If you manage Linux servers or provision machines in a lab, you already know the pain of reflashing a USB drive every time you need a different ISO. You grab Rufus or Etcher, wait through the write process, boot once, and then do it all over again for the next OS. That workflow is inefficient, and it kills your USB drive faster than it should.
Ventoy solves this completely. It is an open-source tool that turns a regular USB drive into a permanent multi-boot launcher. You install Ventoy once on the drive, and from that point forward, you just copy ISO files onto it like you would copy any regular file. At boot time, Ventoy scans the drive and shows you a menu of every ISO it finds. No reflashing, no formatting, no fuss.
This guide walks you through exactly how to install Ventoy on AlmaLinux 10, the enterprise-grade Linux distribution released in May 2025 as a fully compatible alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. You will cover everything from downloading and verifying the package to choosing between the CLI method and the browser-based WebUI, handling Secure Boot, copying your ISOs, and fixing the most common errors people run into. By the end, you will have a working Ventoy USB drive set up directly from your AlmaLinux 10 terminal.
AlmaLinux 10, codenamed Purple Lion, ships with kernel 6.12, strengthened SELinux policies, post-quantum cryptography support, and Secure Boot compatibility for both Intel/AMD and ARM platforms. These security features are worth mentioning upfront because they affect how Ventoy behaves on this specific distribution, especially around Secure Boot and block device access.
The current version of Ventoy as of this writing is 1.1.12, released April 23, 2026. It includes bug fixes for Ubuntu 24.04.4 install failures, Oracle Linux 6.9 boot issues, and UEFI display problems when booting Windows. Using the latest version is always recommended before you start.
Prerequisites Before You Install Ventoy on AlmaLinux 10
Before you open a terminal, make sure you have the following in place. Skipping this section is how people end up wiping the wrong disk.
System requirements:
- AlmaLinux 10 installed (desktop or minimal server install both work)
- Root or
sudoaccess to the machine - A USB drive with at least 8 GB capacity (16 GB or more recommended for multiple ISOs)
- Internet access to download the Ventoy tarball
wgetinstalled (included by default on AlmaLinux 10)
Software you will use:
lsblkandfdiskfor identifying the USB devicesha256sumfor verifying the downloadVentoy2Disk.shfor CLI installationVentoyWeb.shfor the optional GUI method
One rule to commit to memory: Ventoy writes directly to a block device. If you run the install command against /dev/sda instead of /dev/sdb, you will destroy your system disk. There is no confirmation dialog that saves you. This guide covers exactly how to identify the correct device before touching anything.
Step 1: Update AlmaLinux 10 Before Starting
Always update your system before installing any new tool that interacts with hardware. This is not optional ceremony.
sudo dnf update -yWhy this matters: Ventoy’s installer script links against shared libraries like glibc. On a freshly deployed AlmaLinux 10 system, these libraries may be several patch versions behind. Running the install on an outdated system can produce cryptic errors that look like Ventoy bugs but are actually package version conflicts.
The -y flag auto-confirms all update prompts so the process runs without interruption. On a minimal AlmaLinux 10 install, this update might take a few minutes depending on your connection speed.
After the update completes, reboot if a new kernel was installed:
sudo rebootStep 2: Identify Your USB Drive Device Name
This is the most critical step in the entire process. Get it right.
Using lsblk to Find the USB Device
Plug in your USB drive, then run:
lsblk -d -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,MODELExpected output:
NAME SIZE TYPE MODEL
sda 500G disk Samsung SSD 870
sdb 32G disk SanDisk UltraIn this example, sdb is the USB drive. Your device name will likely be sdb, sdc, or similar depending on how many storage devices are attached to your machine.
Why this step matters: Ventoy2Disk.sh takes a device path as its argument. There is no undo operation after it runs. Professional sysadmins run lsblk before and after plugging in the USB drive to visually confirm which device name appeared. The difference between sda and sdb in a command is the difference between a successful setup and a destroyed system disk.
Double-Check with fdisk
sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdbLook at the disk size and model in the output to confirm it matches your USB drive before proceeding.
Step 3: Download and Verify Ventoy on AlmaLinux 10
Download the Latest Ventoy Release
Navigate to /tmp first. This keeps the download out of your home directory and signals to other admins that this is transient tooling.
cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases/download/v1.1.12/ventoy-1.1.12-linux.tar.gzWhy download to /tmp: The /tmp directory is cleared on reboot. Since you only need the Ventoy installer once per USB drive setup, storing it here avoids cluttering your home or root directory with install artifacts.
If wget is not available, use curl:
curl -LO https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases/download/v1.1.12/ventoy-1.1.12-linux.tar.gzVerify the SHA-256 Checksum
sha256sum ventoy-1.1.12-linux.tar.gzCompare the output hash against the checksum published on the official Ventoy GitHub releases page at https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases.
Why verify checksums: Ventoy2Disk.sh runs as root and writes directly to block devices. If you execute a tampered or corrupted binary at that privilege level, the consequences range from a bricked USB drive to overwritten partition tables. Checksum verification takes ten seconds and eliminates that entire risk category. In enterprise environments, skipping this step is a security policy violation.
Extract the Archive
tar -xzvf ventoy-1.1.12-linux.tar.gz
cd ventoy-1.1.12The flags mean: -x extract, -z decompress with gzip, -v verbose output (so you can see every file extracted), -f specifies the archive filename. Verbose output is useful here because it lets you confirm the key files (Ventoy2Disk.sh, VentoyWeb.sh) are present before you run anything.
Step 4: Install Ventoy via CLI on AlmaLinux 10 (Ventoy2Disk.sh Method)
This is the primary method and the one most sysadmins will use on server installations or headless systems.
Understanding the Key Flags Before Running the Command
Before you copy any command from this guide, understand what you are running. Here are the most important Ventoy2Disk.sh flags:
| Flag | What It Does | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
-i |
Install (safe, fails if already installed) | First install on a clean drive |
-I |
Force install (overwrites existing) | Reinstalling from scratch |
-u |
Update Ventoy version, preserves ISOs | When a new Ventoy version is released |
-l |
List Ventoy info on a device | Inspect without modifying |
-s |
Enable Secure Boot support | UEFI systems with Secure Boot on |
-g |
Use GPT partition table instead of MBR | Modern UEFI systems, drives over 2 TB |
Why this flag education matters: The -i flag is your safe first-install option. It fails with an error if Ventoy is already on the drive, which prevents accidental overwrites. The -I flag does not ask questions and will wipe whatever is on the target device. Know the difference before your fingers touch the keyboard.
Standard Install for Most Systems
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdbVentoy will ask you to confirm twice. Type y and press Enter for each prompt.
Expected output:
**********************************************
Ventoy: 1.1.12 x86_64
longpanda admin@ventoy.net
https://www.ventoy.net
**********************************************
Disk : /dev/sdb
Model: SanDisk Ultra (scsi)
Size : 32 GB
Style: MBR
Attention:
You will install Ventoy to /dev/sdb.
All the data on the disk /dev/sdb will be lost!!!
Continue? (y/n) y
All the data on the disk /dev/sdb will be lost!!!
Double-check. Continue? (y/n) y
Create partition on /dev/sdb by parted in MBR style ...
Done
Wait for partition ...
partition exist OK
format partition 1 ...
Ventoy2Disk OK, enjoy it !Why two confirmation prompts: The Ventoy developers deliberately built in a double confirmation because the operation is destructive and irreversible. Those prompts exist to catch the muscle memory of people who type y reflexively without reading.
Install with GPT for Modern UEFI Systems
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -g /dev/sdbWhy choose GPT: AlmaLinux 10 systems with UEFI firmware (which covers virtually all hardware made after 2012) benefit from GPT partition tables. MBR has a hard limit of four primary partitions and cannot address disks larger than 2 TB. GPT removes both restrictions and is the correct choice for modern hardware.
Install with Secure Boot Support
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -s /dev/sdbWhy the -s flag matters on AlmaLinux 10: AlmaLinux 10 supports Secure Boot using a shim bootloader that is officially signed by Microsoft. If your target machines have Secure Boot enabled in UEFI settings, any unsigned bootloader gets blocked at firmware level. The -s flag installs Ventoy’s MOK (Machine Owner Key) certificate alongside the bootloader. On first boot from the Ventoy USB, the firmware will prompt you to enroll this certificate with a one-time password. You only do this once per machine.
To check whether Secure Boot is active on your AlmaLinux 10 machine:
mokutil --sb-stateIf the output says SecureBoot enabled, use the -s flag when installing Ventoy.
Step 5: Install Ventoy via WebUI (Browser-Based Method)
The WebUI method suits users who prefer a visual interface or want to reduce the risk of targeting the wrong device manually. This is also useful when accessing a machine over SSH with port forwarding.
Launch the VentoyWeb Server
cd /tmp/ventoy-1.1.12
sudo sh VentoyWeb.shThe script starts a local web server on port 24680. Open a browser on the same machine and go to:
http://127.0.0.1:24680WebUI steps:
- The interface auto-detects all connected storage devices
- Select your USB drive from the device dropdown
- Choose your partition style: MBR or GPT
- Toggle Secure Boot support if needed
- Click Install and confirm
Why the WebUI reduces risk: The visual device selector shows disk size, model, and existing partition information in the same screen where you click Install. It is significantly harder to accidentally target the wrong device compared to a CLI command where the device path is a positional argument.
Stop the WebUI After Installation
sudo pkill -f VentoyWeb.shWhy you must stop it: VentoyWeb.sh runs as root and exposes an HTTP service on your local machine. Leaving a root-level web service running unnecessarily is bad security practice. Kill it as soon as you finish the installation. In a production or shared environment, this is not optional hygiene.
Step 6: Verify the Installation and Copy ISO Files
Confirm the Partition Structure
lsblk /dev/sdbExpected output:
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sdb 8:16 1 28.9G 0 disk
├─sdb1 8:17 1 32M 0 part
└─sdb2 8:18 1 28.8G 0 partYou should see two partitions. sdb1 is the small Ventoy boot partition (around 32 MB). sdb2 is the large data partition where your ISOs go.
Why verify the structure: A partially completed install creates sdb1 but not sdb2, or leaves the data partition unformatted. Checking the partition layout before copying ISOs catches this early.
Check the Installed Ventoy Version
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -l /dev/sdbThis queries the Ventoy metadata stored in the boot partition and reports the version, partition style, and Secure Boot status without modifying anything.
Mount the Data Partition and Copy ISOs
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/ventoy
sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/ventoyNow copy your ISO files:
sudo cp /path/to/AlmaLinux-10.1-x86_64-dvd.iso /mnt/ventoy/
sudo cp /path/to/ubuntu-24.04.2-desktop-amd64.iso /mnt/ventoy/Why you can copy multiple ISOs: This is Ventoy’s core design. At boot time, Ventoy scans the entire data partition recursively and presents every supported image file in a menu. You are not limited to one ISO or one OS family. Enterprise sysadmins commonly store AlmaLinux, Ubuntu Server, Windows Server, and a live rescue environment on the same drive.
Pro tip: Organize ISOs into subdirectories for cleaner menus:
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/ventoy/Linux /mnt/ventoy/Windows /mnt/ventoy/RescueVentoy displays the directory structure in its boot menu.
Safely Unmount the Drive
sudo umount /mnt/ventoy
syncWhy sync before removing the drive: The sync command forces the Linux kernel to flush all pending write buffers to disk. The kernel caches writes in memory for performance, which means your ISOs might not be fully written to the USB drive at the moment you call umount. Running sync ensures every byte hits the physical drive before you unplug it. Skipping this step on a large ISO copy can result in a partially written file and a USB drive that fails to boot.
Step 7: Update Ventoy When New Versions Release
When Ventoy releases a new version (like the 1.1.12 release that fixed Ubuntu 24.04.4 install failures), you do not need to start over. Download the new tarball, extract it, and run:
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -u /dev/sdbWhy -u instead of -I: The update flag rewrites only the Ventoy boot partition (sdb1). Your entire ISO collection on the data partition (sdb2) stays completely intact. If you accidentally use -I (force install), you wipe both partitions and lose all your ISOs. Keep this distinction in your notes.
Troubleshooting: Common Errors When You Install Ventoy on AlmaLinux 10
Error: “Permission denied” When Running Ventoy2Disk.sh
Cause: You ran the script without sudo.
Fix:
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdbAlways prefix with sudo. Ventoy2Disk.sh needs root access because it writes to block devices.
Error: USB Drive Not Detected by lsblk
Cause: The kernel did not register the device, or the drive has a hardware issue.
Fix: Unplug the USB drive, wait five seconds, and plug it back in. Then check kernel messages:
dmesg | tail -20Look for lines mentioning usb and sd. If no storage device appears in dmesg output, the drive itself may be faulty.
Error: Ventoy ISO Does Not Appear in Boot Menu
Cause: The ISO was copied to sdb1 (the boot partition) instead of sdb2 (the data partition), or the filename contains unsupported characters.
Fix: Confirm the ISO is on the correct partition:
ls /mnt/ventoy/If the directory is empty or missing your ISO, remount sdb2 specifically and copy again. Avoid spaces and special characters in ISO filenames.
Error: Secure Boot Blocks Ventoy at Boot
Cause: Ventoy was installed without the -s flag on a machine with Secure Boot enabled.
Fix: Reinstall Ventoy with Secure Boot support:
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -I -s /dev/sdbNote the capital -I here since you are overwriting the existing install. On first boot, follow the firmware’s MOK enrollment prompt to register Ventoy’s certificate.
Error: SELinux AVC Denied on AlmaLinux 10
Cause: AlmaLinux 10 ships with SELinux in enforcing mode. Its default policies can block scripts that access block devices directly.
Diagnosis:
sudo ausearch -m avc -ts recentFix: Do not disable SELinux to solve this. Instead, identify the specific denial from ausearch output and apply a targeted SELinux policy adjustment using semanage or audit2allow. Disabling SELinux across the board to fix a Ventoy issue is a disproportionate security trade-off and violates enterprise hardening baselines.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Ventoy. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Ventoy bootable USB drive on the AlmaLinux OS 10 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the Ventoy website.
