you need to format your USB, use this command mkdosfs -F 32 -I /dev/sdb (replace path/name after checking with fdisk -l). If this command it's not working you need to install one package "apt-get install dosfstools".

P.S. This was tested on standard BIOS lap top, keep me posted if this solution work for UEFI pc's/lap tops.

Have fun!

Don't ask, read : http://wiki.backbox.org
or just run sudo rm -rf /*

achmad


Numskull

Hi,
before stumbling across this post, I've tried many solutions to get my computer to boot Backbox from usb - I've tried dd and startup disk creator but the bootloader could not be installed. Then I've tried Unetbootin and surprisingly it worked. This was performed on the latest 4.2 release of Backbox.
Current sword: ~Backbox 4.3~

indigopsy

thank you for tutorial

p.s:
is there any reasonable explanation why backbox need this tutorial, why backbox cant be burned on usb normally ???

ZEROF

Hi, we will try to think and change this in the future. It's how we build images for sometime now, sure we can put this to our to do list.

Thanks

Don't ask, read : http://wiki.backbox.org
or just run sudo rm -rf /*

indigopsy

i will be very grateful for that and i think a lot of people will appreciate it too

i didn't still burn iso to usb
trying to give up for now
maybe later

tnx bye