I've written about MultiSystem in 2015 and now in 2018 I meet MultiBootUSB, another free software alternative to make multiple OS bootable USB. Same as MultiSystem, with MultiBootUSB you can burn multiple operating systems in one USB drive. It is smaller, licensed under GNU GPLv2+, the source code is hosted at GitHub and SourceForge. Enjoy!
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1. Install Multibootusb
As long as MultiBootUSB is still not available in Ubuntu repository, we need to install it manually by downloading the deb package file for Ubuntu (see Download Page) and installing it from command line:
Below is an example installing MultiBootUSB version 9.2:
$ ls
python3-multibootusb_9.2.0-1_all.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i python3-multibootusb_9.2.0-1_all.deb
... installed
$ which multibootusb
/usr/bin/multibootusb
2. Plug a USB Drive
Insert a blank USB flash drive and read it on file manager.
3. Burn An ISO
- Run MultiBootUSB.
- Enter your password.
- Select the partition of the USB device. For example /dev/sdb1.
- Select the ISO image file. For example trisquel-8.0-amd64.iso.
- Make sure you're on the 'Multiboot' tab.
- Press Install Image.
- Let MultiBootUSB does the job.
- Once finished, it says "...successfully installed".
 |
| Processing, see the blue progress bar |
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| Successfully burned ISO shows this notification |
4. Burn Another ISO
Repeat step 3 above so at least you will have two operating systems in your bootable USB. Example below showing three OSes namely openSUSE, Trisquel, and Debian in one USB device named SIGNU:
 |
| See left-bottom box: list of OSes within the USB drive |
5. Try It
Reboot and boot into the USB drive. It should gives you options of your multiple operating system. Select the OS by pressing up/down, and boot it by pressing Enter. If your booting failed anyway, then restart, and choose 'boot with GRUB instead', and finally choose the OS.
This article is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.