[ale] Linux alternative recommendation ?

[Ron Frazier]

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
>>>        


-- 

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier

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linuxdude AT c3energy.com