Creating bootable USB stick to use on Zimaboard without a windows PC

[AgingKeeper]

I have been listening to Steve discuss his Spinrite progress on Security Now and decided to get a Zimaboard to use in place of my very old Dell Dimension 4600. I wanted to get familiar with the ZB and using it with Spinrite and then my Dell died.

Unfortunately I (currently) have no other Windows PC handy as I transitioned to Macs over a decade ago. So I am left wondering how (aside from getting a Windows license for the ZB) I might create a bootable USB stick or CD with Spinrite 6.1+ on it that I can use with the new ZB.

Based on the information I have found so far on this forum I have yet to see any approach that does not require Windows.

On my Dell I had been using Spinrite 6 from a bootable CD. I can pull the image off of that CD to my Mac, add the new files and then create a new CD using this same image. But I suspect that I really need the updated version of FreeDOS I think Steve is using. Of course I'd prefer to boot from a USB stick but at this point beggars can't be choosers.

Also is there any information on the forums about how to get the Zimaboard to boot from another device? I attempted to change the boot order to boot from my Spinrite 6 CD and it failed. Will hit the ZB forums too.

Thanks!

 

[Steve]

My plan — once everything else is finalized and in place — is to also offer the same licensed .ISO and .IMG files for direct download by SpinRite users specifically to address the "I don't have ready access to a Windows machine" for Linux and Mac users.

 

[AgingKeeper]

My plan — once everything else is finalized and in place — is to also offer the same licensed .ISO and .IMG files for direct download by SpinRite users specifically to address the "I don't have ready access to a Windows machine" for Linux and Mac users.

Thanks will keep playing with my new ZB in the interim

 

[CSPea]

(snip)

Also is there any information on the forums about how to get the Zimaboard to boot from another device? I attempted to change the boot order to boot from my Spinrite 6 CD and it failed. Will hit the ZB forums too.

Thanks!

Hi AgingKeeper,
(You may already have tried this ...? )
On my ZimaBoard - with my bootable thumbdrive already inserted in one of its USB ports - I press F11 repeatedly during the ZimaBoard bootup to get the built-in Boot device/choice menu.

Of course that menu will already show the presence of the native ZimaBoard bootable media ... but no doubt you'll spot your own USB thumbdrive as an option on the list.

Or are you seeing some other hurdle?
Colin