Does anyone have preferences using a MultiBoot program?

Applications
1

I see there are three tags about BOOT :
boothole x 2
dual-boot x 13
live-boot x 3

OK
I do not tag my posts and I wonder who is tagging the posts. Is it done automatically ?

That was my intro.

My topic is : Where can I get help about programs that create a MultiBoot USB from Linux

Testing 16, so far, versions of Linux on 4 different machines I am getting the notion that, perhaps, a multiple boot flash drive would be handy.

What do you say?

I was thinking of using SARDU but at my fisrt attemp I almost erased my hard disk.

Listed under Bootable USB Creator Software Category, I have found these :
AIO
Etcher
LiLi USB Creator
MultiBootUSB
MultiSystem – Create a MultiBoot USB from Linux
SARDU MultiBoot USB and DVD Creator
Ventoy – Another Bootable USB Tool
XBOOT – Multiboot ISO USB Creator Windows
YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) – Multiboot USB Creator

Does anyone have preferences using a MultiBoot program ?

2

Using it since version ~0.2 and was never disappointed.

Absolute crap. (Or was it ROSA?)

Worked well sometimes, other times it was buggy. Had mixed feelings about this one.

Quick & easy, but no special options. To my knowledge, no multi-boot options, either.

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3

I use Ventoy, Works well for me.

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4

Is there some way to get YUMI working directly on LINUX without WINE ?

5

I don’t know, I never liked to make multi-boot sticks on Linux, because MultiSystem was the only thing I knew a long while back and, as already mentioned, was wonky at times.

So, I was happy to switch to native YUMI, if I needed to. It’s a great tool and if someone has a Windows PC available as a backup, it definitely is worth using that for YUMI, if you truly need multi-boot.

After so many years though, I barely use multi-boot anymore. It’s just not that convenient as everyone thinks.

Usually, you put a lot of distributions on it, then you use 2 or 3 of them, then you put away the stick for a year and then all your distributions, except those 2 that update once in 5 years, like Rescatux and Caine, become obsolete and you basically should re-install them on the stick.

That’s why I didn’t use multi-boot for a long time, because it’s just not worth it. Rufus is king and you never have any issue, when booting from a Rufus stick. But when you boot from a multi-boot stick, there were quite a number of ISOs, that did not like that at all! Which resulted in an even bigger time waste…

Therefore, I changed from a multi-boot fan, to someone who does not use it at all, anymore.

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6

Yes Ventoy is fantastic. Probably the best of all in my opinion. Must useful is that you can just replace an ISO with another one

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7

Since I am using it I like it. Hey, 16 distros to test on 4 computers it is very practical.

Some of the members here are praticing a sort of :
all or nothing thinking schema.

I am not judging them but, if you let me go out on a limb ; they probably suffer from the very well known syndrome of cognitive distortions.

8

I’ve tried many image-writing programs, but I have come to rest on Ventoy. It hasn’t failed me (yet) and it’s remarkably useful for me as an incurable distro-hopper. It replaces any kind of virtual machine because it’s much simpler and I don’t waste any writable DVD’s. Yes, folks, my ten-year-old scratch-built desktop still has an optical drive; what ain’t broke doesn’t need fixing. But a multi-distro USB that can be loaded directly with an ISO? It’s the KISS principle in action!

9

Dear @Akito

I had a problem with an USB style installation made with RUFUS on a DELL Latitude e4310.

The worry had to do with UEFI and LEGACY.
I looked up the web to get an explanation and stumbled upon
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000141125/xps-13-9343-how-to-install-ubuntu-developer-edition-14-04-on-a-dell-pc-configured-for-the-unified-extensible-firmware-interface-uefi-bios

where it says :
NOTE: Dell does not recommend or support applications like Rufus. Third party applications are use at your own risk.

10

Yes, they do not want to support it, because it’s not their product. However, that does not mean it’s bad in any way.

Apple does not want to support Microsoft products and Microsoft does not want to support Apple products. Simple as that.

11

I had a problem with an USB style installation made with RUFUS on a DELL Latitude e4310. And I was not able to install a distro with RUFUS.

I am talking about possible or not working.

Good or bad is a value judgment. Right or wrong is not the issue here. A Manichean attitude is not valuable here.

12

Well. then don’t quote Dell, where they say they do not support it, because it does not mean anything, except what I already explained above.

It is most likely possible. You just have to find the right USB stick configuration for your device. I only know very few devices where it actually does not work.