Boot it

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Boot it is a Linux loader designed for use with disc images placed on an SD card or USB Device. It bypasses the need for partitioning by allowing the user to run a disc image in almost exactly the same way as one would run a Linux live CD, with the notable exception that the user can actually make changes to the "disc" during their Linux session. It can also boot normal Linux partitions.

Boot it
General
Author(s)nuvalo
TypeOperating system
Links
[[Prototeam

Megaupload

MegaShares|Download]]
Downloadable via the Homebrew Browser
Peripherals
WiiDrawing.svg USB Keyboard Loads files from the Front SD slot USB mass storage device

Minimum Requirements

Installation

1) Copy the "apps" directory to the root of your SDCard

2) If you want to boot a preinstalled wiilinux filesystem (using whiite or whiite installer), copy the "pivot_root" and "chroot" files into the "extra" directory to your filesystem "/bin" directory, and create a directory called "/old-root" in the root of your filesystem.

3) If you want to boot any of the filesystem images (bliight.img or xwhiite.img), copy them to the root of your device (SDCard or USB hard disk)

Usage

1) Launch "boot-it" using the Homebrew Channel. The first time it will show you a menu:

Boot installed system lets you access the boot menu

Return to Wii menu lets you reboot

2) Use the keyboad arrows to move up/down the selected option, ad press "Enter". If you selected

"Boot installed system" you will see a new menu:

Select USB to boot a filesystem installed on a USB hard disk partition.

Select SDCard to boot a filesystem installed on a SDCard partition.

Select Disc image to boot a filesystem image file on a USB or SDCard.


If you select USB or SDCard, you will see a menu to select the partition (1,2,3...). Introduce the partition number. and press enter.

If everything is OK, it will start to boot that filesystem

If you select "Disc image", It will ask you the device where it is installed (USB o SDCard), and then you will have to introduce

the filename (bliight.img, xwhiite.img, etc...).


If everything is OK, a file called "wiilinux.cfg" will be created in the root of your SDCard. There will be saved the configuration. If

you want to reconfigure "boot it", delete that file.

Creating compatible filesystem images

These steps show how to create a new uncompressed filesystem image under Linux:


Step 1: Create an empty file:
dd if=/dev/zero of=<filename> count=<number of MB> bs=1M

Step 2: Format it in ext2/3
mkfs.ext2 <filename>

Step 3: Mount the file and copy the filesystem
mount -o loop,rw <filename> <path_to_mount>
cp -r <path_to_filesystem>/* <path_to_mount>

Step 4: Umount it, and detach it from /dev/loop
umount <path_to_mount>
losetup -d /dev/loop0 (ususally /dev/loop0, might be loop1,2...etc)

Step 5: Copy it to the root of the first partition of the SDCard/USB

Known Problems

  • If you have a USB mouse plugged in, it could interfere with the USB keyboard. If the keyboard doesn't work, then interchange the usb ports where they are plugged, or unplug the mouse.
  • If you are booting a previously installed wiilinux (xwhiite or bliight installed in the second partition of your sdcard) you will have to copy the contents of the "extras" directory to the root of your wiilinux filesystem or it will give you a message that some files are missing (pivot_root, chroot, old-root).