Interesting...
odd. the mer-x86-generic-image 0.16 didn't want to play nice at all with virtual box on lmde mate. nasty nasty lil' issue with /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup ...evil nasty nasty thingie. hmm...hunted down the issue didn't care for the answer.
took the same image tossed it on a win 7 64 bit virtual box and it started up with no problem. I'll try the same image on a half dozen more distros I have on my computers and see what happens... It is great to see mer running so quick and effortless even in a virtual enviro. (a much better experience nowadays compared to the earlier iterations of vb and vm ) ...but though it up and runs without a hitch on windows doesn't help me much... since there is really nothing in the way of appliances or processes in or for windows to convert the vmdk image to an iso. 1 alt which was cavalierly mentioned in a forum was poweriso ..great utility ...am very familiar with it...but the fellow was talking out of a lower orifice . it was ugly ...poweriso extracted the files but didn't want to play well with the transmorgification into any iso or bootable format ...and the tut. , help, instructionals are inadequately vague.
. I may look a bit more but really I have little hope of finding vmdk to iso programs for windows ...there is much more work done in linux...speaking of...I found that the only method of installing tklpatch was via the last method and git...there was too many probs with "unable to fetch this that or the other thing" or "not found" when trying the other methods of install through software or pac. man. ......not bad though... a few hoops ..but I did get tklpatch properly installed on lmde...that is where I'm at on the linux side so far.
I'm almost of the opinion that attempting the same method on a straight up 'buntu or debian build may be more successful in making an iso of mer for usb or dvd.

edit:
I've forgotten how much fun...how smooth the touch interface even in the virtualbox mer is on my convertible m780 ....argh...It's like having a beautiful giant mer-tablet ...hm...anyway...enough fun for now...I'll work more on that later...