Bob1001 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Hi I've been searching and trying to find out if it is possible to install a Linux live distro onto a U3 usb without damaging the U3 partition. (i.e. have the u3 partition, a bootable partion and then 2 or 3 other 'normal' partitions) Therefore, you could have a bootable Linux distro, or a Switchblade, depending on what the situation required. Anybody have any ideas about this? Also, does anybody know anything about the apparent usb device driver exploit? (http://secunia.com/advisories/16210/) If anybody has any information that could send me in the right direction, it would be appreciated. I would like to try and get this working. Thanks in advance. Bob1001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angablade Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I am sure that you can't part a usb stick unless you no longer want the u3 part... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanguard Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 You can try either damnsmalllinux or (if you have at least 1GB free on your bootable partition) backtrack 3. I recommend backtrack3 before damnsmalllinux, as BT3 has got all the stuff you need. The U3 part is only needed when using in windows XP. If you can boot of another partitiion of your stick, use that one. Good luck ! vanguard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IOSys Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 THE goldmine for info on booting from flash-drives : http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showforum=37 http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showforum=38 Sure you can do what you suggest, you could even resize the CD-device and load a bootable ISO onto it, or how about a custom bartPE ? many BIOS see the u3 CD-ROM as a USB-CD .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unrealdude Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 i wonder, if it is possible to hack the cd image to work as most linux discs have an autoplay for win and are bootable any thoughts on this? tho i fear that the image is not something that is available without the win driver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unasoto Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 just put grub on the CD partition and have it point to the other partition with the rest of the distro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uda Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Better to install GRUB (or any bootloader) and the live OS on the mass storage side from my POV, as there would be wider BIOS support for booting from USB mass storage, than those recognising the CD device emulated in the U3 drive. I've tried 5 different motherboards, and none will recognise the CD device in BIOS, when filled with a bootable ISO (tried BT3 on 3, Xubuntu Hardy on the other 2). However all but one recognised the mass storage and supported booting from it. If there was better BIOS support for the USB CD device, it would be handy for ISOs that don't have a USB boot equivalent. Also, if it were the case, the bootable ISO could be made to hold a switchblade starting script etc, so it still serves its purpose on a Windows box. Perhaps just the bootloader on the mass storage side could chainboot from the CD side, and the CD side could itself be bootable for those BIOS' that support it. Covering all bases that way; well, you could carry a boot floppy for the PCs that don't support USB booting, then you'd cover all the realistic bases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DingleBerries Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Doesnt work, already tried Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve8x Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Yes you can!! I have done so with my U3 drive. It has backtrack 3 bootable, where as If I plug it into a computer(thats capable of booting from USB) and turn on the computer, and select boot from USB on the boot menu (after pressing the right key usually F12) it will boot up backtrack 3 instead of the host OS. Also if I plug my device into any Windows XP machine my custom ISO will autorun my app. (it doesn't work on vista though) So yes its possible to make your drive bootable, and still have your U3 autorun intact for windows machines... With backtrack 3 its simple to set the drive up to boot, follow the instructions. Just make sure you change the MBR of your USB drive not anything else!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinguu Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Sorry to ask this on my first post. Does anyone have Gonzor's Payload V 2.0? I have looked all over the net for it. I have V1.2... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DingleBerries Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 I thought this thread was talking about putting the distro in the U3 partition. if its in the non u3 partition then yes you can, but if you put it where the payload is, the hardware controlled cd partition, then no it wont boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st4tus.screen Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 In all honesty mate i must admit that a bootable version of the U3 is entirely possible but a switchblade although possible is pointless, that would draw attention on any good network and most higher networks have bios passwords with the USb excluded from the boot list, it seems ok in theory but would be fairly pointless compared to the autorun switchblade and its speed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X3N Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Yes you can!! I have done so with my U3 drive. It has backtrack 3 bootable, where as If I plug it into a computer(thats capable of booting from USB) and turn on the computer, and select boot from USB on the boot menu (after pressing the right key usually F12) it will boot up backtrack 3 instead of the host OS. Also if I plug my device into any Windows XP machine my custom ISO will autorun my app. (it doesn't work on vista though) So yes its possible to make your drive bootable, and still have your U3 autorun intact for windows machines... With backtrack 3 its simple to set the drive up to boot, follow the instructions. Just make sure you change the MBR of your USB drive not anything else!! what version of U3 drive did you use ? i been looking into preserving the u3 functionality and booting... ive already make a backtrack bootable usbdrive before but it wasnt u3.... did you use the same process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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