which distro to choose?

i'm looking for a linux distro that i can install on a USB thumb drive, and then simply plug the thumb drive into a computer (already running WinXP), and then use/switch to the linux distro. i guess sorta like a live disc, except via USB. which distro would be best for this? size isn't a problem, i've got a variety of thumb drives laying around here.

 

The best known distro for that is DSL (*Dang Small Linux), which takes only 50mb at initial installation. I believe the most recent Ubuntu family -Intrepid Ibex - can also be stored on USB disk as a startup media, but it surely will take much more space than DSL.

Btw, you just reminded me of another fun linux project to play with. thx

*I didn't know the server also picks up on that D word.

 

will i able to initiate/start up those distros from computer already running WinXP?

 

Hi there,

This site:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

is dedicated to giving you tutorials ton how to install Linux on your pen drive.

I'd use a distro such as Kubuntu or Xubuntu, just because they're so widely used and therefore generally there's more help available, although lack of support is never really an issue with many distros.

Yes, you plug in the flash drive, restart your computer and instead of booting into Windows, it should boot off your flash drive. You may need to go into your BIOS and in boot priority, set USB higher up the list than internal hard disk.

 

well, that's exactly the problem. no access to BIOS (school PC, but nothing illegal. honestly.), which is why i was hoping for something that'll run from within XP, so to speak.

 

Sorry. Misunderstood you there.

Will some sort of virtual machine like Virtual Box work? I'm not sure it would if you don't have admin rights.

You can find details of Virtual Box here:
http://www.virtualbox.org/

and here's a nice tutorial on how to run Linux in Windows XP which is the tut that I first used:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/te...-linux-like-any-other-program-in-windows.html

 

if you use unetbootin, you can create all manner of linux bootable flash drives.

ive had success with many including fedora 9 and ubuntu 8.10.

although its designed primarily to allow people to sample the distro and then to install it. theres no reason that you cannot just simply constantly just use the flashdrive instead of installing.

 

No. There's nothing that can switch OSes like you're asking. The closest you can get, (as has been pointed out), is by using server virtualization technology, like VirtualBox, it will allow you to boot and run a Linux session from within your Windows session. The Linux "virtual drive" could be on your pendrive. You can also try andLinux, which uses slightly different approach to allow you to again, run a Linux session from within your Windows session. Both techniques would necessitate installing programs into the Windows environment, which might not be what you want to do.

However if it were me, I would start bugging the school administrators to configure some of the school computers with a pure Linux desktop environment.. (But I guess that's why they won't let me back into school..)

Good Luck..

 

I suggest you download a couple LIVE versions.. like Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Fedora etc... that way you can boot them from CD without actually installing.. you can try them out and decide which one you want to use!

 

You could just use a live disc or put a usb style linux on a disc. You'd just have to use something else as storage.

 

hmm, i have a question, if i install linux (ubuntu) into my usb thumb drive, can i save stuffs in the same usb drive?? like if just working on a local hard drive, doing apt-get, compiling codes etc..?

how large is the whole installation?

 

anyway i tried, it can install stuffs, saving works, but like a live season :S