Ventoy - minios-linux/minios-live GitHub Wiki

Using Ventoy

Ventoy is a popular tool for creating bootable USB drives that allows you to store multiple ISO files on one device and boot from any of them.

Important

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect device selection will result in data loss! Always double-check the selected drive and backup important data.

⚠️ Boot Mode Requirement: For MiniOS to work properly with Ventoy, you MUST select GRUB2 mode when booting, or rename your ISO file with VTGRUB2 suffix (e.g., minios-standard-amd64_VTGRUB2.iso) to force GRUB2 mode automatically.

Drive Requirements

Drive Size

See Hardware Compatibility Guide for detailed system requirements and drive sizes.

Installing Ventoy

Method 1: Standard Installation

  1. Download Ventoy from the official website
  2. Run the Ventoy installer and select your USB drive
  3. Install Ventoy on the drive (all data will be deleted)
  4. Copy the MiniOS ISO file to the root folder of the USB drive

After installation, the drive will be ready to use. MiniOS will automatically create storage for saving changes.

Method 2: Installation with Separate Data Partition (Recommended)

  1. Download Ventoy from the official website
  2. Run the Ventoy installer and select your USB drive
  3. Enable the "Reserve Space" option during installation to create an additional partition
  4. Install Ventoy on the drive
  5. Copy the MiniOS ISO file to the root folder of the USB drive
  6. Create an ext4 partition in the reserved space with the label persistence

This method provides faster data operation and greater control over storage.

Integration with MiniOS

MiniOS includes built-in Ventoy support and automatically detects when running in a Ventoy environment. The system automatically configures change persistence without additional user configuration.

Automatic Change Persistence

MiniOS automatically detects running in a Ventoy environment and configures change persistence:

  • With separate persistence partition: Uses it for direct data storage (native mode, maximum speed)
  • With standard installation: Creates a dynamic file in the main Ventoy partition (dynfilefs mode)

Parameter Configuration (for Advanced Users)

When precise configuration is needed, boot parameters can be used:

For separate persistence partition (all modes available):

  • perchmode=native - Direct saving to partition (fastest)
  • perchmode=dynfilefs - Dynamically expandable file
  • perchmode=raw - Fixed-size file

For standard Ventoy installation (two modes available):

  • perchmode=dynfilefs - Dynamically expandable file (default, saves space)
  • perchmode=raw - Fixed-size file

Common parameters for files:

  • perchsize=8000 - Data storage space size in MB

More details in boot parameters.

Using MiniOS with Ventoy

Booting

After installing Ventoy and copying the MiniOS ISO file to the drive:

  1. Boot from the USB drive - select it in BIOS/UEFI
  2. Select MiniOS from the list of available ISO files in the Ventoy menu
  3. ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Select GRUB2 mode when prompted by Ventoy
  4. Wait for loading - the system will automatically configure for operation

Ventoy Boot Mode Requirements

For MiniOS to work properly:

  • GRUB2 mode - Required for correct MiniOS operation

Alternative Solution:

  • Add suffix VTGRUB2 to the ISO filename (e.g., minios-5.0.0-standard-amd64_VTGRUB2.iso)
  • This forces Ventoy to automatically use GRUB2 mode without prompting