Arch Linux

kevdog

Member

Registered: 2013-01-26

Posts: 102

Can systemd-boot load an iso file during boot process?

Hi I'm seeking some clarification of the capabilities of systemd-boot since I really can't find a lot of good documentation for it (seriously).

I'm aware grub can load an iso image during boot by mounting it to an isoloop.  Here is an example:

#!/bin/sh
exec tail -n +3 $0

menuentry "SystemRescue (isoloop)" {
    load_video
    insmod gzio
    insmod part_gpt
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    search --no-floppy --label boot --set=root
    loopback loop /systemrescue.iso
    echo   'Loading kernel ...'
    linux  (loop)/sysresccd/boot/x86_64/vmlinuz img_label=boot img_loop=/systemrescue.iso archisobasedir=sysresccd copytoram setkmap=us
    echo   'Loading initramfs ...'
    initrd (loop)/sysresccd/boot/x86_64/sysresccd.img
}

Can systemd-boot do something similar to: loopback loop <location of .iso image>?

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,081

Re: Can systemd-boot load an iso file during boot process?

No. systemd-boot's feature scope is pretty simple and well defined. Load another EFI file and pass arguments to it. Full stop. Anything else is out of scope

Last edited by V1del (2020-11-16 16:52:01)

GaKu999

Member

From: US/Eastern

Registered: 2020-06-21

Posts: 696

Re: Can systemd-boot load an iso file during boot process?

You can, copy the files into the ESP, and launch with the same args.
In your system mount the iso and copy what you are calling now into your ESP. Cut the middle man.

...

Side note, why SystemRescueCD? archiso is more than enough for any rescue.
Hmm, they have arch-install-scripts integrated, since they are based on archiso now...I would prefer it to be distro-agnostic, yet that is ambitious.
It feels like archiso, with extra clutter.

Last edited by GaKu999 (2020-11-16 23:04:01)

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