分类： LINUX
2009-12-05 20:39:13
UNetbootin allows you to create bootable Live USB drives for a variety of Linux distributions from Windows or Linux, without requiring you to burn a CD. You can either let it download one of the many for you, or if you've already downloaded one or your preferred distribution isn't on the list.
UNetbootin can create a bootable Live USB drive, or it can make a
"frugal install" on your local hard disk if you don't have a USB drive.
It can load distributions by automatically downloading their ISO (CD
image) files, or by using existing ISO files, floppy/hard disk images,
or kernel/initrd files, for .
The current version has built-in support for automatically downloading and loading the following distributions, though is also supported:
UNetbootin can also be used to load various system utilities, including:
» See .
» See .
» See List of Custom UNetbootin Versions and Plugins.
» See .
chmod +x ./unetbootin-linux,
or going to Properties->Permissions and checking "Execute"), then
start the application, you will be prompted for your password to grant
the application administrative rights, then the main dialog will
appear, where you select a distribution and install target (USB Drive
or Hard Disk), then reboot when prompted.
» See .
If using Windows, UNetbootin should prompt you to remove it the next time you boot into Windows. Alternatively, you can remove it via Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.
If using Linux, re-run the UNetbootin executable (with root priveledges), and press OK when prompted to uninstall.
Removal is only required if you used the "Hard Drive" installation mode; to remove the bootloader from a USB drive, back up its contents and reformat it.
Uninstalling UNetbootin simply removes the UNetbootin entry from your boot menu; if you installed an operating system to a partition using UNetbootin, removing UNetbootin will not remove the OS.
To manually remove a Linux installation, you will have to restore the Windows bootloader using "fixmbr" from a recovery CD, and use Parted Magic to delete the Linux partition and expand the Windows partition.
Download and run UNetbootin, then supply it with the appropriate ISO (CD image) file, floppy/hard disk image, or kernel and initrd files when prompted (see screenshot). Check your distribution's download page to find the appropriate file; if in doubt use the ISO file.
If you're loading an ISO file or floppy/hard disk image, that's all that's required (just press "OK" to start installing); otherwise if you're manually specifying kernel and initrd files and you'd like to specify special booting options, check the distribution's boot configuration files (usually after the "kernel" line in either isolinux.cfg, syslinux.cfg, menu.lst, or grub.conf) and supply them on the "Option" line.
The following translations are built into the latest release:
If a translation is included that matches your , UNetbootin will automatically start with your native language. Alternatively, the language can be manually specified on the command-line arguments or in the run options as "lang=xy" (no quotes), where xy is the 2-letter for your language. For example, use "lang=es" to run with the Español (Spanish) locale. To use an (only necessary if the translation hasn't yet been included in the latest release), place the .qm file (unetbootin_es.qm) into the same directory as the UNetbotin executable prior to running the application.
If you'd like to contribute a translation, either use , or download the and find the .ts file for your language. These .ts files can be using , which can be downloaded from or, for Ubuntu users, is available as part of the qt4-dev-tools package. Once you have finished a translation, export it to a .qm file in Qt Linguist using "File -> Release As", the .ts and .qm files to the wiki and place a link on the , or email the .ts file to me (see contact info below).
» See .
How does UNetbootin work, and what does it do?
For the Live USB creation mode, UNetbootin downloads and extracts an ISO file to your USB drive, generates an appropriate syslinux config file, and makes your USB drive bootable using syslinux.
For the Hard Disk / "frugal install" mode, UNetbootin uses a Windows or Linux-based installer to install a small modification to the bootloader (bootmgr and bcdedit on Vista, grldr and boot.ini for NT-based systems, grub.exe and config.sys for Win9x, or GRUB on Linux, uses the bootloader to boot the desired distribution's installer or to load the system utility, no CD required. After the distribution has been installed, or once done using the system utility, the modification to the bootloader is then undone.
Does it have any spyware, viruses, trojans, or other malware?
No; though some anti-virus products (Kaspersky) raise "Trojan.generic"
warnings due to the auto-uninstall feature, these are false positives.
Just make sure you obtain UNetbootin from the on not some shady third-party source. If you're absolutely paranoid, you can check the source code and compile it yourself.
What is it written in, where's the source code, and how can I compile it?
UNetbootin is written in C++, using the . Source code is available from the , or from the on , or the on . The Linux version is compiled using g++, while the Windows version is cross-compiled using mingw32. Both use a statically linked version of qt4 (to eliminate external library dependencies). Executables are compressed using to reduce file size.
» See .
How can I get my distribution supported by UNetbootin?
Create either:
Which can perform an installation of your distribution, either in Live mode, or via an FTP-install option. Then, and provide a link to the kernel/initrd, or disk image file(s), and your support for your distribution will be added in the next release of UNetbootin.
» See .
How can I create specialized, rebranded, distro-specific releases?
UNetbootin can easily be rebranded and adapted to a specific distribution using either a , or a series of statements, as seen in the file within the . If you are attempting to build a distro-specific version and need additional instructions and details, would like to have your patches merged upstream, or would like to have your custom version added to this list, please .
» See .
» See .
» See .
» See Building a Custom UNetbootin Version.
» See List of Custom UNetbootin Versions and Plugins.
How can I automate the use of UNetbootin from a script?
» See .
Where can I report bugs, request new features, get help, etc?
If you encounter errors with UNetbootin itself, post a question on the . Threads are also available in the Ubuntu Forums (the or depending on your install mode). If you are certain you've found a bug, . However, if it's a distribution or hardware-specific issue, file a bug report against the distribution itself.
UNetbootin was created and written by (), . Translators are listed on the . UNetbootin is licensed under the or . Site materials can be used, copied, modified, and redistributed freely.