Porteus-v5.01 isos

[alanyih]

Porteus - UEFI boot entry

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guest@porteus:~$ xorriso -indev /mnt/sda1/boot/Porteus-XFCE-v5.01-x86_64.iso -report_el_torito plain
GNU xorriso 1.5.8.pl01 : RockRidge filesystem manipulator, libburnia project.

xorriso : NOTE : Loading ISO image tree from LBA 0
xorriso : UPDATE :      54 nodes read in 1 seconds
xorriso : NOTE : Detected El-Torito boot information which currently is set to be discarded
Drive current: -indev '/mnt/sda1/boot/Porteus-XFCE-v5.01-x86_64.iso'
Media current: stdio file, overwriteable
Media status : is written , is appendable
Boot record  : El Torito , MBR isohybrid cyl-align-on
Media summary: 1 session, 230904 data blocks,  451m data, 6131m free
Volume id    : 'Porteus'
El Torito catalog  : 53  1
El Torito cat path : /boot/syslinux/isolinux.boot
El Torito images   :   N  Pltf  B   Emul  Ld_seg  Hdpt  Ldsiz         LBA
El Torito boot img :   1  BIOS  y   none  0x0000  0x00      4          54
El Torito img path :   1  /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin
El Torito img opts :   1  boot-info-table isohybrid-suitable

Porteus-XFCE-v5.01
BIOS: /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin

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guest@porteus:~$ xorriso -indev /mnt/sda1/boot/Porteus-XFCE-v5.1-alpha3-x86_64.iso -report_el_torito plain
GNU xorriso 1.5.8.pl01 : RockRidge filesystem manipulator, libburnia project.

xorriso : NOTE : Loading ISO image tree from LBA 0
xorriso : UPDATE :      54 nodes read in 1 seconds
xorriso : NOTE : Detected El-Torito boot information which currently is set to be discarded
Drive current: -indev '/mnt/sda1/boot/Porteus-XFCE-v5.1-alpha3-x86_64.iso'
Media current: stdio file, overwriteable
Media status : is written , is appendable
Boot record  : El Torito , MBR isohybrid cyl-align-on
Media summary: 1 session, 272216 data blocks,  532m data, 6131m free
Volume id    : 'Porteus'
El Torito catalog  : 53  1
El Torito cat path : /boot/syslinux/isolinux.boot
El Torito images   :   N  Pltf  B   Emul  Ld_seg  Hdpt  Ldsiz         LBA
El Torito boot img :   1  BIOS  y   none  0x0000  0x00      4          54
El Torito img path :   1  /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin
El Torito img opts :   1  boot-info-table isohybrid-suitable

Porteus-XFCE-v5.1
BIOS: /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin

Code: Select all

guest@porteus:~$ xorriso -indev /mnt/sda1/boot/slackware64-live-xfce-current.iso -report_el_torito plain
GNU xorriso 1.5.8.pl01 : RockRidge filesystem manipulator, libburnia project.

xorriso : NOTE : Loading ISO image tree from LBA 0
xorriso : UPDATE :     153 nodes read in 1 seconds
xorriso : NOTE : Detected El-Torito boot information which currently is set to be discarded
Drive current: -indev '/mnt/sda1/boot/slackware64-live-xfce-current.iso'
Media current: stdio file, overwriteable
Media status : is written , is appendable
Boot record  : El Torito , MBR isohybrid cyl-align-on GPT
Media summary: 1 session, 796544 data blocks, 1556m data, 6131m free
Volume id    : 'LIVESLAK'
El Torito catalog  : 78  1
El Torito cat path : /boot/syslinux/isolinux.boot
El Torito images   :   N  Pltf  B   Emul  Ld_seg  Hdpt  Ldsiz         LBA
El Torito boot img :   1  BIOS  y   none  0x0000  0x00      4        1519
El Torito boot img :   2  UEFI  y   none  0x0000  0x00   5760          79
El Torito img path :   1  /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin
El Torito img opts :   1  boot-info-table isohybrid-suitable
El Torito img path :   2  /boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

slackware64-xfce-current
BIOS: /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin
UEFI: /boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

[alanyih]

Porteus-XFCE-v5.01
BIOS: /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin

Porteus-XFCE-v5.1
BIOS: /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin

make_iso.sh

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#!/bin/bash
# ---------------------------------------------------
# Script to create bootable ISO in Linux
# usage: make_iso.sh [ /tmp/porteus.iso ]
# author: Tomas M. <http://www.linux-live.org>
# updated for Porteus by fanthom <http://www.porteus.org>
# ---------------------------------------------------

if [ "$1" = "--help" -o "$1" = "-h" ]; then
  echo "This script will create bootable ISO from files in curent directory."
  echo "Current directory must be writable."
  echo "example: $0 /mnt/sda5/porteus.iso"
  exit
fi

CDLABEL="Porteus"
ISONAME=$(readlink -f "$1")

cd $(dirname $0)

if [ "$ISONAME" = "" ]; then
   SUGGEST=$(readlink -f ../../$(basename $(pwd)).iso)
   echo -ne "Target ISO file name [ Hit enter for $SUGGEST ]: "
   read ISONAME
   if [ "$ISONAME" = "" ]; then ISONAME="$SUGGEST"; fi
fi

mkisofs -o "$ISONAME" -v -l -J -joliet-long -R -D -A "$CDLABEL" \
-V "$CDLABEL" -no-emul-boot -boot-info-table -boot-load-size 4 \
-b boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin -c boot/syslinux/isolinux.boot ../.

UEFI boot entry ?

VS.

slackware64-xfce-current
BIOS: /boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin
UEFI: /boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

make_slackware_live.sh
# Determine whether we add UEFI boot capabilities to the ISO:
if [ -f boot/syslinux/efiboot.img -a "$USEXORR" = "NO" ]; then
UEFI_OPTS="-eltorito-alt-boot -no-emul-boot -eltorito-platform 0xEF -eltorito-boot boot/syslinux/efiboot.img"
elif [ -f boot/syslinux/efiboot.img -a "$USEXORR" = "YES" ]; then
UEFI_OPTS="-eltorito-alt-boot -e boot/syslinux/efiboot.img -no-emul-boot"

https://download.liveslak.org/liveslak/ ... re_live.sh

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# Create an ISO file from a directory's content:
#
function create_iso() {
  TOPDIR=${1:-"${LIVE_STAGING}"}

  cd "$TOPDIR"

  # Tag the type of live environment to the ISO filename:
  if [ "$LIVEDE" = "SLACKWARE" ]; then
    ISOTAG=""
  else
    ISOTAG="-$(echo $LIVEDE |tr A-Z a-z)"
  fi

  # Determine whether we add UEFI boot capabilities to the ISO:
  if [ -f boot/syslinux/efiboot.img -a "$USEXORR" = "NO" ]; then
    UEFI_OPTS="-eltorito-alt-boot -no-emul-boot -eltorito-platform 0xEF -eltorito-boot boot/syslinux/efiboot.img"
  elif [ -f boot/syslinux/efiboot.img -a "$USEXORR" = "YES" ]; then
    UEFI_OPTS="-eltorito-alt-boot -e boot/syslinux/efiboot.img -no-emul-boot"
  else
    UEFI_OPTS=""
  fi

  # Time to determine the output filename, now that we know all the variables
  # and ensured that the OUTPUT directory exists:
  OUTFILE=${OUTFILE:-"${OUTPUT}/${DISTRO}${DIRSUFFIX}-live${ISOTAG}-${SL_VERSION}.iso"}
  if [ "$USEXORR" = "NO" ]; then
    mkisofs -o "${OUTFILE}" \
      -V "${MEDIALABEL}" \
      -R -J \
      -hide-rr-moved \
      -v -d -N \
      -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size ${BOOTLOADSIZE} -boot-info-table \
      -sort boot/syslinux/iso.sort \
      -b boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin \
      -c boot/syslinux/isolinux.boot \
      ${UEFI_OPTS} \
      -preparer "$(echo $LIVEDE |sed 's/BASE//') Live built by ${BUILDER}" \
      -publisher "The Slackware Linux Project - http://www.slackware.com/" \
      -A "${DISTRO^}-${SL_VERSION} for ${SL_ARCH} ($(echo $LIVEDE |sed 's/BASE//') Live $VERSION)" \
      -x ./$(basename ${LIVE_WORK}) \
      -x ./${LIVEMAIN}/bootinst \
      -x boot/syslinux/testing \
      .

    if [ "$SL_ARCH" = "x86_64" -o "$EFI32" = "YES" ]; then
      # Make this a hybrid ISO with UEFI boot support on x86_64.
      # On 32bit, the variable EFI32 must be explicitly enabled.
      isohybrid -u "${OUTFILE}"
    else
      isohybrid "${OUTFILE}"
    fi # End UEFI hybrid ISO.
  else
    echo "-- Using xorriso to generate the ISO and make it hybrid."
    xorriso -as mkisofs -o "${OUTFILE}" \
      -V "${MEDIALABEL}" \
      -J -joliet-long -r \
      -hide-rr-moved \
      -v -d -N \
      -b boot/syslinux/isolinux.bin \
      -c boot/syslinux/isolinux.boot \
      -boot-load-size ${BOOTLOADSIZE} -boot-info-table -no-emul-boot \
      ${UEFI_OPTS} \
      -isohybrid-mbr /usr/share/syslinux/isohdpfx.bin \
      -isohybrid-gpt-basdat \
      -preparer "$(echo $LIVEDE |sed 's/BASE//') Live built by ${BUILDER}" \
      -publisher "The Slackware Linux Project - http://www.slackware.com/" \
      -A "${DISTRO^}-${SL_VERSION} for ${SL_ARCH} ($(echo $LIVEDE |sed 's/BASE//') Live $VERSION)" \
      -x ./$(basename ${LIVE_WORK}) \
      -x ./${LIVEMAIN}/bootinst \
      -x boot/syslinux/testing \
      .
  fi

  # Return to original directory:
  cd - 1>/dev/null

  cd "${OUTPUT}"
    md5sum "$(basename "${OUTFILE}")" \
      > "$(basename "${OUTFILE}")".md5
    sha256sum "$(basename "${OUTFILE}")" \
      > "$(basename "${OUTFILE}")".sha256
  cd - 1>/dev/null
  echo "-- Live ISO image created:"
  echo "   - CDROM max size is 737.280.000 bytes (703 MB)"
  echo "   - DVD max size is 4.706.074.624 bytes (4.38 GB aka 4.7 GiB)"
  ls -l "${OUTFILE}"*

} # End of create_iso()

[alanyih]

sudo qemu-kvm -m 2G -enable-kvm -cdrom /mnt/sda1/boot/Porteus-XFCE-v5.01-x86_64.iso &
https://reurl.cc/Q2aM5Z
BIOS: Porteus-XFCE-v5.01 boot ok.

sudo qemu-kvm -m 2G -enable-kvm -bios /usr/share/OVMF/OVMF_CODE.fd -cdrom /mnt/sda1/boot/Porteus-XFCE-v5.01-x86_64.iso &
https://reurl.cc/EmQAVR
UEFI: Porteus-XFCE-v5.01 boot failed.


VS.

sudo qemu-kvm -m 2G -enable-kvm -bios /usr/share/OVMF/OVMF_CODE.fd -cdrom /mnt/sda1/boot/slackware64-live-xfce-current.iso &
https://reurl.cc/Q2aMYZ
UEFI: slackware64-xfce-current boot ok.

sudo qemu-kvm -m 2G -enable-kvm -cdrom /mnt/sda1/boot/slackware64-live-xfce-current.iso &
https://reurl.cc/R2kNYe
BIOS: slackware64-xfce-current boot ok.

[Ed_P]

[ncmprhnsbl]

alanyih is by way of examples, pointing out that our ISOs do not support UEFI booting, in the sense of, from a burned CD or dd'ed usb or in a uefi enabled virtual machine.
..and that our make_iso.sh script could do with some work to fix that. ..if not some other stuff too..

[Ed_P]

I can assure you that I boot Porteus ISOs that I download on my EFI notebook. Currently using grub2, previously using Grub2Win. No experience with an uefi enabled virtual machine.

Being able to chainload the ISOs would be nice but beyond grub/grub2 capabilities.

[ncmprhnsbl]

I can assure you that I boot Porteus ISOs that I download on my EFI notebook. Currently using grub2,

of this, i'm well aware
in that particular case, you're using grubs's EFI capabilities, not the built in syslinux
which is why i specified "in the sense of, from a burned CD or dd'ed usb or in a uefi enabled virtual machine"
it shouldn't be a huge deal to fix, but at the same time it doesn't seem like a pressing problem:
1. modern EFI laptops don't generally have CD drives anymore
2. with a USB it's easier to just copy the contents of the iso to it than dd'ing, because that's all that's needed with EFI (with fat32 or a fat32 partition for the boot,EFI folders)
3. fairly trivial to make/use a legacy bios virtual machine

[alanyih]

pointing out that our ISOs do not support UEFI booting

You are right.

Just add
-eltorito-alt-boot -no-emul-boot -eltorito-platform 0xEF \
-eltorito-boot boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

[alanyih]

slackware64-xfce-current
UEFI: /boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

UEFI_OPTS="-eltorito-alt-boot -no-emul-boot -eltorito-platform 0xEF -eltorito-boot boot/syslinux/efiboot.img"

UEFI_OPTS="-eltorito-alt-boot -e boot/syslinux/efiboot.img -no-emul-boot"

Code: Select all

guest@porteus:~$ ll /mnt/slack
total 7
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root 2048 Jan  2 21:16 boot/
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root 2048 Jan  2 21:16 EFI/
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root 2048 Jan  2 21:16 liveslak/
-r--r--r-- 1 root root   82 Jan  2 21:16 ventoy.dat

guest@porteus:~$ ll /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img 
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 2949120 Jan  2 21:16 /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

guest@porteus:~$ file /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img 
/mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img: DOS/MBR boot sector, code offset 0x3c+2, OEM-ID "mkfs.fat", sectors/cluster 2, root entries 224, sectors 5760 (volumes <=32 MB), sectors/FAT 9, sectors/track 36, serial number 0x59d2f965, unlabeled, FAT (12 bit), followed by FAT

guest@porteus:~$ 7z l /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img 

7-Zip (z) 25.01 (x64) : Copyright (c) 1999-2025 Igor Pavlov : 2025-08-03
 64-bit locale=en_US.UTF-8 Threads:4 OPEN_MAX:1024, ASM

Scanning the drive for archives:
1 file, 2949120 bytes (2880 KiB)   

Listing archive: /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

--
Path = /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img
Type = FAT
Physical Size = 2949120
File System = FAT12
Cluster Size = 1024
Free Space = 1094656
Headers Size = 18944
Sector Size = 512
ID = 1506998629

   Date      Time    Attr         Size   Compressed  Name
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
2026-01-02 22:16:12 D....                            EFI
2026-01-02 22:16:12 D....                            EFI/BOOT
2026-01-02 22:16:12 ....A      1835008      1835008  EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
2026-01-02 22:16:12            1835008      1835008  1 files, 2 folders
guest@porteus:~$ 

guest@porteus:~$ 7z e /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi

7-Zip (z) 25.01 (x64) : Copyright (c) 1999-2025 Igor Pavlov : 2025-08-03
 64-bit locale=en_US.UTF-8 Threads:4 OPEN_MAX:1024, ASM

Scanning the drive for archives:
1 file, 2949120 bytes (2880 KiB)   

Extracting archive: /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img
--       
Path = /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img
Type = FAT
Physical Size = 2949120
File System = FAT12
Cluster Size = 1024
Free Space = 1094656
Headers Size = 18944
Sector Size = 512
ID = 1506998629

Everything is Ok

Size:       1835008
Compressed: 2949120

guest@porteus:~$ ll bootx64.efi 
-rw-r--r-- 1 guest users 1835008 Jan  2 22:16 bootx64.efi

guest@porteus:~$ file bootx64.efi 
bootx64.efi: PE32+ executable for EFI (application), x86-64 (stripped to external PDB), 5 sections

guest@porteus:~$ strings-BSD bootx64.efi | egrep 'grub.cfg|/BOOT|liveslak'
Graft point syntax (E.g. /boot/grub/grub.cfg=./grub.cfg) is accepted
Graft point syntax (E.g. /boot/grub/grub.cfg=./grub.cfg) is accepted
%s/grub.cfg
boot/grub/grub.cfg
search --file --no-floppy --set=root /EFI/BOOT/SLACKWARELIVE
configfile ${cmdpath}/grub.cfg
echo ${cmdpath}/grub.cfg did not boot the system, rebooting in 10 seconds.
grub.liveslak,1,The liveslak project,grub,2.12-18,https://download.liveslak.org/

[alanyih]

make-grub.sh - /boot/syslinux/efiboot.img

# Then, create a FAT formatted image that contains bootx64.efi in the
# ${EFIDIR} directory. This is used to bootstrap GRUB from the ISO image.

https://download.liveslak.org/liveslak/ ... ke-grub.sh

[alanyih]

A simple and easy workaround.
With GRUB4DOS_UEFI, you just need /EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI and /EFI/grub/menu.lst 2 files.
With GRUB4DOS, you need /grlde and /menu.lst 2 files.

That’s it.


grub4dos-for_UEFI-2025-11-25.7z 1.2M
grub4dos-0.4.6a-2025-11-25.7z 344K


Ref:
ventoy-No bootfile found for UEFI! #97

PorteuX - GRUB4DOS_UEFI #102

[Ed_P]

grub4dos-for_UEFI-2025-11-25.7z 1.2M

So a .5M Porteus system with a 1.2M EFI boot app.

Not bad. Any plans for a small grub2 EFI boot app? The one I made is definitely not small.

Added in 1 day 36 minutes 32 seconds:

Path = /mnt/slack/boot/syslinux/efiboot.img
Type = FAT
Physical Size = 2949120
File System = FAT12
Cluster Size = 1024
Free Space = 1094656
Headers Size = 18944
Sector Size = 512
ID = 1506998629

2880 1096
Reducing the unneeded Free Space would be useful. Instead of a 256 kb drive a 150 might be better. Small ISO.