UNetbootin - The Universal Netboot Installer

Introduction

UNetbootin allows for the installation of various Linux/BSD distributions to a partition or USB drive, so it's no different from a standard install, only it doesn't need a CD. It can create a dual-boot install, or replace the existing OS entirely.

Requirements

• Microsoft Windows 95-Vista, or Linux (with libqt4), or a USB Drive
• A broadband internet connection to download the distribution packages (unless installing from pre-downloaded media, see below)
• Spare hard drive space to install the OS in (varies depending on distribution)

Features

UNetbootin can install to your local hard disk or make a bootable USB drive. It can also load floppy/hard disk images, or kernel/initrds, or (some) ISO (CD image) files, for installing other distributions. The current version has built-in support for the following distributions:

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UNetbootin can also be used to load various system utilities, including:

• Parted Magic, a partition manager that can resize, repair, backup, and restore partitions
• Super Grub Disk, a boot utility that can restore and repair overwritten and misconfigured GRUB installs or directly boot various operating systems. (UNetbootin-Legacy only)
• Gujin, a graphical bootloader that can also be used to boot various operating systems and media. (UNetbootin-Legacy only)
• Smart Boot Manager (SBM), which can boot off CD-ROM and floppy drives on computers with a faulty BIOS. (UNetbootin-Legacy only)
• Offline NT Registry and Password Editor, which can reset forgotten Windows passwords (UNetbootin-Legacy only)
• FreeDOS, which can run BIOS flash and other legacy DOS utilities. (UNetbootin-Legacy only)

Installation & Screenshots

Before installing, remember to back up all your data, in case you do something wrong in the partitioning stage of the installer.

1. If using Windows, run the file, select a distribution, floppy/hard disk image, or kernel/initrd to load, select a target drive (HDD/USB), then reboot once done.
   
   
   
2. If using Linux, install dependencies (libqt4), make the file executable (using either the command chmod +x ./unetbootin-linux, or going to Properties->Permissions and checking "Execute"), then start the application with admin priviledges (using sudo ./unetbootin-linux or su -c ./unetbootin-linux), and select a distribution and install target (Hard Disk or USB Drive), then reboot when prompted.
   
3. After rebooting, select the UNetbootin entry from the menu list as the system boots up. If using Windows, this should appear:
   
   
   
4. If using Linux, select the UNetbootin entry in the GRUB menu, as shown below:
   
   
   
5. Then, follow the installation instructions provided for specific distributions further below, and wait as the packages are downloaded and installed. This portion of the installation can take up to several hours, depending on your connection speed and the amount of packages you install, so be patient.
6. Reboot, and select your newly installed GNU/Linux system to run.

Removal Instructions

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.

Installing Other Distributions Using UNetbootin

Download and run UNetbootin, then supply it with the appropriate floppy/hard disk image, ISO (CD image) file, or kernel and initrd files when prompted (see screenshot). Check your distribution's FTP mirrors to find these files. If special booting options and parameters are required for the kernel, and you're using Manual mode, 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.

FAQs

How does UNetbootin work, and what does it do?

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, grub on Linux, or syslinux when installing to a USB drive), 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; just make sure you obtain UNetbootin from the official downloads page on sourceforge 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 Qt4 toolkit. Source code is available at the launchpad page. Alternatively, the latest source zip package can also be used. The Linux version is compiled using g++, qmake, and libqt4-dev, while the Windows version is cross-compiled using mingw32 and a statically linked version of qt4 (to eliminate external DLL dependencies). Executables are compressed using UPX to reduce file size.

I'd like to see my distribution supported by UNetbootin. What do I do?

Create either:

• A kernel and initrd file, or
• A floppy or hard disk image file

Which can perform an installation of your distribution, preferably with an FTP-install option. Then, file a bug report 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.

Where can I report bugs, request new features, get help, etc?

If you encounter errors with UNetbootin itself, post a question at the UNetbootin Thread on Ubuntuforums, or file a bug report. However, if it's a distribution or hardware-specific issue, file a bug report against the distribution itself.

License and Credits

UNetbootin was created and written by Geza Kovacs (tuxcantfly), contact info. UNetbootin is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) Version 2 or above. Site materials can be used, copied, modified, and redistributed freely.