[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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