USB Image Writer NOT creating BOOTABLE USB from HOST Linux Mint XFCE 21. [PARTIALLY SOLVED]

[ScarletMcLearn]

Hello.

Hope you are doing well.

I am currently running Linux Mint XFCE 21 (Latest).

I have a 8 GB Pen Drive.

I formatted it using RIGHT CLICK > Format.

I downloaded the LATEST Linux Mint XFCE 21 ISO File.

I checked the integrity of the ISO File using :

Code: Select all

SHA256

And the value given in the download site.

They matched.

I went to Start > USB Image Writer

Set Write Image > Latest Mint XFCE ISO
Set To > The USB Pen Drive
And clicked Write.

The process took some time and finished.

But when I tried loading it in my Virtual Machine Manager and allowed USB Device on it, my VM repeatedly says that it is not bootable / OS not found.

Can you please suggest how I can fix it?
Preferably using a GUI based tool?

Thank you for your time!

I am providing my system details below:

Code: Select all

inxi -fxxxrz
CPU:
  Info: quad core model: Intel Core i7-8550U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    smt: enabled arch: Coffee Lake rev: A cache: L1: 256 KiB L2: 1024 KiB
    L3: 8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 964 high: 2053 min/max: 400/4000 cores: 1: 800 2: 800
    3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 860 8: 2053 bogomips: 31999
  Flags: 3dnowprefetch abm acpi adx aes aperfmperf apic arat
    arch_capabilities arch_perfmon art avx avx2 bmi1 bmi2 bts clflush
    clflushopt cmov constant_tsc cpuid cpuid_fault cx16 cx8 de ds_cpl dtes64
    dtherm dts epb ept ept_ad erms est f16c flexpriority flush_l1d fma fpu
    fsgsbase fxsr ht hwp hwp_act_window hwp_epp hwp_notify ibpb ibrs ida
    intel_pt invpcid invpcid_single lahf_lm lm mca mce md_clear mmx monitor
    movbe mpx msr mtrr nonstop_tsc nopl nx pae pat pbe pcid pclmulqdq pdcm
    pdpe1gb pebs pge pln pni popcnt pse pse36 pti pts rdrand rdseed rdtscp
    rep_good sdbg sep smap smep ss ssbd sse sse2 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 stibp
    syscall tm tm2 tpr_shadow tsc tsc_adjust tsc_deadline_timer vme vmx vnmi
    vpid x2apic xgetbv1 xsave xsavec xsaveopt xsaves xtopology xtpr
Repos:
  Packages: 3328 apt: 3286 flatpak: 42
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/edge/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/linuxmint vanessa main upstream import backport
    2: deb http://mirror.xeonbd.com/ubuntu-archive jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http://mirror.xeonbd.com/ubuntu-archive jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http://mirror.xeonbd.com/ubuntu-archive jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/teams.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/ms-teams stable main

[Catsbark]

I don't know much about VMs, since I've only made a couple of them, but I think that you don't need to make a bootable flash drive to create a new VM. Just point your VM manager in its "create a new VM" mode to the ISO in your downloads and it will take if from there. At least that's what I remember from last time I tried it.

[ScarletMcLearn]

You are right.
But I want to create a bootable USB so that I can use it in case of system failures.
Please suggest if possible.
Thank you!

[AndyMH]

If using virtualbox, unless you changed it, the default is to boot in legacy mode. Having said that, I could not get a stick burnt with mint's usb imagewriter to boot UEFI on a thinkcentre. I had no problems using ventoy:
https://www.ventoy.net/en/download.html
Once you have installed ventoy to a stick you copy (not burn) isos to it. It is a multi-boot solution, when you boot ventoy it lists the isos it has found asking which one you want to boot.

[linux-rox]

But I want to create a bootable USB so that I can use it in case of system failures.

Good idea. Why aren't you doing this the obvious way? To wit, shutdown installed system, then boot flash drive.

FWIW, there's a way to boot from USB drive in VirtualBox, probably other virtualization tools also (you don't say which one you're using), but it's more complicated than just attaching the USB drive. Also, not 100% reliable, so failure doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem with the drive.

[ScarletMcLearn]

Thank you for the suggestion. But in the case someone needs to boot from USB for a virtual machine using VM Manager software, how can someone do it? I have enabled the pass through USB. Any suggestions?

[linux-rox]

Not familiar with VM Manager. In VBox, one does this with something called raw disk.

[ScarletMcLearn]

I tried setting it up but I think I messed up. Its quite confusing, can you help out with it?

[AndyMH]

Thank you for the suggestion. But in the case someone needs to boot from USB for a virtual machine using VM Manager software, how can someone do it? I have enabled the pass through USB. Any suggestions?

With virtualbox you don't need a stick you just point it at the iso to install, expect it is the same with VMware and others.

[ScarletMcLearn]

I understand. I can do it with ISO as well. But I want to do it using a BOOTABLE USB.
I have the ISO as well.
But I am trying to achieve a VM which uses bootable USB to load the OS.

[linux-rox]

Its quite confusing, can you help out with it?

Not familiar with VM Manager.

[ScarletMcLearn]

If anyone else can suggest, will be great help.

[ScarletMcLearn]

Hello people.
I resolved my issue using this guide :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQGedNC ... emonKiller

Hopefully this will work out for others who tried Etcher and USB Image Writer and failed.

And also a note, I have not found any reliable or simple way to boot from USB for virtual machines.

If anyone knows any tools to aid with that, feel free to update me.

Thank you.

Marking the main issue as solved.

[motoryzen]

ScarletMcLearn

adding to AndyMH's point. Ventoy is a solid choice indeed.

It's how I've also been able to make my custom linux mint installation.iso bootable when nothing else would including Balena Etcher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWXMGpV8_Dc