Error: illegal ISO file

Post#1 by **kariseightytwo** » 22 Feb 2020, 17:43

Hello! I’ve created a usb stick with the latest 64bit Porteus and have booted successfully into the live operating system. My goal is to have a separate, fully portable, persistent Linux running off a 3.0 usb stick.

To that end, I’ve downloaded all 5 or 6 ISOs for the desktop environments and copied to my current Porteus usb stick. I enter the install utility and select ANY of the ISOs and attempt to install to the second usb stick and they all return the Illegal ISO file error.

Am I going about this the wrong way?

Thanks for your help.

Post#2 by **Ed_P** » 23 Feb 2020, 01:11

Hello kariseightytwo. So how did you create the usb stick that works? Use the same steps to create the new ones.

I am pretty sure when you did your 1st install you didn't point the Porteus install utility at an ISO file but read the USB_INSTALLATION.txt file in one of the ISOs to be sure.

Well I just read the USB_INSTALLATION.txt file and it does indeed mention a Porteus-installer-for-Linux.com app when runing running from a non-Porteus system which you must be running from. So I can't help you, for the few times I have installed Porteus to a USB drive I've used Porteus or Windows.

Sorry

Post#3 by **ncmprhnsbl** » 23 Feb 2020, 03:05

yeah, we might need some clarification here..
as Ed asked: how did you create the usb stick that works?
and "the install utility" ? would that be (one of ) the gui utility in the menu? there is 'Porteus Installer'(which can also be accessed from Porteus Settings Centre) and 'create live USB'
and " latest 64bit Porteus" i presume Porteus 5.0rc1?

Post#4 by **kariseightytwo** » 23 Feb 2020, 14:12

Hi thanks so much for the replies. I’m sorry I wasn’t clear enough. I felt confused as I was trying to explain in the first place.

Essentially I was trying to use a live Porteus on usb1 to install the full portable Porteus on usb2 (my 3.0 stick).

Here’s the steps I used.

1. In Windows i downloaded Porteus-CINNAMON-v5.0rc1-x86_64.iso
2. I installed the iso to usb1 using Rufus. Non persistent FAT32.
3. I reboot into Porteus from usb (I’ve tried copy to Ram or the first option). They both get me in properly.
4. Once in Porteus, I insert usb2 as well. At this point I have all ISOs available on usb1 to try (KDE, XFCE, etc)
5. I open the menu and choose “create live USB”, which opens “make bootable live usb version 3.1-8
6. I choose any of my ISOs, for BIOS (as it’s for an older laptop)
7. I choose max size and hit OK.

Anyway, this is when I get the error.
To be clear, I just want a portable usb Porteus that boots from a usb 3 stick and is fully persistent. Should I just be doing it all from Windows with the command file initially?

Thanks again so much for your help.

Post#5 by **Ed_P** » 23 Feb 2020, 14:42

Having never found a need to use Rufus I have no idea how it creates bootable drives but maybe what it does doesn't agree with what Porteus expects to find on a bootable drive. I have used Easy2boot with Porteus and not had problems though I have not tried doing what you're attempting to do with it. Normally I use the steps described in the install text in the isos. ie copy the contents of the isos to the usb drive.

Post#6 by **kariseightytwo** » 23 Feb 2020, 14:47

Ed, I don’t believe Rufus is the root of the problem as it essentially did what I asked it to do which was create a live non persistent bootable Porteus. My main issue at this point is creating the fully portable usb by whatever means is appropriate

Post#7 by **Ed_P** » 23 Feb 2020, 15:05

We cross posted. See my edited post above.

Post#8 by **kariseightytwo** » 23 Feb 2020, 15:14

Thanks Ed, perhaps you’re right.
One time I tried extracting the iso to usb2 and then running the install from windows file. I chose the drive and it completed immediately successfully immediately. Which is to say, it didn’t do anything.

Post#9 by **Ed_P** » 23 Feb 2020, 18:38

kariseightytwo wrote: ↑
23 Feb 2020, 15:14
I chose the drive and it completed immediately successfully immediately. Which is to say, it didn’t do anything.

Did you try booting it? Once the files are on the drive there isn't much to be done to make it bootable.

Post#10 by **kariseightytwo** » 23 Feb 2020, 19:55

I guess I’m not even sure it would do what I wanted. There was no indication that it would be anything other than a non-persistent fat32 drive. Does that make sense?

Post#11 by **Ed_P** » 23 Feb 2020, 20:02

If the iso's file were there and the Porteus installer ran and the drive was fat32 it would have booted as a non-persistent Porteus system. If you wanted to make it persistent you would need to create a savedat file and tweak the boot parms. Or manually backup your changes to a module.

Post#12 by **kariseightytwo** » 23 Feb 2020, 20:05

Ahh I think that’s what I’m after, probably. I’ve tried the same sort of thing with other distros (ie installing Ubuntu from usb1 to usb2) and they all error out during installation.

Are you aware of any tutorials that would walk through this process?

Post#13 by **Ed_P** » 23 Feb 2020, 22:48

For Porteus: Menu -> Administration -> Porteus Save File Manager I recommend a 512 GB file or larger.

Then modify the boot parms to include the changes= cheatcode. Personally I like the changes=EXIT; option, less overhead on the flash drive. See Menu -> Administration -> Porteus Cheat Codes

Post#14 by **kariseightytwo** » 24 Feb 2020, 00:03

Thanks again for all your help with this. I’ll give it a try and cross my fingers.

Post#15 by **Ed_P** » 24 Feb 2020, 01:02

Well once you get that system booting we'll talk about ways to boot with your changes in an read only mode.