Mandriva's Linux on a stick will wow all the ladies this Summer Mandriva Linux recently announced the Mandriva Flash 2008 Spring operating system, the latest version of its Linux-on-a-USB-stick distro. The Flash sticks come with a complete, bootable version of Mandriva Linux and make it dead simple to take your Linux with you wherever you go - a huge help when you're trying to impress the …
I have an old PC I use for watching DVDs. I recently upgraded from an old RedHat distro to Mandriva. Playback in Mplayer was jittery and sound out of sync. I tried Yoper and it runs like a dream. Runs like the blazes. You should give it a whirl and do a review on it.
www.yoper.com/
The first version of the Flash was launched in December 2006, Ian. This is just the first time the Reg has reviewed it.
But you're missing the point anyway. Sure, people have been putting Linux on flash drives...well...since there *were* Flash drives, more or less. The point of Mandriva Flash is it's all done for you, you get the complete product in a box, you just open the box, plug it into a computer, and that's all. It's aimed at people who appreciate that kind of simplicity versus the more complicated procedure you have to go through to build your own key from another distro. If you're happy creating one yourself, more power to you (and you can do it with Mandriva, without paying anything) - but this isn't aimed at you.
(Disclaimer - In case anyone doesn't know: I work for Mandriva).
Thanks a lot for the review, Scott. Just a couple of minor points. The support for reading and writing NTFS is not non-free; it uses a completely open source implementation called ntfs-3g.
And just to correct a possible implication of "While the non-free aspects of Mandriva might make purists hestitate" - it's worth pointing out that there is (and always has been) a completely free edition of Mandriva available, Mandriva Linux Free. There's no 100% open source version of the Flash available, but there *is* an edition of the mainstream distro that's acceptable to free software purists. :)
Ubuntu-on-a-stick wasn't much for IBM, there Linux-in-a-watch was impressive though, an x-server on your wrist would really pull the chicks...
Hope Mandriva-on-a-stick sells well, USB key distros are a great idea but they tend to be too slow for normal use, the read-write speeds for this one are more than fast enough though. Stupid question; can a PS3 boot from a USB key?
cheers
Nice that they are doing this, I wish them success -- although I don't believe they'll sell many of these. Mind you, the type of geeky person who'd think "if I only had Linux on a USB stick" is also the type who will most probably do it themselves anyway... Or maybe not. Anyway, nice that they did something specific. I wonder whether it works with ANY USB-bootable PC computer.
My own experience with Linux on a stick: just before going to my vacation back home to visit my family, I bought a 4 GB stick and installed Ubuntu 7.10 on it (actually I tried 8.04 first, but it wouldn't get past the orange screen). I installed it pretending it was a hard drive. By the way, I did this because I wanted to be sure I would have a safe computer to use there, and thought that booting Mother's Vista laptop from the USB thingie would do it. It worked beautifully in that little Vayo (I had created the stick using an old Dell desktop), much faster than Vista running from the HD, even. I didn't expect it to work so well, without any customization regarding the fact that it was not running from an HD. Before booting the Vayo, I also tried booting an Acer, and THAT one didn't want to work... That's why I wonder whether the Mandriva guys have found a way around this type of incompatibility (without using a "live CD + writable partition" approach, but using the "fake HD" one).
I agree 100%. I have been using Linux on my laptop for a while. Not Mandriva / Mandrake, [sorry : it is french after all ;-)] and I have had all sorts of issues with different apps. Once simply one was voip. I dont use skype, I use a sipgate. Personally I prefer it and it is much cheaper for the countries I call..... but it is a WinApp.
The thought of shoving it in and it working is something I love, and it may mean that I no long have to dual boot, taking up extra HD space, and actually, I could now travel laptop-less.
Vive le France......
For all those who think that putting Linux on a USB stick is difficult please take a look at Barry Kauler's Puppy Linux (http://www.puppylinux.com/about.htm). Much lighter than most other distros and very esy to install.
Speed of the drive is not a problem because Puppy is so small it loads the whole system into a ram drive.
But, I think this a first from the commercial Linux distros.
Community distros are always ahead, but they expect you to know what you are doing.
Consumers don't like the opensource approach, it is too hard for them to work with, they like things boxed up, and sold on a stick, with a cute brand attached.
Installing to a usb stick is like installing a complete system, and there are some tricks to it, size is a consideration. Same sort of tricks Knoppix was doing, but Knoppix hasn't yet moved to a flash position, and you cannot just take an ISO, loop or cpio it and expect it to work. You need to setup a boot sector, and allow for change management. Wear leveling also raises it's head a bit.
So, well done Mandriva, nice to see a Linux product again. They use to sell Linux in the computer stores, complete with manuals etc. Once they have the product they can offer to sell it to distributors, if that USB stick is good then some will buy it.
They could even look into a deal with internet cafes, you could be offered a complete OS to take away with you.
And I might even get one. Just to support French OSS makers -life's been hard for them lately. Of course, as every decent geek, I already have my own customized bootable flash drive, and even a "bootable" SD card (at least it would be bootable if my bios knew how to boot from it), but a new toy is always nice, and if it's for a charity...
It is unfortunate in US that Mandriva is not even mentioned in most articles of Linux. Yes, Mandriva has had their ups and downs but as a (paying) user I have found that Mandriva is a nice balance between casual user and hard core user. Paying because even currently running on my own, I still think that the small amount you pay even if you can get it free may make a difference.
Even I moved from programming to systems design and architecture a long time ago, I still love USB (or CD, DVD, whatever) capability to boot (in) a computer. Often the environment I have to work just doesn't have the tools and toys, and in case like that your "own" system is a huge time saver. Of course Mandriva is not the only one, I carry a couple of other Linux distros, Open Solaris, BSD, etc on several USBs, CDs and DVDs (with different database systems, etc) with me. I can even bring up VM and MVS on almost any system - now, if I could do that legally with Windows?
How revolutionary ... Knoppix anyone...
Also, it's not an especially difficult thing to do. Once you've practiced a couple of times, you can produce one in about 15 minutes.
Check out http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/02/20/installing-usb-knoppix-51-using-linux/
for more info.
Admittedly this tutorial is primarily for use in a windows system, but it's essentially a matter of making couple of .bat files, and a Knoppix iso.
Also, just for the record, I'm a total linux noob, and I managed it.
I have been through a few distros recently trying to find something that actually works with my laptop. After trying a few I finally stumbled upon Mandriva and yes it works great, looks great, has KDE, openoffice (i don't like KOffice) and i've just downloaded Firefox 3 also working great (except backspace doesn't go back a page?).
The problem I find with linux is that if I have no net connection I cannot update, install apps, find help etc. I have spent hours before rebooting between linux and windows searching the web for help, downloading packages etc. I look at the Mandriva package list and it contains ndiswrapper as standard, also it offers to set it up automatically during installation and it works.
I have limited Linux experience but am experienced with hardware and windows.
Others I have tried:
Debian, like this and have it on my desktop, however ndiswrapper did not work on my laptop (Broadcom wifi, not tried bw-cutter) so never got a net connection working.
Ubuntu, Install CD wouldn't boot, did the in-windows install, was very slow and unattractive, why would anyone use this instead of full Debian? It didn't offer to help me setup wifi which can't be right for a newbie distro.
Fedora, didn't really have the stuff I wanted as standard, and without getting wifi working I could not change.
Very pleased with Mandriva, will keep hold of the Debian DVD as I like that too but do not expect I will uninstall Mandriva for quite some time.
Much as I love Puppy Linux, the dangers inherent in running a full desktop as root (as Puppy Linux does) prevent me from using it and recommending it to others. I know the arguments for it in the case of Puppy - not meant to be a full time installatoin, only for quick fixes or for access to utilities on the go, etc. but I'd still consider it as irresponsible as, say, running xp without antivirus or a firewall. Securing computers is all about minimizing the odds of compromise. To simply disregard one of the biggest security benefits of using Linux for the sake of convenience is reckless.
Mandriva have shown that a robust multi-user environment with good hardware support and privilege separation is possible in a portable form. I can't see how the compromise is justifiable.
As has already been pointed out in a previous comment, the first version of Mandriva Flash came out in December 2006 - two months before that guide, you'll note. And as *also* pointed out in a previous comment, we're perfectly well aware that it's relatively easy (for geeks) to build your own distro-on-a-stick, but that's not the point. This is aimed at people for whom that *would* be difficult, and who just don't want to go through the hassle. Just read my previous comment, "Ian - By Adam Williamson - Posted Saturday 21st June 2008 00:05 GMT".
Flash also has some features you won't get just by installing a regular distro to a USB stick.
Well I just bought one anyway. I'll let you know how I get on if this article is still active when it arrives. I think this may be a couple of weeks so perhaps not.
I'm a Linux virgin so will be a good test subject (although I do have some average Unix skills so maybe not exactly a novice consumer).
Bring it on.
Yes Mndriva in flash works, but with such "bug" - the old Pravda 2007. Recently tried "BackTrack 3 final-usb" - "Mandriva" and "Fedora" fell below zero. Installation is targeted at the average user, roughly speaking-to fool and neither are "dancing with Diamonds" sistemnika around! This is my understanding that other people did with "soul" and not for money - as "Mandriva"!
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