Ventoy

Overview

Ventoy is an open source (GPL v3) tool released in April 2020 for creating bootable USB drives. It allows users to copy ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x) or EFI files to USB drives and boot them from a graphical menu without reformatting. It supports over 338 operating systems, runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, and is compatible with MBR/GPT and Legacy/UEFI/Secure Boot.

History and Development

Created by longpanda in April 2020.

First release: Version 1.0.00, introduced multi-ISO booting feature.

Key Milestones:

• 1.0.07 (2020): Secure Boot support added.
• 1.0.58 (2022): Architecture-specific Windows executables.
• 1.0.86 (2023): Windows command line support.
• 1.0.96 (2023): Bug fixes, stability improvements.
• 2025: Plugin Configurator (VentoyPlugson).

Status: Community driven, maintained via GitHub, supports donations.

Main Features

• Multi-ISO boot: copy multiple image files and select via boot menu.
• Direct file usage: boot files without decompression, supports ISO files larger than 4GB.
• Installation: Windows (Ventoy2Disk.exe), Linux (Ventoy2Disk.sh), macOS (script).
• Partition type: MBR (default) or GPT.
• Boot mode: Legacy BIOS, UEFI, Secure Boot, Persistence.
• Customizable menu: configurable via ventoy.json and VentoyPlugson.
• Dual functionality: can be used as a normal USB storage device.
• Cross-platform: supports Windows, Linux and macOS.
• Integrity check: verify file checksums (e.g., via GtkHash).

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

• Easy to use, no reformatting required.
• Supports 338+ OSes, MBR/GPT, Legacy/UEFI.
• Free, open source (GPL v3).
• Dual-purpose USB (bootable/storage).
• Cross-platform, actively developed.

Limitations

• Formatting USB during installation will erase data.
• Potential boot issues (e.g., openSUSE, faulty USB).
• GRUB shell errors due to BIOS limitations.
• Windows process conflicts (e.g., Paragon ExtFS).
• Advanced features require technical knowledge.
• No macOS GUI.

Summary

Ventoy is a versatile open source multi-OS boot tool that is perfect for Linux enthusiasts and IT professionals. Its ease of use, wide compatibility, and dual purpose make it excellent, although installation data loss and occasional boot issues are a drawback. Ventoy simplifies testing across Linux distributions and conforms to a user-friendly and privacy-focused design, but requires reliable USB hardware.