How To Install Ventoy on Debian 12

Creating a multiboot USB drive is essential for anyone who frequently installs or tests different operating systems. Ventoy is a powerful open-source tool that simplifies this process by allowing users to store multiple ISO files on a single USB drive without the need to reformat it each time. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to install Ventoy on Debian 12, enabling you to easily boot and manage multiple operating systems from one USB stick.

What is Ventoy?

Ventoy is an open-source utility designed for creating multiboot USB drives. Unlike traditional methods that require burning an ISO file to a USB stick and reformatting it for each new OS, Ventoy allows you to simply copy ISO files to the USB drive and boot from them directly. It supports various file formats such as ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), and EFI files.

Key Features of Ventoy:

• Support for multiple ISO files on a single USB drive.
• No need to reformat the USB drive when adding new ISOs.
• Supports both UEFI and Legacy BIOS modes.
• Secure Boot support (optional).
• Compatible with most Linux distributions and Windows ISOs.

With these features, Ventoy makes it easy to manage multiple operating systems on one bootable USB drive without complicated setup processes.

Prerequisites for Installing Ventoy on Debian 12

Before you begin installing Ventoy on your Debian 12 system, make sure you meet the following requirements:

System Requirements:

• A USB drive with at least 8GB of storage (all data will be erased during installation).
• A working installation of Debian 12 with internet access.

Software Requirements:

• wget, or any web browser to download the necessary files.
• sudo privileges to run installation commands.

Important: Backup any important data from your USB drive before proceeding, as the installation process will format the drive.

Step-by-Step Guide to Install Ventoy on Debian 12

This section provides detailed instructions for installing Ventoy on your Debian 12 system. Follow each step carefully to ensure a successful installation.

1. Downloading the Latest Version of Ventoy

The first step is to download the latest version of Ventoy from its official website or GitHub repository. You can do this using either a web browser or terminal commands.

Using Terminal Commands:

If you prefer using the terminal, run the following command to download the latest version of Ventoy:

wget https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases/download/v1.x.xx/ventoy-x.x.xx-linux.tar.gz

This command will download a compressed tarball containing the necessary files for installing Ventoy on Linux.

Using a Web Browser:

If you’re more comfortable using a web browser, visit the official Ventoy website. Navigate to the “Downloads” section and select the Linux version (ventoy-x.x.xx-linux.tar.gz) from there.

2. Extracting the Ventoy Tarball

Once you’ve downloaded the tarball, you’ll need to extract it using the following command:

tar xzf ventoy-x.x.xx-linux.tar.gz

This will create a directory containing all of the necessary files. Use the following command to navigate into this directory:

cd ventoy-x.x.xx/

3. Identifying Your USB Drive

The next step is to identify which device corresponds to your USB drive. You can do this by running either of these commands:

lsblk

This command lists all block devices attached to your system. Look for your USB drive in the list and note its device path (e.g., /dev/sdX). Be careful not to confuse it with your internal hard drives.

4. Installing Ventoy on Your USB Drive

You are now ready to install Ventoy onto your USB drive. Run the following command, replacing /dev/sdX with your actual USB device path:

sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdX

Caution: This command will erase all data on your USB drive, so ensure you’ve selected the correct device before proceeding.

If you’re using secure boot and want Ventoy to support it, add the secure boot flag like this:

sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdX -s

The installation process will take a few moments. Once it’s complete, you should see a confirmation message indicating that Ventoy has been successfully installed on your USB drive.

Adding ISO Files to Your Ventoy USB Drive

The beauty of using Ventoy is that you can easily add multiple ISO files without having to reformat your USB drive each time. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Mounting Your USB Drive

If your system doesn’t automatically mount your USB drive after installation, you can manually mount it with this command:

sudo mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/ventoy

This mounts the first partition (usually labeled as sdX1) of your USB drive at /mnt/ventoy.

2. Copying ISO Files

You can now copy any ISO files directly onto your mounted partition using either a file manager or terminal commands like this one:

cp ~/Downloads/ubuntu.iso /mnt/ventoy/

You can add as many ISOs as your USB storage allows. Once copied, simply unmount the partition using:

sudo umount /mnt/ventoy

Booting from Your Ventoy USB Drive

The next step is booting from your newly created multiboot USB stick. Follow these steps:

1. Accessing BIOS/UEFI Boot Menu

You’ll need to enter your computer’s BIOS or UEFI settings during startup by pressing keys like F12, Esc, or Del (depending on your system). Consult your motherboard’s manual if unsure which key opens the boot menu.

2. Selecting Your USB Drive as Boot Device

Select your USB drive from the list of bootable devices in BIOS/UEFI settings and set it as the primary boot device if needed. Save changes and exit BIOS; your system should now boot into Ventoy’s menu where you can select which ISO file you want to load.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any issues during installation or while trying to boot from an ISO file using Ventoy, here are some common problems and their solutions:

ISO Not Detected by Ventoy

• Description: Your ISO file doesn’t appear in Ventoy’s menu after copying it onto the USB drive.
• Solution: The ISO file may be corrupted or incomplete. Verify its integrity by checking its checksum against what’s provided by its source website.

Error While Booting with Secure Boot Enabled

• Description: Your system fails when trying to boot an ISO file with Secure Boot enabled in BIOS settings.
• Solution: You may need either disable Secure Boot in BIOS or use WIMBOOT mode in Ventoy by pressing Ctrl + w while selecting an ISO file in its menu for Windows ISOs.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Ventoy. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Ventoy bootable USB drive on the Debian 12 “Bookworm” system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the Ventoy website.