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+--- Thread: Ventoy to hdd partition (/showthread.php?tid=579)
Ventoy to hdd partition - DonBCilly - 09-02-2020
I've asked before, but did not get a reply.
Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdX ... does it have to be the whole disk? Is there a way to make/specify the partitions myself?
Because, if I could Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdXn (like sda4), well, I wouldn't have to use a whole disk for it, right?
Now, if this could be done, it would have very interesting possibilities, not just for Ventoy, but for the future of Linux distributions in general
, so please tell me it can be done 
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - longpanda - 09-03-2020
NO.
Ventoy can't install to a partition, Ventoy must occupy the whole disk, create new partitions and format it.
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - DonBCilly - 09-03-2020
Oh. OK. Pardon me if I seem insistent, but, how many partitions? One for each distro?
Is that really necessary?
Because, honestly, if it could be made to use just one (or two) partitions, and they could be user-defined, we could really have a major breakthrough in distribution handling.
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - mr.neeo - 09-03-2020
You have to install Ventoy on the whole disk, next you can split the partition as much you required. there is no problem. but first you have to install Ventoy on the whole disk.
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - Dypsis - 09-03-2020
Using Ventoy in an internal drive is a good idea.
That's what I plan to do. Just grab an older drive for your Ventoy drive.
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - longpanda - 09-03-2020
(09-03-2020, 03:43 AM)DonBCilly Wrote: Oh. OK. Pardon me if I seem insistent, but, how many partitions? One for each distro?
Is that really necessary?
Because, honestly, if it could be made to use just one (or two) partitions, and they could be user-defined, we could really have a major breakthrough in distribution handling.
After install Ventoy to the disk, the whole disk will be splited into two partitions and that's all. You only need to copy all of your ISO files to the 1st partition.
Please refer to:
https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_disk_layout.html
https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_disk_layout_gpt.html
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - DonBCilly - 09-04-2020
(09-03-2020, 02:36 PM)longpanda Wrote: After install Ventoy to the disk, the whole disk will be splited into two partitions and that's all.
Yes, well, but then I would have to get a whole new HDD (or sacrifice one of mine) just to do that.
Whereas, if I could specify the partitions myself, I could just use one I already have (with things on it).
Is it really a hard thing to do? Code it that way, I mean?
It would really have advantages.
For example, on this machine, I have three disks. Two HDDs and one SSD.
The SSD has five distros on it.
The two HDDs have some three or four each.
They're all GPT, I can make all the partitions I want. But I don't really want to lose the data on them... :·/
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - GCMartin - 09-04-2020
Hello @DonBCilly, I clearly understand your question and desire.
I, too, have desire for being able to place my /BOOTISOS (the folder where I keep all of my Ventoy ISOs on the 1st partitiion) anywhere on system's storage and to have Ventoy search and allow selection from that folder of ISO contents.
BUT to be VERY TRUTHFUL, this product is designed and built by @LongPanda and his vision of its purpose and its use in his. He is entitled to that. I support ALL developers who bring their ideas to us as they think it will best serve. And Ventoy seemingly intents that fact.
So, because of its beneficial intent, I APPLAUD the efforts by the author(s) to provide a useful service entity; namely Ventoy and its website and its forum...which is a massive amount of work.
The idea of Ventoy, I believe, is to have its users take a USB stick solely for use with Ventoy. That is its current mission.
You might consider a "sole purposed" USB unit for the multi-boot Ventoy advantages. At least until Ventoy matures (and it will) to a point where other options raised may become reality. But for now, it has benefit in its current state.
Good luck to everyone.
RE: Ventoy to hdd partition - KaMyKaSii - 09-10-2020
(09-04-2020, 06:56 AM)DonBCilly Wrote: Yes, well, but then I would have to get a whole new HDD (or sacrifice one of mine) just to do that.
Whereas, if I could specify the partitions myself, I could just use one I already have (with things on it).
Ventoy needs to be installed on the entire device because it needs to install its own bootloader. If you just want to install Ventoy to a disk without needing to format it, follow this tutorial by me. It was made for MBR so you should check the structure differences with GPT to adjust the dd commands. But no, you won't be able to boot operating systems installed on partitions on this same disk, I don't say it's impossible, but at least not in a simple way. You may be able to clone your current systems into VHD files and boot it with Grub2 File Manager, but I'm not sure
(09-04-2020, 07:25 PM)GCMartin Wrote: I, too, have desire for being able to place my /BOOTISOS (the folder where I keep all of my Ventoy ISOs on the 1st partitiion) anywhere on system's storage and to have Ventoy search and allow selection from that folder of ISO contents.
And you can do this. Use Ventoy to load the Grub2 File Manager (grubfm_multiarch.iso), and then use it to boot your ISOs from internal storage. Just don't be stupid to format / delete the partition where the booted ISO is, of course