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Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 7:58 pm
by brolly
Hi guys
Rufus one of the reasons i run Windows in a VM. I use MX 18.3. Unlike most linux iso writers Rufus has GPT, MBR, and ?hybrid iso mode (i think it's what its called. the method that downloads extra files when writing a linux ISO). Most linux options like Etcher, WoeUSB, MX USB Maker Unetbootin, and Mintstick seem to write in MBR and don't seem to be as feature rich as Rufus. MX USB Maker doesn't like my Sandisk pendrives. Is there Linux software that contains or exceeds Rufus? Thanks in advance
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:21 pm
by manyroads
Never used Rufus... don't have Windows. I use dd.
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:44 pm
by fehlix
brolly wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2019 7:58 pm
GPT, MBR, and ?hybrid iso mode (i think it's what its called. the method that downloads extra files when writing a linux ISO). Most linux options like Etcher, WoeUSB, MX USB Maker Unetbootin, and Mintstick seem to write in MBR and don't seem to be as feature rich as Rufus. MX USB Maker doesn't like my Sandisk pendrives. Is there Linux software that contains or exceeds Rufus? Thanks in advance
Such a question shall by asked the to rufus developer. But I guess, as that's winOS app you will not find a direct linux port.
Further you are mixing a couple of things.
hybrid-iso's can be installed using dd-(disk dump) mode: used by Etcher, Mintstick.
or installed by recreating partitions on the USB stick and creating the corresponding boot-loader.
MX Live USB Maker can create dd-dumped USB stick or create USB sticks like Rufus with creating partitions either in GPT or in MBR mode.
For creating reliable LiveUSB's with persistence we do recommend to use ext4 partitions - as created by MX Live Usb Maker - due to the journaled filesystems ext4, which allows recovery of filesystem "on the fly", e.g, after a system crash.
Rufus generated LifeUSBs do not provide this reliability feature available through ext4 journaled file system.
HTH
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:02 pm
by brolly
fehlix wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:44 pm
brolly wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2019 7:58 pm
GPT, MBR, and ?hybrid iso mode (i think it's what its called. the method that downloads extra files when writing a linux ISO). Most linux options like Etcher, WoeUSB, MX USB Maker Unetbootin, and Mintstick seem to write in MBR and don't seem to be as feature rich as Rufus. MX USB Maker doesn't like my Sandisk pendrives. Is there Linux software that contains or exceeds Rufus? Thanks in advance
Such a question shall by asked the to rufus developer. But I guess, as that's winOS app you will not find a direct linux port.
Further you are mixing a couple of things.
hybrid-iso's can be installed using dd-(disk dump) mode: used by Etcher, Mintstick.
or installed by recreating partitions on the USB stick and creating the corresponding boot-loader.
MX Live USB Maker can create dd-dumped USB stick or create USB sticks like Rufus with creating partitions either in GPT or in MBR mode.
For creating reliable LiveUSB's with persistence we do recommend to use ext4 partitions - as created by MX Live Usb Maker - due to the journaled filesystems ext4, which allows recovery of filesystem "on the fly", e.g, after a system crash.
Rufus generated LifeUSBs do not provide this reliability feature available through ext4 journaled file system.
HTH
Nice prompt response. The issue i face is that MX Live USB Maker doesn't like my SanDisk sticks. I don't know whether I'm missing something in the settings
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:05 pm
by Jerry3904
What does"doesn't like" mean exactly? Can you describe the problem you are seeing more accurately or in more detail? Any error messages?
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:25 pm
by brolly
Jerry3904 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:05 pm
What does"doesn't like" mean exactly? Can you describe the problem you are seeing more accurately or in more detail? Any error messages?
"like" means its throwing error messeges. I will come back with them in a while
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 10:00 pm
by JayM
Use GParted, select the USB, delete all existing partitions, click apply, go to Device/Create Partition Table and create a new msdos partition table, then try MX-LUM again. Be careful that you've selected the USB stick in GParted first so you don't accidentally delete hard disk partitions.
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:26 pm
by asqwerth
Which model of SanDisk? Adrian will tell you there are some models that are unreliable which he avoids like the plague.
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 1:16 am
by masterpeace
I was also having similar issue with live medium ... until i found that the one i used for live medium is a fake-GB chinese flash drive , it is listed as a 8GB and showed 8GB on the computer but in reality only having physical 128MB flash drive forced on usb3 (i tore it open after failing more than 4 times on RUFUS) . I got it for free as a bonus from local coffee shop .
Please check the serial number listed on the package and compare it to what terminal says ...
Hope this helps ...
Re: Please recommend a Rufus alternative for Linux that ACTUALLY works like Rufus
Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 1:58 am
by bled
unetbootin-506.pet
(puppy linux)
it is better than rufus...
it has gpt, mbr...
it can install on hdd, usb...