Rufus- is it a loader?

[markba633csi]

Or does "Loader" mean bootloader like pLoP or Grub?
Mark S
Mt. View, Ca

[thinkpadcollection]

rufus USB writer program. It is now available to do standard write or DD mode write.
This is excellent program through; and regular new version updates comes out.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

[markba633csi]

So what is meant by loader? Can you give an example?
MS

[Cigarguy]

Loader is a pretty generic term. I've always used Rufus as a tool to create a USB boot drive. The description of what it does is pretty clear, IMO, on Rufus' webpage.

https://rufus.akeo.ie/

[jdrou]

One common use of the word "loader" seems to be software to activate Windows 7 without a license. I suspect it tricks the OS into thinking you have a SLIC 2.1 BIOS. That has nothing to do with Rufus really.

As others have said, Rufus is a tool to create bootable USB flash drives, often as a means for installing an OS without an optical drive. You might have seen a discussion of installing Windows from USB formatted by Rufus and also using a loader to activate Windows.

[thinkpadcollection]

No. I did not like to say "loader"; the rufus is a usb writer program that writes most types of images to a usb stick in preparation of installation of any OSes via usb stick. Then said usb stick is then used to install OS onto computer after usb stick is booted up via F12 during POST screen. Key is provided by user during OS install not the usb writer.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

[jaspen-meyer]

I use Rufus for flashing bios onto machines without a CD drive and also for thinkpads which don't have an available bootable ISO image available. I run Rufus from windows - someone ought to port it to linux.

[RealBlackStuff]

Rufus can make USB-drives from Linux ISOs

(2) Non exhaustive list of ISOs Rufus is known to work with
Arch Linux , Archbang , BartPE/pebuilder , CentOS , D amn Small Linux , Debian , Fedora , FreeDOS ,
FreeNAS , Gentoo , GParted , gNewSense , Hiren's Boot CD , LiveXP , Knoppix , KolibriOS , Kubuntu ,
Linux Mint , NT Password Registry Editor , Parted Magic , Partition Wizard , Raspbian ,
ReactOS , Red Hat , rEFInd , Slackware , Super Grub2 Disk , Tails , Trinity Rescue Kit , Ubuntu ,
Ultimate Boot CD , Windows XP (SP2+) , Windows Vista , Windows Server 2008 , Windows 7 ,
Windows 8 , Windows 8.1 , Windows Server 2012 , Windows 10 , Windows Server 2016 , …

[rumbero]

I run Rufus from windows - someone ought to port it to linux.

If i remember correctly, rufus is basically just a very well done tool to enable on Windows features already available with Linux since ever. There is an FAQ entry more or less explaining this: github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ#Do_you_plan_to_port_Rufus_to_LinuxOS_XSome_other_OS

For example, to create a bootable USB stick from any isohybrid ISO image in Linux one typically uses the dd command on the shell prompt:

Code: Select all

# dd if=/path/to/bootable.iso of=/dev/sdb

This might not appear to be a very user friendly approach for casual Linux users depending on point'n'click user interfaces, trying to avoid the shell prompt at all cost. But it can be safely considered a very admin friendly approach as it doesn't even require any kind of GUI.

[jaspen-meyer]

Code: Select all

# dd if=/path/to/bootable.iso of=/dev/sdb

Yeah, it took me years before I realized 'if' was Input File and 'of' was Output File.

Ok, so maybe it's just using dd and putting freedos on the usb stick
FreeDos doesn't have a live CD iso. dd doesn't work with the standard freeDos iso (at least it didn't work when I just tried it).

This project shows how to dd freedos to a usb
http://www.chtaube.eu/computers/freedos ... ion-howto/

or they have a prebuilt file:
http://www.chtaube.eu/computers/freedos/bootable-usb/

Regardless, I won't need Rufus anymore! Thanks.