[ale] Linux alternative recommendation ?
Ron Frazier
atllinuxenthinfo at c3energy.com
Mon Oct 24 13:39:09 EDT 2011
Courtney,
Greg Clifton's reply at 1:21 PM today covers that. I agree with him.
Sincerely,
Ron
On 10/24/2011 11:44 AM, Courtney Thomas wrote:
> Ron,
>
> Thanks for the extensive replies.
>
> What would be the downside of using live CDs for various OSes and an
> external HD for data ?
>
> Appreciatively,
>
> Courtney
>
> On 10/24/2011 10:53 AM, Ron Frazier wrote:
>
>> Courtney,
>>
>> Here's my opinion of the pros and cons of HDD versus Flash (memory
>> stick). I don't know anything about (old style) ZIP drives, but I think
>> they're pretty much obsolete. I'm not sure if that's what you meant.
>>
>> HDD Pros:
>>
>> lots of storage
>> cheap price
>> could possibly convert to using the drive internally in the
>> laptop
>> could use the drive later to backup your PC
>> more likely to be able to dual boot / multi boot
>>
>> HDD Cons:
>>
>> subject to mechanical damage (don't smack or drop it)
>> usually requires 2 USB ports
>> heavier
>> more bulky
>> requires more power (reduces battery run time)
>> slower (caveat - as mentioned in my other post, the USB speed
>> may be the limiting factor)
>>
>> Flash (memory stick) Pros:
>>
>> small
>> light
>> requires only one USB port
>> draws less power (increases battery run time)
>> does not require an enclosure
>> faster (subject to limits of USB speed)
>>
>> Flash (memory stick) Cons:
>>
>> less storage space
>> more money per GB
>> harder to dual boot / multi boot (because of smaller storage
>> capacity)
>> easier to lose or misplace
>> long term longevity is questionable (in my opinion)
>> subject to electronic damage (static)
>> (Have you ever walked across a carpet in the winter,
>> touched a doorknob, and gotten a spark on your finger?)
>> (If you ever do something that sparks to the memory
>> stick, even if you don't know it, it will probably destroy it.)
>> (I would say the memory stick is less likely to incur
>> damage while traveling than the HDD.)
>>
>>
>> Regarding CD's, if you install your OS to the external HDD, you can boot
>> directly from it if your PC has the capability to boot from USB. You
>> don't need a CD. Also, another option is to put multiple operating
>> systems on your internal HDD. This is what I do. All my PC's can dual
>> boot between Linux and Windows. You could potentially boot between
>> multiple versions of Linux as well.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>> On 10/24/2011 3:40 AM, Courtney Thomas wrote:
>>
>>> 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
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
--
(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
770-205-9422 (O) Leave a message.
linuxdude AT c3energy.com
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