Ventoy
Ventoy is a free and open source tool to create drives that allow you to select and boot any EFI, IMG, ISO, VHD(x), or WIM files stored on a rewritable partition on the drive.
Most types of OSs are supported (Windows/WinPE/Linux/ChromeOS/Unix/VMware/Xen. ), see the full list.
Installation
Usage
Warning: The drive used will be erased and all its existing data will be lost after setup.
There are three utilities for setting up the media:
- /opt/ventoy/Ventoy2Disk.sh , which is a shell script to be run from the command line.
- /opt/ventoy/VentoyGUI.x86_64 , which is a graphical application. xauth or a similar application is needed to escalate to root if the application is not started with root permissions.
- Opening file:///opt/ventoy/WebUI/index.html with a web browser.
The same utilities can be used for upgrading the Ventoy installation on the drive.
Ventoy creates two partitions on the drive. Their default names are Ventoy and VTOYEFI. The Ventoy partition is to store the bootable images (iso files), and any other data. VTOYEFI is for the Ventoy binaries.
To add images from which you can boot, mount the first partition and copy the images over.
Use without installing
If you just want to create a multi-boot drive, you can simply download the pre-built executable at the GitHub releases page. After verifying the sha256sum and unpacking, you can display the included CLI’s[1] help page by running the shell script without any arguments:
# ./ventoy-VERSION/Ventoy2Disk.sh
You can afterwards upgrade the drive for future versions by following a similar procedure. Downloading a NEWER-VERSION, verifying the sha256sum, unpacking, running
# ./ventoy-NEWER-VERSION/Ventoy2Disk.sh
and following the on screen help message.
As an alternative to the shell .sh script mentioned here, a GTK/qt[2], and a webUI[3], are also included.
Tips and tricks
What version is already installed?
With Ventoy2Disk.sh utility mentioned earlier, start, and do not approve, an upgrade process ( -u ). It will inform from which version it intends to upgrade, before asking for confirmation.
See also
Ventoy linux vhd boot
Ventoy was originally designed and developed as a bootable USB tool. So Ventoy has always only supported to boot the image files in the disk where Ventoy installed.
That is to say, you must copy ISO/WIM/VHD(x)/IMG/EFI files to the Ventoy disk to boot them. This is not very convenient in some cases. For example, the ISO has been downloaded to the local hard disk, but it needs to be copied again, USB disk has a low speed, and so on.
Since 1.0.66, Ventoy supports to boot image files (.iso/.wim/.img . ) in local disk.
In order to adapt to the current solution, reduce the workload and be compatible with all the plugins, Ventoy uses a special method to support this feature.
We create a small vlnk file for an image file in local disk (just like the file softlink) and then copy the vlnk file to Ventoy disk to boot.
Notes: Here the local disk is a relative concept, it can be any disk except that which the Ventoy installed. It can be a HDD/SSD or another USB device.
Notes: Since 1.0.67, you can press F2 to browser and boot files in local disk. But you can not apply plugins in this way. Notes
Open VentoyVlnk.exe, click Create button, just select an image file in local disk。 The vlnk file will be created at the same directory with VentoyVlnk.exe.
(Use Parse button to show the vlnk infomartion)
By default, you cannot specify the name of the vlnk file created by VentoyVlnk.exe. If you wish to specify you can use command line mode.
You can start with VentoyVlnk.exe -s , in this way, it will prompt you for the vlnk save path after you select an ISO file.
You can also use VentoyVlnk.exe -i xxx.iso -o xxx.vlnk.iso to directly generate the vlnk file, no interaction needed.
Run sudo bash VentoyVlnk.sh -c xxx.iso in terminal. The vlnk file will be created in the current directory where you run the script.
After vlnk file created, just copy it to Ventoy USB and boot it. You can put the vlnk file in the root or some subdirectory, no difference with normal image files.
When you boot the vlnk file it will actually boot the corresponding image file in the local disk.
A vlnk file add a .vlnk suffix in the original file name. For example, the vlnk files for xxx.iso and xxx.wim are xxx.vlnk.iso and xxx.vlnk.wim
The xxx is the name part and can be changed as you want (recommend to keep the original name).
But the last .vlnk.iso .vlnk.wim . are fixed, can NOT be changed and must be all lower-case.
All image file types currently supported by Ventoy are supported. Persistence .dat file is also supported.
| Image Type | vlnk File | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| .iso | .vlnk.iso | ISO File |
| .wim | .vlnk.wim | Windows WIM File |
| .vhd | .vlnk.vhd | Windows VHD File |
| .vhdx | .vlnk.vhdx | Windows VHDX File |
| .img | .vlnk.img | IMG File |
| .vtoy | .vlnk.vtoy | Linux vDisk File. Please refer Linux vDisk Plugin |
| .efi | .vlnk.efi | EFI File |
| .dat | .vlnk.dat | Linux Persistence file. Please refer Persistence Plugin Attention: The iso file and the dat file must be in the same side. That is to say: .iso can only be used with .dat , similarly .vlnk.iso can only be used with .vlnk.dat . |
When use plugin, there is no difference between vlnk files and ISO/WIM/VHD. etc files.
For example, for xxx.vlnk.iso file, you can set menu alias, menu class, menu tip, password, auto install, persistence . with plugin.
I recommend to make a copy of directory/subdirectory structure in Ventoy disk with local disk and put the vlnk file to the corresponding location.
For example, an ISO file is in E:\download directory, then you can create a LocalDisk/E/download directory to put the vlnk file as follows:
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Ventoy linux vhd boot
mat-industries 
Junior Member 
Since the latest version of Ventoy also supports booting from VHD, I have been working on this for the last few days.
Windows (different versions) I get all of them running.
Linux however does not. I tried everything I could think of, but without success.
Did anyone of you already manage that .
longpanda
Administrator
Add Linux vDisk boot plugin (install linux distro into a vhd/vdi/raw file and boot with Ventoy)
Egyptian Raptor
Junior Member
After this latest update I decided to make a Kali Linux VHD. I created a VM on Hyper-V and installed in it Kali Linux with full updates and full package.
Installed the vtoy script and renamed the file as instructed and still after copying a 40 GB+ file to my 256 GB Flash Disk it refused to boot and errored out.
If any one have any experience or pointers please advise. Thanks.
longpanda
Administrator
Egyptian Raptor
Junior Member
Thanks for the prompt reply and sorry for my delay as I had to take the kids to their Tennis training,
I will put 5 pictures of the issue the describes the sequence of prompts starting from choosing the VHD to errors.
Keep in mind I did the vtoy command in the VM prior to using the VHD, also It is a fixed disk image with a fully installed and updated Kali Linux.
Sure hope this explains it. Thanks again.
p.s. Just in case if the images do not show
mat-industries
Junior Member
(09-28-2020, 02:40 AM) longpanda Wrote: Ventoy 1.0.22
Add Linux vDisk boot plugin (install linux distro into a vhd/vdi/raw file and boot with Ventoy)
thank you so much for making this possible.
I have tried yesterday a clean install with Ubuntu latest Version.
After finished installation, i put the the VHD to Ventoy Stick, and it runs without any problems.
Thank you very much.
By the way, why .img images don´t work with ventoy jet ? Is there still work in progress, or what make i wrong, i can´t boot any kind of .img files. 🙂
Midas
Moderator
(09-29-2020, 08:02 AM) mat-industries Wrote: I have tried yesterday a clean install with Ubuntu latest Version.
After finished installation, i put the the VHD to Ventoy Stick, and it runs without any problems.
Thank you for your feedback, Martin . It really encourages me to try it.
Egyptian Raptor
Junior Member
Thanks for the prompt reply and sorry for my delay as I had to take the kids to their Tennis training,
I will put 5 pictures of the issue the describes the sequence of prompts starting from choosing the VHD to errors.
Keep in mind I did the vtoy command in the VM prior to using the VHD, also It is a fixed disk image with a fully installed and updated Kali Linux.
Sure hope this explains it. Thanks again.
p.s. Just in case if the images do not show
I would really appreciate the assistance if any one has any information. Thanks and have a great day.
Ventoy linux vhd boot
Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files.
With ventoy, you don’t need to format the disk over and over, you just need to copy the ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files to the USB drive and boot them directly.
You can copy many files at a time and ventoy will give you a boot menu to select them (screenshot).
You can also browse ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files in local disks and boot them.
x86 Legacy BIOS, IA32 UEFI, x86_64 UEFI, ARM64 UEFI and MIPS64EL UEFI are supported in the same way.
Most types of OS supported (Windows/WinPE/Linux/ChromeOS/Unix/VMware/Xen. )
1100+ image files are tested (list), 90%+ distros in distrowatch.com supported (details),
iVentoy
Want to boot and install OS through network (PXE)? Welcome to my new project, iVentoy https://www.iventoy.com
Ventoy Subscription Service
Ventoy is an open source and free software. For the better and sustainable development of the Ventoy project, I provide subscription service. Please refer Notes for details.
Ventoy Browser
With Ventoy you can also browse ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files in local disk and boot them. Notes
VentoyPlugson
VentoyPlugson is a GUI tool for Ventoy plugin configuration.
Features
- 100% open source (license)
- Very simple to use (Get started)
- Fast (limited only by the speed of copying iso file)
- Can be installed in USB/Local Disk/SSD/NVMe/SD Card
- Directly boot from ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files, no extraction needed
- Support to browse and boot ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files in local disk Notes
- No need to be continuous in disk for ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files
- Both MBR and GPT partition styles are supported
- x86 Legacy BIOS, IA32 UEFI, x86_64 UEFI, ARM64 UEFI, MIPS64EL UEFI supported
- IA32/x86_64 UEFI Secure Boot supported Notes
- Linux Persistence supported Notes
- Windows auto installation supported Notes
- Linux auto installation supported Notes
- Variables Expansion supported for Windows/Linux auto installation script Notes
- FAT32/exFAT/NTFS/UDF/XFS/Ext2(3)(4) supported for main partition
- ISO files larger than 4GB supported
- Menu alias, Menu tip message supported
- Password protect supported
- Native boot menu style for Legacy & UEFI
- Most type of OS supported, 1100+ iso files tested
- Linux vDisk(vhd/vdi/raw. ) boot solution Notes
- Not only boot but also complete installation process
- Menu dynamically switchable between ListView and TreeView mode Notes
- «Ventoy Compatible» concept
- Plugin Framework and GUI plugin configurator
- Injection files to runtime enviroment
- Boot configuration file dynamically replacement
- Highly customizable theme and menu style
- USB drive write-protected support
- USB normal use unaffected
- Data nondestructive during version upgrade
- No need to update Ventoy when a new distro is released
Contact
You can discuss general ventoy issues in the forums or send a mail to longpanda admin@ventoy.net or join in the QQ group 688429778
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