![[Articles/Linux/Multi-Image Boot Drives with Ventoy/Pasted image 20250209175018.png]] Ventoy - Screenshot by 'Mateusz Adamczyk' / blog.amatthew.eu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ## Sections ### Multiple images from one boot drive Almost every tech savvy-user, whether using macOS, Linux-based systems or Microsoft Windows has ran into the issue of having to run dedicated software before the system boots up. Traditionally, people would prepare individual drives per instance of software they were willing to run, or as a measure for installing an operating system. For instance - the *overclockers* remember the importance of running a memory test after adjusting parameters of RAM. Similarly, people dealing with servers may recall the names of 'Veeam', 'Clonezilla' or general purpose live CDs used for recovery and system repairs. One can purchase multiple pendrives with tailored storage capacities and (somewhat still wastefully) allocate them to individual images for that specific purpose. However, this still comes at a substantial cost of: - possibly losing some of the drives *to the entropic nature of the universe*, - having to label the drives to differentiate between them. > The old times are gone. People buy into __Bored Ape__ NFTs, use ~~flying~~ self-driving cars and finally - they boot up all images from one media drive. > ~ Stanisław Lem (not really) The solution to the problem is called **Ventoy**. %% # How does it solve it %% ### Installing Ventoy In order to install Ventoy, one must have an appropriate USB memory stick. The recommended size would range from 8GB to 64GB, depending on the individual's needs, such as the number of images stored on the pendrive. ==Disclaimer: Notice that the software is open-source and available on GitHub, yet it is relatively new. Be mindful of any possible security implications and always verify your download sources.== Ventoy is a bootable software that emulates ISOs (and other formats) as if they were physical disks in a disk drive. Once Ventoy is downloaded as either a compressed package of source/binary files or an ISO file, the installation process may begin. Installing Ventoy may be carried out in a couple of different ways, using: - Ventoy2Disk.sh - VentoyGUI.x86_64 (and other architectures) - VentoyPlugson.sh - VentoVink.sh - VentoyWeb.sh - Ventoy ISO image ![[Articles/Linux/Multi-Image Boot Drives with Ventoy/Pasted image 20250209171517.png]] Ventoy scripts and binaries - Screenshot by 'Mateusz Adamczyk' / blog.amatthew.eu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The scripts and binaries may vary slightly depending on the selected OS. This article will focus on just a couple of the simplest methods for Linux-based OS. Once the code package is downloaded, the extracted content includes a _README_ file that provides detailed information on supported installation methods. ==WARNING: All of the methods used for installation require **sudo** as well as write to system drives. Always double-check that you are referencing the correct drive. The liability falls on the operator.== #### Ventoy2Disk.sh The script accepts the target disk and copies over the program automatically. `sudo bash Ventoy2Disk.sh <mode> <options> /dev/sdX` The script accepts runtime modes, such as: - installation (-i), - force installation (-I), - update (-u). The options specify: - size, - safe boot support, - partition type (GPT or MBR). #### VentoyGUI.x86_64 The executable uses a GTK/QT interface that closely resembles the web version. This is perhaps the easiest method for installing Ventoy as it allows simple lookup of the drives (which are limited by default to USB devices) and installation options. ![[Articles/Linux/Multi-Image Boot Drives with Ventoy/Pasted image 20250209175018.png]] VentoyGUI.x86_64 - Screenshot by 'Mateusz Adamczyk' / blog.amatthew.eu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ![[Articles/Linux/Multi-Image Boot Drives with Ventoy/Pasted image 20250209175111.png]] VentoyGUI.x86_64 install options - Screenshot by 'Mateusz Adamczyk' / blog.amatthew.eu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ### VentoyWeb.sh This script runs a server on the localhost, providing a simple, platform-agnostic interface for disk selection and subsequent software installation. ![[Articles/Linux/Multi-Image Boot Drives with Ventoy/Pasted image 20250209164829.png]] VentoyWeb.sh - Screenshot by 'Mateusz Adamczyk' / blog.amatthew.eu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) #### Unpaid promotion of Goodram UME3 Did you know? You can become a __Super Citizen__ by purchasing the memory products from **Goodram**, the only European DRAM and NAND memory manufacturer. They are durable, simple and some of them are made of recycled plastic that imitates wood. The 128GB version can sometimes be bought for under 10$! <center><img src="https://media.tenor.com/An7o31StRbcAAAAC/starship-troopers.gif"></center> ### Using Ventoy One of the selling points behind Ventoy is that it's incredibly simple to use. Once it's installed, the media drive will have been formatted and appear as empty. The drive becomes split into 2 partitions and one of them serves as the exFAT data storage. ![[Articles/Linux/Multi-Image Boot Drives with Ventoy/Pasted image 20250209180548.png]] Ventoy partitions - Screenshot by 'Mateusz Adamczyk' / blog.amatthew.eu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) A mounted drive will have one folder where all the files go into. ![[Articles/Linux/Multi-Image Boot Drives with Ventoy/Pasted image 20250209180447.png]] Ventoy folder - Screenshot by 'Mateusz Adamczyk' / blog.amatthew.eu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Ventoy supports a **List** and **TreeView** mode of listing out files from the directory. These modes can be switched within the software. The operator can create sub-folders for different types of images. Everything within the main folder or its sub-folders will be available as selectable boot options when Ventoy is booted on a device. The supported formats are: - ISO - WIM - IMG - VHD(x) - EFI ## References ### Section 1 - Multiple images from one boot drive - https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy - https://opencollective.com/ventoy ### Section 2 - Installing Ventoy - https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_grub2boot.html - https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_linux_webui.html - https://www.goodram.com/en/brand/ - https://www.goodram.com/en/blog-en/the-expansion-of-the-only-computer-memory-factory-in-europe-is-underway/ ### Section 3 - Using Ventoy - https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_treeview.html - https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html ## Metadata Date of creation: 2025.02.09 Date of revision: 2025.06.15