How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

Micronaut · 2025-07-05 20:40:58

Is there an option in the standard installer of Devuan -- or any other major distro -- to include all the files you need to test at boot time and choose the right drivers for whatever system the disk has been placed in? Or is that a special mode that has to be configured by expert devs?

RedGreen925 · 2025-07-05 22:40:49

and choose the right drivers for whatever system the disk has been placed in? Or is that a special mode that has to be configured by expert devs?

That is by definition what most live boot systems are. They are designed to have pretty much all the drivers needed to boot on most hardware. Now there are some live boot systems which only boot on certain hardware like a Pi or other such specialized hardware. But for the most part the 32 and 64 bit live disks for the most common Intel/AMD processors will boot on the vast majority of the hardware out there doing what you want without any extra effort.

Micronaut · 2025-07-05 23:15:46

Yeah, but they are fixed on CD. If I install from a "live" CD don't I get a system adapted to the hardware I installed on? If I want to take an HDD with a personal install (choice of applications) and use it in several different systems, can I make such an HDD with a typical "Live" disk?

fsmithred · 2025-07-05 23:39:03

A live disk will install the system that's on the live disk. It's not designed for you to select software like the installer isos are. If you want a live CD that has your customizations on it, you need to make your own. You could install and run refractasnapshot in your HDD system and make a live iso that's a copy of that system, then you could use that to install the same thing to other computers.

greenjeans · 2025-07-05 23:57:00

^^^What he said is exactly how I would do it.

I started work on a script a while back that's now on the back-burner, that would query your system to find out what all firmware was actually being used and what was superfluous and could be un-installed and do so. But that kinda stuff is fraught with peril, even if I got it working for me I doubt I would make it public as there's too much that can go wrong.

Seems like I remember PclinuxOS had such a script way back in the day, don't know if they still do.

Micronaut · Yesterday 01:21:59

It's odd how you can ask the same question multiple times and never be understood. Is it so impossible to create an HDD that can boot on multiple systems like a "live" CD, that no one can even comprehend the question? I would think it would be possible to tell your OS to install all available drivers and use a slightly modified boot process similar to what a live CD uses.

stargate-sg1-cheyenne-mtn · Yesterday 03:14:38

generally speaking the linux kernel continues to grow in size partially because of new devices being added as time marches on:

https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/driver-api/driver-model/index.html

so for example, devuan installed on an ssd could be moved between different machines as long as they were the same architecture

also you might find these interesting as well:
https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/20/redbean_2_a_singlefile_web/
https://justine.lol/cosmo3/
https://github.com/jart/cosmopolitan

greenjeans · Yesterday 15:37:45

It's odd how you can ask the same question multiple times and never be understood. Is it so impossible to create an HDD that can boot on multiple systems like a "live" CD, that no one can even comprehend the question? I would think it would be possible to tell your OS to install all available drivers and use a slightly modified boot process similar to what a live CD uses.

That's not really the same question you asked in the original post, you kinda moved the goal-post my friend.

I guess what you're asking might be possible, you should try it.

But I don't see the point when it's easy to make a much more portable USB stick with your system on it that will boot up any machine. Use Refracta2usb and you can get persistence, multi-boot if you want more than one system on the USB, and also additional partitions just for data.

It's also possible to make a USB system that's NOT a live-session, you can do a conventional install on a USB stick too, i've done it with Refracta Installer. Perhaps that would be more suitable to your purpose.

Either way, good luck!

RedGreen925 · Yesterday 22:04:30

If I want to take an HDD with a personal install (choice of applications) and use it in several different systems, can I make such an HDD with a typical "Live" disk?

Certainly can and is what my cloning script does. It takes my live running system and clones it to the drive I choose which I then boot it on. When booting the boot process does hardware probes which will load the required drivers for the system booted on. Where you can run into problems is when you have nvidia card using the proprietary drivers that will fail on machine without one in it that can use the driver installed. I rarely do installs any more it is simple clone boot then clone onto new machine once booted. Edit three files to change the UUIDs required for the new machine drive to ensure proper booting once done and reboot to new install with all of my previous information and settings intact.

The way it can be done with a live USB is by booting the live installer on your original install. with new machine drive connected to it. Then you open a terminal and partition the new drive and format it. You then mount the current install drive partitions and the new install drive partitions. Using the rsync program you copy byte for byte the original to the new drive then make the UUID changes in the already mentioned three files for EFI install, MBR no clue. Take the drive put it in the new machine and it should just boot. I made post just the other day giving all of the commands needed to do it.

Edit: The thread that contains the instructions.

https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=7275

Last edited by RedGreen925 (Yesterday 22:14:38)

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#1 2025-07-05 20:40:58

How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#2 2025-07-05 22:40:49

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#3 2025-07-05 23:15:46

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#4 2025-07-05 23:39:03

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#5 2025-07-05 23:57:00

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#6 Yesterday 01:21:59

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#7 Yesterday 03:14:38

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#8 Yesterday 15:37:45

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

#9 Yesterday 22:04:30

Re: How are 'live' disks that can boot on many systems created?

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