linux distributions

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denialist

New Member
hi all,
could anybody please help me choosing the distrib or compilation of linux according to my needs, which are pretty simple - browse the web (securely if possible), use wifi and download files
i would like to have a usb portable version of linux, but i dont seem to be able to make up my mind which one to choose, and also if i do pick one distribution or package of linux (say ubuntu for example) would i be able to modify it one it is on the flash in iso? for instance say i want to have any additional software i want to be using, do i just install it and would it stay on flash drive within the os?
sorry if the question is silly and terminolgy is not accurate)))) i am novice in this....
cheerz,
 
Ubuntu will work great for you, and yes, if you boot from the flash drive you will be able to install packages and such and they will stay there. Ubuntu is also installable on flash drives, so two birds with one stone.
 
If you install it on the flash drive it will work but you may only be able to use that flash drive ever again for anything else other then your boot up for ubuntu. Plus you have to set your bios to boot from usb, It would be so much easier if you did a dual boot cause then at boot up it will ask you which OS to load and that is easy to do, plus if needed you can do that from usb as well.

What type of computer are you installing it on?
 
DMGrier said:
If you install it on the flash drive it will work but you may only be able to use that flash drive ever again for anything else other then your boot up for ubuntu. Plus you have to set your bios to boot from usb, It would be so much easier if you did a dual boot cause then at boot up it will ask you which OS to load and that is easy to do, plus if needed you can do that from usb as well.

What type of computer are you installing it on?
Click to expand...

cheerz 4 the reply, its an acer laptop, 1.7,1g ddr2
let me get this straight, if i use the flash drive for the ubuntu it becomes idle for anything else than that later? what if i format the flash? do u mean i will not be able to use it for anything else ever again? sorry for being stupid if so)))))
thanks
 
nah the flashdrive should still be usable even with the ubuntu installation on it, i used to carry ubuntu on my flash drive when i had classes at a different campus just to mess around, and i could still use the school computers to access my flash drive and save files then reboot and boot into ubuntu.
 
When I installed ubuntu on my wifes net book for her the software the ubuntu website gave me to make it a bootable OS corrupted the flash drive, didn't care cause it was a 15$ flash drive. I would just do a dual boot, you don't need to give ubuntu that much HDD space, it's not like vista or windows 7.
 
DMGrier said:
If you install it on the flash drive it will work but you may only be able to use that flash drive ever again for anything else other then your boot up for ubuntu. Plus you have to set your bios to boot from usb, It would be so much easier if you did a dual boot cause then at boot up it will ask you which OS to load and that is easy to do, plus if needed you can do that from usb as well.

What type of computer are you installing it on?
Click to expand...
You can designate space for other docs.
And it won't corrupt your flash drive.
 
But what is the purpose to this considering Linux distro's don't use a lot HDD space, why not just do a dual boot? And depending on your computer needs just replacing windows all together?
 
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I tend to agree with the dual booting option as being superior to using a USB drive. If nothing else, an OS would be much faster installed to a hard drive than a USB drive.

Have you tried any of the Live Cd's? They are slower than an installed OS but gives you a good chance to see what you like.

openSUSE is my main OS. :)
 
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