Getting ready - and it's been painful

[D-Dan]

With only 1 month to go before my possible permanent departure from the UK, and knowing that it will take time to get my PC shipped over, I've been working on getting myself sorted out with an "OS on a stick" solution, so that I can plug my USB drive into any available computer and at least have my Internet bookmarks and passwords, as well as my email all available in a familiar desktop environment.

Now, I knew this going to be a Linux solution, and I expected it to be easy. Bought an 8Gig "naked" USB drive (do you know how hard it is to buy a stick with no extras these days) yesterday, and my bandwidth usage must have gone through the roof these last two days, downloading distros, testing live CDs, and then trying to get the damn things to work on USB.

Ubuntu was OK, until it tried to update the kernel. I went for obvious candidates (Puppy, too much like a cartoon, DSL - refused to start, SLAX, started liveCD but wouldn't start from USB).

Now I'm back with an Ubuntu derivative, Mint, which for the most part is currently playing ball (Posting this from the USB OS), but what a nightmare it's been. I even missed bits of the Hungarian Grand Prix because I was testing different distros. I really wanted to get DSL working to maximise USB drive space, but c'est la vie.

Steve

[Rik]

You didn't miss much, Steve. Vettel having a hissy fit, Schumacher trying to drive Barichello into the wall and some interesting antics in the pit lane.

[D-Dan]

I saw the hissy fit and the attempted murder - and the pit lane smash, so I guess I got the highlights

Steve

[Rik]

And the wheel? If so, you saw everything which was worth seeing.

[D-Dan]

The wheel kinda merged into the smash, so I guess I saw it all

S

[Rik]

 

It was a tantalising set of pit stops, I don't think I've seen team move so fast before.

[Glenn]

I wonder how much the fine for the wheel, will cost Mercedes?

10 place loss for the cobbler at the next race?

[kinmel]

Pendrivelinux's "universal usb installer" allows you to install almost any Linux distro onto a USB stick

I would go for a straight Ubuntu install, it has just about everything you need

[Glenn]

Also, when Vettel got his drive through, he asked on the radio what it was for. At the end of the race, he told the FIA official that his radio wasn't working.

[Rik]

I wonder how much the fine for the wheel, will cost Mercedes?

10 place loss for the cobbler at the next race?

£32K according to the BBC.

[Rik]

Also, when Vettel got his drive through, he asked on the radio what it was for. At the end of the race, he told the FIA official that his radio wasn't working.

We heard him hissing when he got the penalty too.

[Glenn]

As for Renault and Mercedes, they both received $50,000 (£32,000) fines for their unsafe release from the pits of Rosberg and Kubica respectively.

I think the BBC need a new proof reader, or has there been a driver swap?

[D-Dan]

Pendrivelinux's "universal usb installer" allows you to install almost any Linux distro onto a USB stick

I would go for a straight Ubuntu install, it has just about everything you need

I used the universal USB installer with Ubuntu originally, and it was fine until I let it update. The kernel update failed and trashed the OS - twice.

Mint is much the same as a native ubuntu, without having to go hunting for media codecs etc. Out of the box it's also more like how I have Ubuntu set up on my desktop box, too, saving some time.

It's currently updating (which is taking an absolute age - bad side effect of a portable OS) so I guess I'll find out when it finishes if this is more stable. I'm probably going to sell PC2 if I don't come back, and I'm thinking of chucking Mint on that so the buyer has a ready to use OS with no messing and minimal effort from me.

PC1, of course, is coming with me

Steve

PS - whilst the universal USB installer will deal with installing the OS, it doesn't mean it will work. Case in point, and my preferred option, Slax, which refused point blank to boot. Same problem with PCLinuxOS 2010 (and the MiniMe version) which both failed to fully boot after installation.

[Rik]

I think the BBC need a new proof reader, or has there been a driver swap?

Then there was...

Renault's Robert Kubica and Adrian Sutil of Force India suffered a nasty collision when the former pulled out of his stop right into the German's tracks, ending Sutil's race and effectively ruining the Pole's.

[pctech]

Would it not have been easier to buy a http://www2.mandriva.com/flash/Mandriva flash drive?

[Glenn]

Page cannot be found is what I get from the link.

[Rik]

Same here, and I can't see the drive on looking through the categories.

[pctech]

http://www2.mandriva.com/

[D-Dan]

"Sorry. The item you are looking does not exist (anymore). You may still:"

Having said that, I believe they charged about £50, so my weekend of experimenting will save me that much.

Steve

[pctech]

Second link should work, price is 49.90 Euros.

[Rik]

Second link should work, price is 49.90 Euros.

I got the same error message as Steve, Mitch.

[Inkblot]

I got the same error message as Steve, Mitch.

Works for me, as does the product page: http://www2.mandriva.com/flash/, could be a DNS issue? I'm using OpenDNS.

[Inkblot]

Works for me, as does the product page: http://www2.mandriva.com/flash/, could be a DNS issue? I'm using OpenDNS.

Ah.....decided I might treat myself to one but clicking to buy it in the store takes me to the 'page not found' that others have pointed out. Oh well, saved me spending 49.90 euros I guess

[Rik]

Life's a bitch, eh Inky.

[pctech]

Looks like they are no longer offering it for sale.

[D-Dan]

Well, if anyone is interested - I'll do Linux Mint in an 8 gig stick for £30

Steve

[Rik]

Do they do a pastrami version, Steve?

[pctech]

I'll take a beef and onion one.

[vitriol]

I've got four USB sticks and one of them is a dedicated USB bootable Ubuntu.

It's a great tool to whip out of the bag when someone says "My computer is not working, I need all of my music, pictures, videos and documents".  It makes recovery of said items alot easier.  Well aslong as the physical HDD in the computer isn't completely dead.

[Rik]

And, for my next trick... 

[D-Dan]

Just an update on this. As already mentioned, after trying several distros, Mint has been the one that worked best when installed to a USB stick.

So now the real testing starting, poking my stick into any port that would let me (so to speak). Up to now I've successfully booted and used my portable OS on:

My main desktop (Phenom II X4 965)
My second rig (Athlon X2 4800)
A Gateway C2D laptop
An HP laptop
Dell dimension desktop (old)
Asus Netbook

Everytime - it just works. I think I've found the solution to lugging round a heavy computer. I simply attach the stick to my keyring and wherever there's a computer with a USB port, I have my own OS ready to go.

Oh, and yes - I figured out how to fully password protect it so if I lose it there's no harm done.

Steve

PS - this is on an 8 Gig stick - I'm thinking of investing in a 16 Gig before I leave. Although the bare install restricts you to a 4Gig persistent drive, there's a way to use all the available space, which I've employed and tested. Aria have some barebones 16 Gig USB drives (the best type for this kind of project) for just £23 Maybe I can take Cinema 4D with me as well, then.

Steve

[Rik]

You'd better write us a step-by-step guide, Steve.

[pctech]

Are you planning to market it as Boot and Go? If you are a particular shampoo manufacturer may take exception 

[Rik]

Naah, Phil's guide will be head and shoulders above the rest.

[D-Dan]

Now I don't want to be angry, but that's enough timotei make my blood boil.

Steve

[Bill]

I'm sure it'll be worth it.

[pctech]

 

[Glenn]

Don't get married in Turkey http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10908830

[Rik]

He might just have been settling a score, of course.

[Bill]

No, he only settled three

[Rik]

[pctech]

I've always thought that a bizarre custom.

I watched the news when they brought Yasser Arafat's body back to Gaza and were firing into the air and there was apparently celebratory gunfire over Baghdad when Saddam was toppled.

Its a controversial view I know but it does make you wonder whether some places are in fact peaceful.

[Rik]

Any place where there's that many firearms in private hands can't be very safe.

[Glenn]

Not too much trouble in Switzerland though.

[Rik]

Runs like clockwork.

[pctech]

 

[Rik]