How to Use Ventoy2Disk from the Terminal to Create Bootable USBs

Introduction

Ventoy is an open-source tool for creating multiboot USB media. Unlike a traditional image writer that usually writes one ISO to a drive, Ventoy is installed on the USB drive and lets you copy supported image files to its data partition. At boot, Ventoy presents a menu from which you choose an image.

This guide focuses on the Linux command-line utility Ventoy2Disk.sh, often referred to as Ventoy2Disk. The examples use a placeholder device such as /dev/sdX; replace it only after identifying your actual USB drive.

How Ventoy Works

During installation, Ventoy creates its boot and data partition layout on the selected disk. You then copy ISO and other supported image files to the main data partition. Ventoy searches directories recursively for supported image files and lists them in its boot menu.

Boot success depends on the target computer’s firmware, Secure Boot configuration, and the particular image. Test important installation media before relying on it.

Prerequisites

• A Linux computer with terminal access and administrator privileges through sudo.
• A USB drive with enough capacity for Ventoy and your ISO files.
• A backup of all files on the USB drive.
• The official Ventoy Linux release archive from the Ventoy download page.
• ISO files from trusted publishers, ideally with their checksums or signatures verified.

Commands such as lsblk, findmnt, cp, and sudo are available on most mainstream Linux distributions. Install any missing utility through your distribution’s package manager.

Step 1: Download and Extract Ventoy

Open the official download page and choose the current Linux archive. Avoid third-party download sites. The release filename includes a version number, so your filename may differ from the example below.

cd ~/Downloads
ls -lh

tar -xzf ventoy-*-linux.tar.gz
ls -d ventoy-*-linux

cd ventoy-*-linux
ls

Step 2: Identify the USB Device Carefully

Connect the USB drive and list disks with filesystem, size, mountpoint, and model information:

lsblk -o NAME,PATH,SIZE,MODEL,TRAN,TYPE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINTS

Example output (illustrative only; your device names and sizes will differ):

NAME   PATH      SIZE MODEL            TRAN   TYPE FSTYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda    /dev/sda  1.0T Internal SSD             disk
├─sda1 /dev/sda1  512M                        part vfat   /boot/efi
└─sda2 /dev/sda2  999G                        part ext4   /
sdb    /dev/sdb   32G USB Flash Drive  usb    disk
└─sdb1 /dev/sdb1   32G                        part exfat  /media/user/USB

In this example, /dev/sdb appears to be the 32 GB USB device. Confirm it using your actual output, manufacturer/model, transport type, and physical device. Do not copy the example path blindly.

For a second view, you can run:

sudo fdisk -l

Before installation, close applications using the USB and unmount its mounted partitions. Replace the example partition name below with the partition(s) that your own lsblk output shows for the USB:

sudo umount /dev/sdX1

If the USB has more than one mounted partition, unmount each relevant partition. Do not run the example command literally with /dev/sdX1; it is a placeholder.

Step 3: Install Ventoy from the Terminal

From the extracted Ventoy directory, run the install command with the confirmed whole-disk path. For example, if you verified that the USB is /dev/sdb:

sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdb

The -i option installs Ventoy and refuses to install over a disk that already contains a Ventoy installation. Read the terminal output and any confirmation prompt before proceeding. If the selected device is wrong, stop instead of confirming.

sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -g /dev/sdb

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

sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -r 1024 /dev/sdb

Wait until the script reports that the operation completed successfully. Do not disconnect the drive while the partition table or boot files are being written.

Step 4: Copy ISO Files to the Ventoy USB

After installation, unplug and reconnect the USB if your desktop does not automatically show the new data partition. Use lsblk to find the main Ventoy data partition and its mountpoint.

lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINTS

Once the data partition is mounted, copy ISO files to it as ordinary files. In the example below, replace the source ISO path and destination mountpoint with the paths on your system:

cp ~/Downloads/debian.iso /media/$USER/Ventoy/

You can create folders to keep images organised:

mkdir -p /media/$USER/Ventoy/ISO/Linux
mkdir -p /media/$USER/Ventoy/ISO/Windows
cp ~/Downloads/linux-live.iso /media/$USER/Ventoy/ISO/Linux/
cp ~/Downloads/windows-installer.iso /media/$USER/Ventoy/ISO/Windows/

The paths are examples; desktop environments may mount the partition under a different directory. You can also use a graphical file manager. Ventoy scans directories and subdirectories for supported image files, so you do not have to keep all ISOs in the root folder.

When copying finishes, flush pending writes and safely eject or unmount the drive:

sync
udisksctl unmount -b /dev/sdX1

Replace /dev/sdX1 with the actual data partition. If you use a desktop’s eject function, follow its completion notification before unplugging the drive.

Useful Ventoy2Disk Commands

These are the principal Linux CLI operations documented by Ventoy. Substitute your verified whole-disk device for /dev/sdX.

Install versus update: use -i for a new Ventoy drive, and -u when updating an existing Ventoy installation. Do not use -I as a routine update shortcut. Back up important data before changing a boot drive.

Step 5: Verify and Test the Bootable USB

1. Run lsblk and confirm the expected Ventoy data partition exists.
2. Optionally check the installed Ventoy details using the list operation:

sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -l /dev/sdb

Replace /dev/sdb with your verified USB disk. The script may show version and partition information for a Ventoy-formatted device.

3. Confirm the intended ISO files are present on the data partition.
4. Safely eject the USB and connect it to the target computer.
5. Open the machine’s one-time boot menu and select the USB device.
6. Choose an ISO from Ventoy’s menu and test that it starts correctly.

Firmware menu keys vary by vendor. Secure Boot, UEFI/Legacy settings, the ISO itself, and device compatibility can affect the result. Test Windows and Linux installation media separately if both are important to your workflow.

Troubleshooting

sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdX

Security and Best Practices

• Verify the target device twice. Compare size, model, and device path before confirming an install.
• Back up first. Treat Ventoy installation as a destructive disk operation.
• Download from the official project. Prefer the Ventoy website and project releases, and verify published checksums where available.
• Use trusted ISO images. Validate checksums or signatures from the operating-system vendor when offered.
• Keep a recovery copy. Store essential ISO files elsewhere before updating Ventoy or rebuilding a USB.
• Test before deployment. Check boot behaviour on the actual systems where the media will be used.
• Use Secure Boot intentionally. Confirm the settings and enrollment requirements for the specific Ventoy version and target device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install Ventoy again for every ISO?

No. After Ventoy is installed, you can normally copy additional supported image files to the USB data partition without reinstalling Ventoy.

Can I put multiple ISO files on one USB drive?

Yes. Ventoy is designed for multiboot use. Copy multiple supported image files to the data partition and choose the desired one from the boot menu.

Does the command format the USB?

Installing Ventoy repartitions the selected disk and erases existing data. Always back up the drive and verify the device path before confirming.

Should I use -i or -I?

Use -i for a normal installation on a disk that does not already have Ventoy. -I forces installation regardless of the existing Ventoy state and should be used only when intentionally required.

Will the USB boot on every computer?

No tool can guarantee compatibility with every firmware and every image. UEFI/Legacy mode, Secure Boot, image support, and hardware differences can affect booting.

Can I update Ventoy without deleting the ISO files?

The documented update operation is designed to update Ventoy while preserving files on the main data partition. Still, back up valuable files before any disk operation.

Conclusion

Ventoy2Disk.sh provides a straightforward way to create a multiboot USB from the Linux terminal. Identify the correct whole disk, install Ventoy using the documented CLI, copy ISO files to the data partition, and test the USB on the target hardware. The most important step is disk verification: an incorrect device selection can destroy data on an internal drive.

For command syntax and version-specific behaviour, refer to the official Ventoy documentation and the usage text included with your downloaded release.

References and Sources

• Ventoy: Start to Use — official installation, Linux CLI syntax, supported image workflow, and update guidance.
• Ventoy GitHub: INSTALL README — Linux command-line options.
• Ventoy GitHub: Ventoy2Disk.sh — script behaviour and usage implementation.
• Ventoy FAQ — installation and device safety notes.
• Ventoy Downloads — official release packages.