How to open and extract an ISO image disc?


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Thread: How to open and extract an ISO image disc?

  1. #1
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    How to open and extract an ISO image disc?

    I am currently using ubuntu 8.04, and I would like to install xp too.

    I got no internal cd or dvd drive so thats why am asking.

    I got the xp disc, and I see the iso file, I just dont know how to open it to install it.
    (I transfered the disc into my usb)

    Can you help me?

    Thanks.

  2. #2
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    The application you want may be isomaster. I'm not familiar with what you're trying to do, though, so I may be wrong.

  3. #3
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    To extract the contents of the iso file, you'll need to mount it as a loopback device. This is where your system treats a single file as though it were a whole hard disk or CD-ROM. To start make a folder to mount the ISO file, something like:
    Code:
    mkdir ~/foo/
    Then mount the ISO using the "-o loop" option (as root).
    Code:
    sudo mount -o loop -t iso9660 foo.iso ~/foo/
    After that is done, you can interact with the ISO as though it were a physical CD-ROM. To extract the contents, copy the files to another folder, using either the cp command or the Nautilus file manager. After you're done, don't forget to unmount the ISO!
    Code:
    sudo umount ~/foo/
    You can also get rid of the folder you created earlier.
    Code:
    rmdir ~/foo/
    Registered Linux User No. 321,742

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  4. #4
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    This is what I want to do. Install windows xp under ubuntu.
    I got the windows xp iso on my comp, so i want to extract it to install it. (not sure it thats possible, you tell me)

  5. #5
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    When i write : sudo mount -o loop -t iso9660 foo.iso ~/foo/
    it asks me for sudo password, is that the password of the usermane?
    and it does not let write digits, so i have to press enter and then write it.
    But then it tells me the password is wrong.......... -.-
    i dont get this....

  6. #6
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    First thing: yes, the password for sudo is the same as your user password.
    Second thing: no, you will not see the password as you typing it. This prevents people from looking over you shoulder and stealing your password. Just type your password and press Enter without worrying about what you see on the screen.

    Third thing: Sorry. I didn't realize you were trying to install Windows XP. The instructions I gave you you will only copy the files off the CD, not install Windows. One way to do that is outlined in this guide:
    http://www.vandomburg.net/installing...s-xp-from-usb/

    It's usually easiest to install Windows first and Ubuntu second. This is because Windows setup overwrites Ubuntu's bootloader with its own. However, there is a guide for restoring Ubuntu's boot loader after you're done installing Windows here:
    http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubunt...-wipes-it-out/
    Registered Linux User No. 321,742

    "At Harvard they have this policy where if you pass too many classes they ask you to leave."
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  7. #7
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    You could probably use gparted to create a partition for windows, then use the following methods to install windows from an iso stored on a usb:

    http://www.ngine.de/index.jsp?pageid=4176

    http://www.vandomburg.net/installing...s-xp-from-usb/

    http://www.torrentreactor.net/torren...ows-XP-usb-iso

    http://forums.prophecy.co.za/f76/ins...e-guide-21052/

    http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=18413

    Also, you could install a virtual machine in linux and then use it to install windows (says this one is available in the ubuntu repositories) (discusses using usb):

    http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/02...nd-virtualbox/

    The above link says that VMware server is free and handles usb
    Last edited by ehawk; 06-06-2008 at 12:49 AM.

  8. #8
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    yeah, its okay if ubuntu gets deleted.

    Actually if it gets deleted its better, I was hoping ubuntu would work great on my laptop, but it din't because its a tablet pc and all of the drivers dont work.

    So all i really wanna do is install that windows xp right now. and get rid if ubuntu.

    guys i dont think I can boot from a usb, thats why am asking how to mount the image within ubuntu
    Last edited by Ric0h; 06-06-2008 at 01:28 AM.

  9. #9
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    Or use VMWare which can point to your ISO image as its "cdrom" for the install...

  10. #10
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    ph34r's suggestion is good one as VMware can read an iso image and do the installation directly. The weakness of it is you need a host to run VMware and Ubuntu can't be it as you are deleting it.

    AFAIK Ubuntu cannot boot up the setup.exe from the XP installer. Technically I believe you need to do the following

    (1) Expand XP installation on a loop back device so that the iso file is expanded to allow you to access the internal content. Ubuntu can perform this task in desktop because it mounts it automatically for you in the CDrom.

    (2) Copy the content of the XP CD into a fat32 partition in the hard disk. This because you need a Dos operating system to run the XP's winnt.exe program to start the setup.

    (3) Boot up the PC with a Dos system from either a floppy, a USB drive or a CD. There are free Dos boot disks available for download. Freedos is also available in CD.

    (4) Fire up the \i386\winnt from a Dos command prompt in the fat partition which the Dos operating system can recognised. Proceed normally with the XP installation with the necessary files obtainable from the fat partition.

    I have not tried it myself with a full XP installation but the procedure has been reported a few times in the Internet and is technically sound.
    Last edited by saikee; 06-07-2008 at 08:35 AM.
    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
    Using a Linux live CD to clone XP
    To install Linux and keep Windows MBR untouched
    Adding extra Linux & Doing it in a lazy way
    A Grub menu booting 100+ systems & A "Howto" to install and boot 145 systems
    Just cloning tips Just booting tips A collection of booting tips

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

  11. #11
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    I cannot boot from usb

  12. #12
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    You can put Freedos on a CD. The iso image is a free download.

    Remember you need to run setup.exe from the content of the XP CD and it is a executable code compiled for Dos command prompt. I could not see how you could run this program and let it take the full control of the PC while in Ubuntu. May be Wine could do it but I doubt that.
    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
    Using a Linux live CD to clone XP
    To install Linux and keep Windows MBR untouched
    Adding extra Linux & Doing it in a lazy way
    A Grub menu booting 100+ systems & A "Howto" to install and boot 145 systems
    Just cloning tips Just booting tips A collection of booting tips

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ric0h
    I cannot boot from usb
    Okay, so you can't boot from USB, and your computer doesn't have a CD-ROM drive. How exactly did you get Ubuntu on this computer to begin with?
    Registered Linux User No. 321,742

    "At Harvard they have this policy where if you pass too many classes they ask you to leave."
    ---Richard M. Stallman

  14. #14
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    I have tried to verify my steps in Post #10 and can report the procedure works fine and I got a XP installed successfully.

    Basically I inserted a spare 60Gb hard disk into one of my PCs.

    I then ran a Linux (Slax) and used cfdisk to remove all the partitions in a spare 60Gb hard disk, created one fat32 primary partition (Type c), made it bootable and used mkdosfs command to format the 60Gb into one fat32 partition called sdd1. The partition at this point was unbootable.
    Code:
    mkdosfs -F32 /dev/sdd1
    Once the fat32 partition was ready. I mounted the device /dev/sdd1 on a newly created subdirectory /mnt/sdd1. I created /mnt/sdd1/xp as the folder to hold content of the XP installation CD.
    Code:
    mkdir /mnt/sdd1
    mount /dev/sdd1 /mnt/sdd1
    mkdir /mnt/sdd1/xp
    Now I could load the XP installation CD into the CD drrive, mounted the device /dev/cdrom on a newly created subdirectory /mnt/cdrom and able to see the content of the XP installation CD.
    Code:
    mkdir /mnt/cdrom
    mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
    As /dev/crdom is a device name previously detected and known by the kernel to be a CD drive I didn't need top specify the file type.

    The content of XP installation CD could then be copied to my temporary /xp directory of sdd1 partition by command
    Code:
    cp -r /mnt/cdrom/* /mnt/sdd1/xp
    To make the new fat32 partition bootable I removed all my hard disks temporarily except the 60Gb hard disk, boot up the PC with a Win95 bootable floppy. I checked the drive and satisfied the \xp partition was there first. The boot code wascopied from the floppy to the hard disk partition as well as the MBR by Dos command
    Code:
    sys c:
    Now I removed the floppy and my 60Gb hard disk booted up to a Dos command prompt.

    I fired up the XP installer by running the Winnt.exe, which is inside \i386 folder, by command at C:\ prompt
    Code:
    \xp\i386\winnt
    The installer recognised that I had a Win95 system (which is just the command.com plus a couple of hidden files) and provided the XP installation/upgrade choice which I selected.

    It also offered to convert the fat32 filing system to NTFS type which I opted for.

    The rest was just a standard XP installation and I got an operating XP at the end. I could use it to reply this thread but was too lazy to find drivers for the onboard network card. Neither did I bother with the activation as legally I am running the same license in another machine so the installation was just a test.

    Thus WinXP can be installed without booting to a CD drive. Its iso file is all that is needed. In the above the commands in blue are in Linux. Red commands are for the command prompt in Dos. Please also note the opposite direction of the slash as a separator between Dos/Windows and Linux.

    Lastly the XP installation can be improved to run a lot faster if smartdrv is activated by specifying it in the autoexec.bat and config.sys in Dos.
    Last edited by saikee; 06-07-2008 at 09:35 AM.
    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
    Using a Linux live CD to clone XP
    To install Linux and keep Windows MBR untouched
    Adding extra Linux & Doing it in a lazy way
    A Grub menu booting 100+ systems & A "Howto" to install and boot 145 systems
    Just cloning tips Just booting tips A collection of booting tips

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

  15. #15
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    what if I want to install pre-downloaded linux iso to second paartition

    I have searched and searched, and no one, not even the distro maintainers seem to have an answer, but I know it is a simple thing if one uses the right commands:

    I have no cd, no usb. I have internet connection.
    I have downloaded linuxmint 12 iso to one partition of my hard drive - ubuntu 10.04.
    What commands would I give to install it from dev/sda2 onto dev/sda3 raw partition?

    I have followed instructions to use unetbootin to install kernel to my bootloader or root, and although it showed up in the menu.list with these lines:
    unetbootin
    start linuxmint
    start linuxmint in compatible mode
    boot from hard drive
    (all paraphrased; I can't remember the exact phrasing)
    Each option came back with errors except 'unetbootin', which gave me a blinking cursor, but never booted.
    I have seen instructions for fedora, ubuntu, and other linux distros, but not mint. They all seem to be exclusive to each, so the commands aren't transferable. Thanks in advance*

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