Creating a multiboot USB stick with MultiBootUSB and MultiSystem

Erased

Both MultiBootUSB and MultiSystem recognize the USB sticks you created. (If they don't, see the "Fly the Flag!" box.). To delete or replace a distribution later, simply plug the stick back into your computer, start the appropriate tool and then make the desired changes.

Fly the Flag!

If your USB stick fails to launch, it could be that the partition has not been marked as bootable. You can check this with GParted, which the MultiSystem Live CD includes.

After starting GParted (in MultiSystem, use the hard disk icon on the left in the starter), open the drop-down list on the far right in the toolbar and select the stick. In the list below, you will see now a partition.

If you do not see boot in the Flags column on the right, then right click the entry, select Manage Flags in the context menu, check boot, and close the window. Now the USB stick should be able to boot.

Conclusions

MultiBootUSB can be extremely easy to use, but the beta version has some problems: For example, the tool did not even start on openSUSE. MultiSystem is cumbersome in operation but impresses with some useful functions. If you just want to create a USB stick quickly, your best bet is MultiBootUSB. In contrast, MultiSystem is recommended for those who frequently need to build customized multiboot-capable USB sticks.

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