[syslinux] Loading syslinux from a USB HDD
P.J. Dickson
pauljohn at cogeco.ca
Thu Oct 19 09:43:22 PDT 2006
Thanks Nazo, for that amazing long answer.
The problem is, though, that you're talking to an _XP user_, so I
can't: "Just use dd with
if=/dev/sda" because that's Dutch to me. I even had trouble
understanding what a "distro" was, till I looked it up. And I can't run
"mkdiskimage", because it doesn't run under XP. Also, according to
Josh's post at http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Bootable_USB_Key mkdiskimage
can't format over 1GB (if I understood correctly).
OK, you both say it's basically easy, and I believe it is... for Linux
users. The problem is that I don't speak Linux. Us PC'ers are spoiled
by installers! We just want to plug it in, click an exe, answer a
couple of questions and go get another cup of coffee... leastways that's
how I am.
I tried the virtual machine (Puppy-Linux) and it's slow as treacle...
and that's a fast implementation and a compact kernel. I can't see
anything 'Windows' being any quicker. Do you agree? So the VM is out.
That leaves: Portable applications, which is OK, I suppose, but you
still don't have your desktop and tools (which is like being served
dinner without the cutlery). So I need a 'native' operating system that
I can freely install (for other people too). If I've got to learn new
stuff, wouldn't I be better off to go with that Mac-on-stick thing,
which is all GUI driven, like Windows (isn't it?)?
If I do go with Linux, it has to be 2GB-capable and bootable, and give
as much access to free software as possible. (That might be a problem
with Puppy-Linux, might it not? It comes with an amazing range of free
apps - but the ability to use Firefox for a browser is almost a
prerequisite for me.)
I realize this question is tending a bit out of the syslinux area, but
it is still related so I hope, OK
A few wise words would be a tremendous help, and thanks again Nazo and Josh.
Paul
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