when usb live-cd "cant find root volume" to find /casper etc

I just tried testdrive-gtk and -cli...

Booting from grub-imageBoot or from usb stick
both dumps into (initram) prompt.

What can I do then?
I can mount ntfs partn to /hd
then loop mount the iso to /cd

ever mount /cd/casper/file.squash -t squashfs /root
and try to chroot /root /bin/bash
ARGHH TELINIT is gone!
upstart and systemd are intimidating!

all .c32 or .com 's are just files w no x bits set!!
I can mount rbind -> chroot into my old ubuntu 17.04...

this would help me demo iso files on clients when I only have
xubuntu-disktop-i386.iso files available.

where is fsType=ntfs or filename= above.iso or
search/file=above.iso documented?

someone should warn /cd/boot/grub/loopback.cfg
has missing default filenames(try /myth.iso)

I tried cp /scripts into my ubuntu /mnt'd /hd to
fgrep /proc/cmdline * for more clues...

thanks in advance