Cross Platform USB Multiboot Drive (PC/Mac Compatible)?

[LinuxHack3r]

I am hoping to be able to create a USB drive that I can put a few installable Linux distributions, as well as Windows 7 and Mountain Lion. I would also like to be able to add a few tools (such as Memtest86+ amongst many others).

Of course it is very easy to do just that if all you wish to do is boot into Windows, but I am finding that it may be impossible to do this for a Mac. I did successfully get Ubuntu onto a USB drive and was able to boot on my MacBook Pro. However, any other attempts at "multibooting" do not show up on my MacBook Pro when I arrive at the boot menu.

Am I correct in thinking Mac's take a GUID table instead of a MBR? If this is the case, will a PC even know what to do with a GUID table? If anyone has any experience with anything boot related and Mac's, please let us know!

 

[-tWv-]

I think you are going to have issues making the drive cross platform. You could probably do it if it was just Windows/Linux installations, but adding ML to the mix is going to make it much more complicated.

 

[Weaselboy]

rEFIt might help you with this.

 

[-tWv-]

rEFIt might help you with this.

Yes, good idea. I used rEFIt back when I had a triple boot on my Macbook (Windows Vista, Ubuntu, Leopard). I think if you install this on the OSX partition of the drive you will be able to access all of the boot systems on the drive. Problem is I don't know if a windows machine will boot from the OSX partition.