Take Linux with you! The days of expensive USB Keys and confusing installation procedures are over. Today we highlight three of our favorite portable Linux distributions that will allow you to carry your favorite open source operating system around in your pocket!
Introduction
In this edition of “How can I be more of a geek” (oh c’mon you know you are one!) we take a look at how to pick a Linux distribution for your USB Key, install it on said USB Key, and finally what you will gain (apart from the cool factor) from having your own portable Linux OS.
Which Linux distribution should I put on my USB Key?
Sadly there is no quick and easy answer to this question. Never fear, here at Bright Hub we have the research for you! In this article we will be looking at two Linux distributions designed from the ground up to be small, and thus easy to run from today’s USB Keys - Damn Small Linux and Puppy Linux, and the not so small but very popular Ubuntu.
This is not to say that other popular, and not so popular, Linux distributions cannot be installed onto a portable USB Key. Several other distributions have been successfully installed to USB Key, however, many of them take much more work to get up and running than the three we will be focusing on.
Installation
Each of the three Linux distributions we have chosen to highlight in this article have very simple graphical installers setup to allow you to easily install to USB Key. So instead of boring you with 3 step by step guides to these installs I will give you a basic outline of what steps are required for all three Linux distributions.
- Be sure you have a working CD/DVD drive.
- Download the Live CD image for the Linux distribution of your choice.
- Burn the image.
- Make sure your computer is setup to boot from a CD/DVD drive.
- Boot the Live CD.
- Find and start the graphical installer.
- Follow the prompts during the install process.
That’s it! With these three Linux distributions it really is that easy. Make sure any computer you want to use your new Linux USB Key on has its BIOS set to allow booting from USB Devices, insert the USB Key, and reboot. You are now in your own personal portable Linux environment.
In the next section we will take a quick look at each distribution, DSL (Damn Small Linux), Puppy Linux, and Ubuntu Linux.