PC sticks

[George K]

I may be wrong, but I think there was a way to make Linux bootable from a USB stick.

[jon-nyc]

I can see some decent use cases. Not sure if any of them apply to me at this stage of my career/life.

[Mik]

Would good for hotel travel.

[jon-nyc]

I was thinking more for traveling to give presentations.

In a hotel the tv isn’t often placed in a convenient spot relative to where you’d put the keyboard. Plus, who wants to carry a keyboard?

Maybe with an app controlling it it could work, but if I’m doing any real content creation, including emails, I’d prefer my MacBook Air

I think the other great use case is taking it between two homes where you keep screens and keyboards.

[Doctor Phibes]

@jon-nyc said in PC sticks:

I think the other great use case is taking it between two homes where you keep screens and keyboards.

Surely if you have two homes you could afford to pay somebody to carry your computer?

[jon-nyc]

Ok, home and work.

[Klaus]

@George-K said in PC sticks:

I may be wrong, but I think there was a way to make Linux bootable from a USB stick.

You can boot anything from a USB stick but this is about having a full computer on a stick, not merely storage.

[Klaus]

The only good use case I can imagine is if a laptop is too bulky. For instance, if you travel very light but still need to work in a hotel or give a presentation.

Or maybe if you need to demonstrate something that requires a dozen computers.

[taiwan_girl]

@Klaus said in PC sticks:

.....if a laptop is too bulky.

I travel a lot and carry a laptop all (or most of) the time. I am not the strongest person in the world, but I have never felt that the weight of a laptop was a big deal.

[Klaus]

Well, let's say you wear an elegant evening dress and your whole "storage" is your handbag, but you still need that portable computer!

[George K]

@Klaus said in PC sticks:

@George-K said in PC sticks:

I may be wrong, but I think there was a way to make Linux bootable from a USB stick.

You can boot anything from a USB stick but this is about having a full computer on a stick, not merely storage.

Is it possible to run linux from a usb stick?

Here's what Grok says:

Yes, it is indeed possible to run Linux from a USB stick. Here are the primary methods:

1. Live USB (Non-Persistent):
   You can boot into a Linux environment directly from a USB drive using a live image. This method doesn't save changes or data once you shut down or reboot the system. It's useful for trying out Linux, troubleshooting, or running secure, temporary sessions where no data is retained.

2. Live USB with Persistence:
   This setup allows you to boot Linux from a USB with the ability to save data and settings. Tools like Rufus on Windows or mkusb on Linux can create this environment, where you allocate a portion of the USB drive for persistent storage. This means your documents, installed programs, and some system settings can be saved and will persist across reboots.

3. Full Installation on a USB Drive:
   You can install Linux onto a USB drive just like you would on an internal hard drive. This provides a fully functional, bootable Linux system that you can carry with you. However, this installation is typically optimized for the hardware it was installed on, which might limit its portability across different machines. For this, you'd need to prepare the USB with appropriate partitioning, usually including an EFI boot partition for UEFI systems or a BIOS boot partition for legacy systems.

Each method has its use cases:

• Live USB is great for testing Linux or for emergency repairs on other systems.
• Persistent Live USB offers a balance between portability and customization, good for users who need their settings and files saved but might use different computers.
• Full Installation provides a complete Linux experience on portable media but might require some hardware compatibility adjustments when moving to different machines.

Keep in mind, running Linux from a USB can be slower than from an SSD or HDD due to the read/write speeds of USB drives. For optimal performance, especially if you're considering the full installation route, using a fast USB 3.0 drive or even an external SSD can significantly improve the experience. Also, remember that USB drives have a finite number of write cycles, so frequent use might wear them out faster.

[Klaus]

George, I'm not sure whether you understood the distinction.

Linux, or any other OS, doesn't run "on" a USB stick. It is a storage medium that can be attached to a computer.

The "computer on a stick" is a full computer, with a CPU, graphics card, storage etc.

[George K]

Ah, I see your point. I was thinking a complete, runnable OS on a stick. That does not have a CPU, etc.

[George K]

@Klaus said in PC sticks:

The only good use case I can imagine is if a laptop is too bulky. For instance, if you travel very light but still need to work in a hotel or give a presentation.

Or maybe if you need to demonstrate something that requires a dozen computers.

You still have to bring a keyboard of some kind (foldable?) and a pointing device. Not much of an advantage.

[taiwan_girl]

@Klaus said in PC sticks:

Well, let's say you wear an elegant evening dress and your whole "storage" is your handbag, but you still need that portable computer!

That's when I have "my people" do the carrying. 555

(just joking!!!)