Here I will be maintaining a quick-start / FAQ on using isostick.
Please reply to this topic if there's anything you'd like to see here, and I'll keep this post updated.
First-time use / new card setup:
Card orientation is shown here. The card must be pushed in quite far, I recommend using the rear end of another microSD card, a folded piece of paper, a coin, or similar to push it in. One push locks it in, another ejects it.
The isostick needs a couple essential files in order to do its job.
First, update to the latest firmware using these instructions.
Make sure your isostick is in read/write mode (red should be visible on the switch).
The card needs a FAT32 partition, since isostick can't understand other filesystems.
The SD Formatter is recommended for cards up to 32GB, but any FAT32 format utility should work.
Note: 64GB and larger cards come formatted exFAT, see this thread for how to set those up.
Next you need to create a folder named "config" on the card.
Within config, place isosel.bin, which you can download here.
Lastly, create a text file named iso_filename.txt in the config directory. For now, you can just leave it empty.
[Known issue: isostick doesn't like Unicode or UTF-8 encoding in iso_filename.txt, please use plain old ASCII / ANSI encoding until this is resolved.]
[Note: I'm working on an app for win/nix/osx to manage your ISO images and perform the above steps for you. Until that's released, you'll have to do it manually. Sorry! :suda: ]
Where do I put my ISO images?
Anywhere! You can arrange them with folders, store them however you like.
You can store regular files anywhere as well. It works just like a normal flash drive.
After your isostick is all setup, you may want to flip the switch to read-only mode (red side hidden) to keep your data safe.
[Note: Presently, the total length of the filename plus the path cannot exceed 512 characters for isostick to put it in the optical drive.]
How do I put an ISO image in the optical drive?
Open iso_filename.txt in your favorite text editor. Just put the path and filename of the image in this file, then save it. If you're on Windows, after about a minute the optical drive will eject and then reload with the new image, no further effort required.
There are a few things to be aware of, however:
Use forward slash '/' as a folder separator, like in *nix. For example: /os/win/win7.iso
The leading slash may be omitted, so this is the same as the above: os/win/win7.iso
The maximum length of the filename plus the path cannot exceed 512 characters.
Make sure your text editor saves the file as plain old ASCII, not Unicode or anything else.
Known issue: On MacOS X and some Linux distros, you may have to eject the flash drive, then unplug and plug the isostick back in to see the new image. A fix for this is in the works and will be in a future firmware update.
What's isosel? How do I use it?
Isosel is a boot menu, similar to grub or lilo. It looks like this. To use it, simply boot from your isostick's optical drive -- not the flash drive!
Clarification: There is no need to put multiple iso filenames in iso_filename.txt, the firmware will traverse the card looking for iso files on its own.
When isosel shows up: Isosel will show up every other boot. For example: isosel shows up, you pick an image, the machine reboots - this time booting the chosen image. On the next boot, you'll see isosel again.
There is one catch: You must have a bootable image loaded in the drive. If no image is loaded, or the loaded image is not bootable, isosel will not show up. I am investigating ways around this.
A few other things to be aware of with isosel:
isosel can't see images where the length of the filename plus the path exceeds 246 characters.
Only the first 80 characters of the image filename are shown (filenames >80 chars work, but you will only see the first 80 in isosel).
isosel only looks 10 folders deep, beyond that it gives up. So, if your iso is at /0/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11.iso, isosel can't see it!
At present, isosel stores your choice in isostick's internal flash, not the microSD card.
This means iso_filename.txt may not show the currently-loaded image. Any changes to iso_filename.txt, however, will change the image as you would expect. A future update will allow isosel to store its choice to iso_filename.txt if the microSD card is writable.
I'm still stuck! / Where do I send bug reports and feature requests?
First of all, try unplugging the isostick, reseating the card, then plugging it back in. If that doesn't work, keep reading:
You can use the forums here, or contact us directly at support@isostick.com
In general, if you're reporting a bug or compatibility issue (e.g.: isostick made my ThinkPad T61p burst into flames), I would prefer it be sent to the support email -- it will open a ticket which I can associate with bugs/feature requests in our bug tracker.
Feature requests go here: http://reboot.pro/forum/135/ so the community can weigh in on them.
Please reply below if there's anything you'd like clarified, added, or if you've got any suggestions -- I'm new at this! 