Small distro for flash drive?

cornbread · Nov 3, 2006

Are there any small Linux distros, easy to install, that would run off a usb flash drive, no more than 1gb in size?

I just tried Ubuntu, it needed more space.

splat · Nov 3, 2006

DSL (damn small linux), puppy linux

Bios24 · Nov 4, 2006

Couldn't you grab any live linux version? They make live versions of many distro's: knoppix, suse, ubuntu, etc. I figure if those cd's only take up 700mb, then you should have plenty of room to just expand that to a flash drive. You'll even have and extra 300mb space of storage.

Or are you looking for a full OS install?

klingens · Nov 4, 2006

Any distro that you can slim down a bit, including Ubuntu would fit on there.

To have it easier tho, instal a distro which can selectively install stuff

Misfit138 · Nov 4, 2006

1gig?
I think DSL only needs 50mb

Flamed_Chip · Nov 4, 2006

A server install of Ubuntu is about 500MB, you could then install xorg and a lightweight window manager such as fluxbox.

Captain Newbie · Nov 4, 2006

Gentoo (Sabayon, ... et al.) will do it.

Here's a howto.

cornbread · Nov 4, 2006

Thanks guys for all the feedback, I will probably be giving all the suggestions a try eventually. I tried Puppy last night, it was ok, but not my cup of tea, although it did have a game I got quickly addicted to, simple game called "bubbles", lol. I seem to be having the same problem with everything I try, my biggest gripe, being able to get online. For some reason I am unable to.

I like PCLinuxOS a lot, I ran the live cd from memory (loaded all the cd into memory), instead of the cd, I liked that option a lot, it ran much smoother than running from the cd. Other distros didn't give me that exact same option.

If I could manage to get one of them online that would be great, then I could work from "inside" of Linux making it easier to learn it, but switching back and forth from Windows becomes a pain.

Edit...

Another question, stupid question, but I have a AMD 64 processor, which version should I take when their are options like Gentoo for example "alpha amd64 hppa ia64 ppc (32 bit) ppc64 sparc64 x86"? I'm assuming the obvious choice would be "amd64"? Sorry to ask such a newb question, but I'm still in the learning process.

Misfit138 · Nov 4, 2006

You may want to avoid 64bit versions for now, at least for a desktop system, if you are starting out. There is generally less support for most everything on the 64bit versions. (Also, ppc versions are for MACs- Power PC's)
Try for the x86 versions (may be called i386 or 686) and if you have a dual core, maybe try one that has "smp" at the end of the description.

BTW I am hooked on PCLINUXOS too. I keep trying other distros, and so far I keep coming back to it for its simplicity and functionality. I LEARN more about Linux on other distros because they are more hands-on and require more tweaking, but I guess I prefer more to be configured out of the box. (Some distros take me hours to get them the way I want them, which is fun at first, and good for me to learn.)

cornbread · Nov 4, 2006

Ok, I'll give the 686 versions a try, thanks for the info.

cornbread · Nov 4, 2006

Woot!

Some process being made. My first post using in Linux using Gentoo. So far this is the first distro to get me online, using the Live CD right now, may do a hard drive install if all is good.

Edit...

The Gentoo installer "to me" isn't very new user friendly. Hopefully I'll get it figured out.

Captain Newbie · Nov 4, 2006

Misfit138 said:
You may want to avoid 64bit versions for now, at least for a desktop system, if you are starting out. There is generally less support for most everything on the 64bit versions. (Also, ppc versions are for MACs- Power PC's)
Try for the x86 versions (may be called i386 or 686) and if you have a dual core, maybe try one that has "smp" at the end of the description.

I'll disagree here and say that arch=amd64 actually works fairly well. I've been using pure-64-bit distributions since early 2005; and it's gotten so much better.

Stable, even.

Of course...my ACCEPT_KEYWORDS is ~amd64 (unstable bleeding edge) and I live with it...

BTW I am hooked on PCLINUXOS too. I keep trying other distros, and so far I keep coming back to it for its simplicity and functionality. I LEARN more about Linux on other distros because they are more hands-on and require more tweaking, but I guess I prefer more to be configured out of the box. (Some distros take me hours to get them the way I want them, which is fun at first, and good for me to learn.)

I have a regular-use box (currently Ubuntu) and an "experimental" system -- Sabayon aka Gentoo. Same deal.

edited - simultaneous post with above --

The Gentoo installer "to me" isn't very new user friendly. Hopefully I'll get it figured out.

Try Sabayon. It's Gentoo with kid gloves.

cornbread · Nov 4, 2006

Captain Newbie said:
Try Sabayon. It's Gentoo with kid gloves.

Hehe, that's sounds good, that's what I need now. I was very pleased that Gentoo got online right from the cd, like I said before, with other distro's that hasn't happened. I just tried PCLinux again, still no go, recognizes my ethernet and everything, just wont connect.

I'll try Sab real quick.

Misfit138 · Nov 4, 2006

Captain Newbie said:
Of course...my ACCEPT_KEYWORDS is ~amd64 (unstable bleeding edge) and I live with it...

I have a regular-use box (currently Ubuntu) and an "experimental" system -- Sabayon aka Gentoo. Same deal.

edited - simultaneous post with above --

Try Sabayon. It's Gentoo with kid gloves.

I agree with your concept. I liked a lot of things about Debian, but Ubuntu is more usable for me. You've piqued my interest in Sabayon, and I am downloading it now (Big download!)
I gave gentoo a quick try but gave up at the first sign of trouble. I think that once I got it installed, it would be the same as Debian- just not "desktoppy" enough for me.
I was, however, proud of installing Debian because I could never get it to work before.
Debian was also pretty damn fast on my machine.

cornbread · Nov 4, 2006

I'm downloading the mini version of Sabayon, it's taking forever. The mirrors and torrents alike are slooowwww.

splat · Nov 4, 2006

knoppix too.

btw, i swear your original post said "100mb" not "1gig". o well.

cornbread · Nov 4, 2006

First post using Sabayon, took forever to download, the mini cd version. So far I like, it has a lot of features, video was set up right, sound works, internet works.

I could only imagine what would be on the bigger version, I'm assuming server related stuff, this one seems loaded though, all I would ever need.

Going to try the install and see how that goes. Also downloaded Knoppix to try.

cornbread · Nov 5, 2006

Ok, another update.

I tried Sab most of the night, also Knoppix. Sab is nice, install went good, but the Knoppix install wasn't so easy, at least for me.

When I posted earlier about the sound and everything working in Sab, I was wrong. Sound actually didn't work.

After some reading it seems my chipset (in sig) causes some problems for Linux installs. Mainly ethernet and sound.

Hopefully I'll find some common ground with one of the Linux distro's. That's one of the positives about Linux, so many flavors to try.

cornbread · Nov 5, 2006

Ok, I have found one I'm sticking with. Ubuntu, after trying again all "so far" is running, sound, ethernet, etc. Ok, now the part where I show my newbness...please be easy on me.

When you download something you want to put on Linux, like a program of whatever, how do you install it? For example, I want to use Thunderbird instead of Evolution. Does Linux use installlers in the same sense ae Windows uses exe's?

Thanks

Ps...

I have no clue why Ubuntu didn't work the first time, but all is well, working now.

cloim · Nov 5, 2006

cornbread said:
When you download something you want to put on Linux, like a program of whatever, how do you install it?

It varies by distro.
Each one uses a package manager that you use to install programs.

Installing something that's not in the database will be highly dependent on the distro and the program.

Thunderbird, however, will be present.
With Ubuntu click on your "menu" button (assuming your using Gnome, it's a small foot in the corner of the screen) and look for administative categories. There will be something for installing new software. And thunderbird will be there. Tell it you want it. It will download and install.

There are also command line options. Ubuntu uses apt-get, inherited from Debian. But I don't know how to use it.

With Gentoo you would type "emerge thunderbird" at a root console.
Arch uses pacman. Each system has unique requirements for command structure and options.

Small distro for flash drive?

Member

ASCII Moderator

Member

Member

Member

Member

Senior Django-loving Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Senior Django-loving Member

Member

Member

Member

ASCII Moderator

Member

Member

Member

Registered

Similar threads