Ventoy bootable pendrive with Multiple OS
Ventoy Software: To make bootable pendrive with Multiple OS
Ventoy is an open-source tool that allows users to create a bootable USB drive for ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), and EFI files, among other formats. It simplifies the process of creating bootable drives, as you only need to copy the ISO files to the USB without formatting each time. Ventoy supports UEFI and Legacy BIOS modes, making it compatible with most systems.
Ventoy Software Overview
Ventoy is a powerful tool for creating multi-boot USB drives and has become popular for its simplicity and flexibility, especially for people who frequently boot different operating systems or use recovery tools. Let’s dive deeper into some of its most notable features and additional functionality:
Key Features
Multi-Boot Support: Ventoy lets you place multiple ISO files on a single USB drive, enabling you to boot from any ISO you choose without needing to reformat or use separate USBs.
Wide File Format Support: Besides ISO, Ventoy supports IMG, VHD, EFI, and WIM files, providing flexibility across different file types.
Persistence Support: This feature allows you to retain settings and files across reboots for specific Linux distributions.
Secure Boot Support: Ventoy can handle Secure Boot mode on UEFI-enabled systems, making it compatible with more recent hardware configurations.
Open Source and Free: Ventoy is open-source, with its code available on GitHub, allowing for community contributions and transparency.
Cross-Platform: Ventoy is available for both Windows and Linux, providing a versatile option for users across different operating systems.
How to Use Ventoy
Download and Install: Download Ventoy from its official website or GitHub page. Extract the downloaded file, then run the installer.
Install Ventoy to USB: Open Ventoy2Disk and select the USB drive you want to make bootable. Click Install to install Ventoy onto the drive. (This will format the USB, so back up any important data first.)
Add ISO Files: Once Ventoy is installed, simply copy the ISO files you wish to boot from onto the USB drive. There’s no need to use other tools to make each file bootable.
Boot from USB: Insert the Ventoy-enabled USB into the computer you want to boot, select the USB drive from the BIOS/boot menu, and you’ll see a menu of all the ISO files on the drive. Select the one you want, and Ventoy will boot from it.
Advanced Features of Ventoy
No Reformatting Needed
- With Ventoy, once you’ve installed it on your USB, you can just drag-and-drop ISO files to the drive without reformatting. Adding a new ISO or changing your setup is as easy as deleting or copying files, making it far easier to use than traditional bootable USB methods that require reformatting every time.
Multi-Architecture Support
- Ventoy supports both UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) and BIOS (Legacy) modes, which means it works across both older and newer systems. You can boot in secure UEFI mode, which is especially useful for newer computers that require secure boot.
Persistence Support
- Ventoy’s persistence feature allows you to save files and settings across reboots. For example, if you boot into a Linux distribution with persistence enabled, any changes you make (like installing applications, saving files, or changing settings) will remain the next time you boot from the USB.
Plugins and Configuration Options
- Ventoy supports various plugins that expand its functionality, including:
- Persistence: To save changes made during a live session.
- Theme Plugin: Customize the appearance of Ventoy’s boot menu with different backgrounds, colors, and fonts.
- File Injection: Add custom files or scripts that Ventoy will inject into the booted system, useful for customized setups or automated installations.
- Auto Install: Automate OS installations by creating custom scripts, which is particularly useful for deploying systems in a larger environment.
- Ventoy supports various plugins that expand its functionality, including:
Support for Secure Boot
- Secure Boot is a feature in UEFI that helps prevent malicious code from loading during startup. Ventoy includes an option for Secure Boot, which allows it to work on systems with this security feature enabled. To use it, you need to enable the Secure Boot Support option in Ventoy, and for the first time, you’ll need to enroll a custom key.
Partition Styles and Support for Large Drives
- Ventoy supports both MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table) partition styles, and it can handle large USB drives over 4TB. This flexibility is ideal for users who may have newer systems that prefer GPT or need to boot from larger drives.
Web and Cloud ISO Support
- Ventoy supports booting from cloud-based ISOs or web URLs. This feature is experimental but can be particularly useful if you need access to a specific ISO without downloading it first. For example, you could boot from cloud-hosted versions of diagnostic tools or recovery systems.
Auto-Update Capabilities
- Ventoy can be easily updated without reformatting the USB drive. When a new version is released, you can update your existing Ventoy installation on the USB without removing your ISOs or data files.
Popular Use Cases for Ventoy
Testing and Installing Operating Systems
- Ventoy makes it easy for users, developers, or IT admins to boot into multiple OSes, allowing for testing or installations without needing multiple USB drives.
Diagnostics and Recovery
- System administrators use Ventoy to keep a range of recovery tools on a single USB drive, allowing them to boot into diagnostic ISOs, rescue environments, and anti-virus tools as needed.
System Deployment and Setup
- In a work environment, IT teams can use Ventoy to deploy operating systems and set up machines by creating automated installation ISOs.
Educational and Developmental Testing
- Educators and students can boot into various educational OS distributions and programming environments on different ISOs, enabling a multi-purpose learning tool.
Data Rescue and Backup
- If you need to back up data from a non-booting system, you can boot into a live OS environment like Ubuntu or Kali Linux and recover or back up files onto an external storage device.
How to Get the Most from Ventoy
ISO Compatibility List
- Ventoy maintains a compatibility list of tested ISOs, including many Linux distributions, Windows versions, and specialized tools. This can be helpful to reference if you encounter any issues with a specific ISO not booting as expected.
Organize Your ISOs
- You can organize ISOs into folders, which helps keep your USB drive tidy. Ventoy’s boot menu will still recognize and display these files, allowing for a clean, categorized setup.
Customizing Your Boot Menu
- Ventoy allows you to adjust the appearance of the boot menu. You can apply themes, background images, and set text styles to make the menu easier to navigate or more visually appealing.
Integrate with Virtual Machines
- Ventoy is compatible with virtual machine environments like VMware or VirtualBox, allowing users to boot into ISOs from their Ventoy USB in virtualized setups, which is useful for testing or isolated setups.
- Ventoy is compatible with virtual machine environments like VMware or VirtualBox, allowing users to boot into ISOs from their Ventoy USB in virtualized setups, which is useful for testing or isolated setups.
Conclusion
Ventoy’s flexibility, open-source development, and growing support for new formats make it an essential tool for anyone who frequently boots or installs different systems. It’s easy enough for beginners to use while offering advanced features that can greatly benefit experienced users and IT professionals.