[ale] Linux alternative recommendation ?

[Courtney Thomas]

Ron,

Thank you for all the important concerns unconsidered by me at this 
point, but it sounds like... I might be better advised to use live CD 
distros with a portable HD (rather than zip drives) for reliability and 
space.

If true, what am I giving up if going that route ?  Speed ?

Gratefully,

Courtney

On 10/23/2011 12:37 PM, Ron Frazier wrote:
> Courtney,
>
> What I'm discussing relates to using a memory stick for your purpose.
> Most of it won't apply if using a HDD for storage.  I will freely admit
> to not being an expert in booting from a flash memory stick.  However,
> here are some things to think about.  You probably want a high speed
> memory stick.  They have different class numbers.  Higher is better, and
> they don't always say on the label.  I don't have the numbers
> memorized.  Get something of high quality.  Pony up a few extra dollars
> for something with a 5 year warranty, rather than a 1 year.  (That would
> apply to a HDD too.)  The device should have built in wear leveling, and
> should have SLC memory circuits which have greater longevity.  This is
> also not usually on the label.  Flash memory cells can only be written a
> certain number of times before they degrade.  When I was teaching at a
> technical college, I always told the students not to rely on a memory
> stick for permanent storage.  They can flake out sometimes.  The other
> thread I had posted about my relative wanting to recover photos is an
> example.  Obviously, storing an OS on the thing is a more permanent
> application, and you don't want any bits suddenly going missing.  I
> would back up the entire memory stick from one to another periodically,
> which would get the OS as well as all your data.  (This also would apply
> to a HDD.)
>
> Here are a few items the Linux gurus here (I'm not one) may wish to
> address.  You may not want a swap partition or file, since a swap area
> will pound the memory stick very hard if the system get's low on
> resources.  There are pros and cons either way.  Without swap, if you
> boot a PC with low RAM, and run too many things, the OS may crash.
> Also, you may wish to disable write caching to reduce the likelihood of
> damaging the OS if the memory stick is removed without safely ejecting
> it.  The USB port may automatically disable write caching, I don't know
> about that.
>
> In the past, I've heard of people running Linux on a memory stick and
> burning out the stick within a few months.  That was a while back, so
> I'm not sure how the modern technology affects these issues.  Makers of
> memory sticks, and SSD's, now say cell wear is not a problem.  That may
> or may not be true, but I'm not totally convinced.  While I would like
> to have an SSD, I'm not yet convinced that they can last 5 - 15 years,
> the way a properly maintained and not mechanically damaged HDD can.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ron
>
> On 10/23/2011 11:42 AM, D. Marshall Lemcoe Jr. wrote:
>> There are some very fine 32GB and 64GB in the sub-$100 price range and
>> anything will suit a live-key. if you're going to be traveling, the
>> USB flash drive will be your better bet because there is no chance of
>> it breaking like a regular HDD might.
>>
>> As for the distribution, I would recommend something that doesn't take
>> a lot of setup and configuration to use, like Ubuntu or Fedora.
>>
>> On Sun, Oct 23, 2011 at 10:17 AM, Jim Kinney<jim.kinney at gmail.com>   wrote:
>>
>>> With the cost of removable media what it is, it's feasable to have several
>>> distros on a 250GB drive all sharing a /home and selectable at boot from
>>> grub.
>>> Or carry a selection of live CD/DVD media and a thumb drive for storage.
>>> This is easier unless the laptop has no cd drive. Older laptops may not be
>>> able to boot from usb.
>>>
>>> On Oct 23, 2011 9:41 AM, "Richard Faulkner"<rfaulkner at 34thprs.org>   wrote:
>>>
>>>> What is the most important feature of the OS?  Security?  Media support?
>>>> Something basic or something w/everything not nailed down?
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Richard Bronosky<Richard at Bronosky.com>
>>>> Reply-to: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts<ale at ale.org>
>>>> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts<ale at ale.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [ale] Linux alternative recommendation ?
>>>> Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:02:53 -0400
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> How much storage do you need? Could a flash drive work? 32G or 64G?
>>>>
>>>> On Oct 23, 2011 8:27 AM, "Courtney Thomas"<courtneycthomas at bellsouth.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to carry a portable Linux USB HD installation for traveling
>>>> with my laptop and would appreciate suggestions, not only for which
>>>> Linux flavor but also which drive.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> C.Thomas
>>>>
>
>

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