Spin up a Rolodex of computers like a boss! (No, not the watch, that old thing you parents had…. to store addresses and phone numbers….)

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Ventoy is excellent software that allows you to create a multiple boot drive on a single USB stick or SSD drive, or even a microSD card, to boot any computers you like. Typically a boot drive with a single Operating System takes up and formats the entire USB stick or drive with that one Operating System, Ventoy allows us to use many on one storage device. Once installed and formatted, simply drag and drop Operating System .iso image type files to the Ventoy USB stick you have, and it will produce a nice menu of boot options of whatever you throw at it.

I like to keep Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Tails OS, Debian, Windows, Hirens, pfSense firewall settings, and a few others at my fingertips using a 1TB SSD drive, this allows me to boot to any of those OS’s and also have storage space for regular files and media on any remaining space that can be accessed from any of the machines I boot from. This is quite powerful to have on one drive, which is why we love Ventoy, and you will probably also enjoy!

 

Ventoy multi-boot USB

 

 

In order to boot to USB, you need to gain access to the BIOS or UEFI menu, here are common ways to access your BIOS/UEFI menu in order to boot to the Ventoy USB:

 

Accessing UEFI menu on macOS laptops:

Intel-based Macs
To select the boot device (where you would choose your USB drive to install Linux):

  1. Turn on or restart the Mac.
  2. Immediately press and hold the Option (⌥) key.
  3. Hold it until the Startup Manager window appears, displaying available boot volumes.
  4. Select your EFI boot media or Linux installer.

Note: On older Intel Macs, if you need to access full system diagnostics or restore utilities, you would hold D or Command (⌘) + R during boot.

Apple Silicon-based Macs (M1, M2, M3, etc.)
To select the boot device:

  1. Turn on the Mac and continue to hold and release the Power button.
  2. Hold it until you see “Loading startup options.”
  3. This brings up the Startup Manager where you can select your external drive to boot Linux.

Note: On Apple Silicon, you must first allow the external drive to boot via the “Startup Security Utility” in Recovery Mode before the machine will let you boot from it.

Watch how to configure Ventoy on a USB or SSD drive:

Major crevasse ladder crossing on Mt. Rainier ascent (this ladder was moved immediately after this, as it’s nearly melted out)