Puppy Linux Lets You Run From, Save To The Same CD 277
qewl writes "Now there's a live CD that can actually save data back onto its own disk! How does it work? The PC boots with a multi-session CD inserted in the CD-burner drive -- thus, Puppy Linux automatically knows which drive is the CD-burner, in case you have more than one CD/DVD drive. Then you use Puppy in the normal way. At shutdown, all the changed files in your home directory are saved back to CD. That's it. Next time you boot, all the personal files are restored!"
Hmm..birthday present! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Hmm..birthday present! (Score:4, Funny)
Wow. Thanks, Captain Obvious. You saved all two nerds with girlfriends from imminent failure.
Re:Hmm..birthday present! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Hmm..birthday present! (Score:2)
And there is the answer to why geeks have a hard time in relationships!
Not quite there yet... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not quite there yet... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not quite there yet... (Score:2)
tps reports
Interesting, now for the next level... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Interesting, now for the next level... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Interesting, now for the next level... (Score:2)
Re:Interesting, now for the next level... (Score:5, Funny)
hmm.. *scratching head* ~14.4GB?
or perhaps 2 chicks at the same time?
Re:Interesting, now for the next level... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Interesting, now for the next level... (Score:2)
Re:Interesting, now for the next level... (Score:2, Funny)
My modem ran at that speed years ago!
I wouldn't (Score:2)
The problem is RW disks fail without warning, and they are only good for a 1000 writes (this is optimistic in my experience). Unless you do a verify after the write you cannot be sure that you data is saved. Worse, you have overwritten the last version too, so you can't use any hacks to get back older versions of the files you really need.
DVD-RAM in a caddy, or not removed from the drive, shouldn't have this problem. Good luck finding a DVD-RAM drive anywhere though.
Re:I wouldn't (Score:2)
Re:I wouldn't (Score:2)
The main advantages of this over the multi-sesion approach here is that it'd save the per-session overhead of 13MB - i.e. currently, every time you shut the system down and it saves files to the CD-R, there's an 13Mb overhead above and beyond the size of the changed files. I think it'd also help with the 99-track limit.
Unfortunately, AFAIK no-one's working on Linux support for packet-writing to
I read a review on this distro (Score:3, Funny)
I can see it coming... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I can see it coming... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I can see it coming... (Score:4, Interesting)
Yes, which is why USB sticks aren't news. This is novel and at least potentially somewhat useful (not everyone with a CD burner has an extra USB flash drive lying around).
Boot (Score:2)
yeah, but (Score:5, Funny)
oh, nevermind
DVD? RW? (Score:5, Interesting)
What would be extra cool is if you could combine this with something like the gentoo catalyst livecd making software. So not only could I save files on the RW disc but could also customize which software is on the disc to begin with. So if I wanted to get rid of X and save more space for files I could do so.
Re:DVD? RW? Read the FAQ! (Score:5, Informative)
Why should I use a CD-R, why not a CD-RW or DVD disk?
I do not recommend a CD-RW simply because it isn't necessary. A CD-R is "write-once", but in multi-session mode, tracks can be written one after the other, up to 99 tracks or the CD becomes full. You could use a DVD-R, however I would discourage you. Puppy has a mechanism for keeping track of deleted files, and this may become unwieldy if a very large number of deleted files have to be kept track of. This mechanism works on a per-CD or per-DVD basis, and is going to be more manageable with the smaller number of files on the CD. Also, it could take years before you fill-up a DVD, and in the meantime, unless you leave it permanently in the drive, there is the increased risk of it being scratched. Note however, this is tentative advice -- it may turn out in practice that a DVD-R is a good way to go.
Re:DVD? RW? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:DVD? RW? (Score:5, Informative)
So yes, it burns a new one, once you need it.
Re:DVD? RW? (Score:2)
Its been done (Score:5, Interesting)
Puppy huh (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Puppy huh (Score:3, Funny)
nice! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:nice! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:nice! (Score:2)
Full code is in the CVS, nice GUI, you can either /home, /home and configs or everything back to the LiveCD. Save Incremental changes or full changes. CD-Persistent allows the use of a CD-r or even a better CD-RW. For further details see the HowTo [sourceforge.net] with screenshots. (Disclaimer - I am the main developer for this module)
Morphix a modular based which basically tak
At last! (Score:5, Interesting)
This project deserves to be watched closely in the future, I'm eager to see what it's gonna offer in the future.
Re:At last! (Score:2)
Actually, it's designed for CDR, not RW. The distro itself is 50 MB, and you have the rest, 600 or so MB, which is used to make up to 99 images of your personal files.
Forensics? (Score:5, Funny)
This is reading like the plot of Alias, isn't it?
Who cares. This is cool enough that I'm going to keep a copy in my backpack.
Re:Forensics? (Score:3, Interesting)
Encryption might be good. (Score:4, Insightful)
That's great for Windows compatability, but I'd prefer my files to be encrypted, even on a livecd.
Re:Encryption might be good. (Score:2)
Where would you keep the key. Hopefully not on the CD. This also means that you can't readily encrypt many files, such as those required to boot.
Another option would be to have a small bootable Linux kernel/initrd on a USB drive along with a key, and an encrypted CDROM.
Uhh... (Score:5, Funny)
just bandage them up... (Score:2)
Yup. (Score:5, Funny)
when you call.
They don't chase
squirrels at all.
Re:Yup. (Score:2)
Re:Uhh... (Score:2)
Puppy does install to the hard drive (Score:2)
Re:Puppy does install to the hard drive (Score:2)
Re:Puppy does install to the hard drive (Score:2)
Re:Puppy does install to the hard drive (Score:2)
USB Key? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:USB Key? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:USB Key? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:USB Key? (Score:3, Informative)
No - USB Key for Personal User Files! (Score:2)
Isn't this easier than always writing to the CDROM, a slow and more likely to fail matter?
Re:USB Key? (Score:2)
Re:USB Key? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:USB Key? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:USB Key? (Score:3, Interesting)
Yeah. It would be good if a USB key or another kind of removable storage could overlay the entire filesystem so that you could do things like editing configuration files in-place.
Imagine that for net cafes, though. As an ordinary user, you could get root access and install whatever apps you want, as long as your key is big enough to fit the overlay. As soon as you leave, the computer is automatically back in the pristine state, and when you return, no matter which computer you use, you see the same setu
Re:USB Key? (Score:2)
Re:USB Key? (Score:2)
Re:USB Key? (Score:2, Informative)
Yes.
In spite of all the posters saying nothing will boot from USB, it is in fact quite common on even low cost motherboards these days.
Re:USB Key? (Score:2)
They give you a 20/30/40 GB USB 2 hard drive, a mini CD, and Mandrake 10.0 pre-installed on the usb drive. Pop in the mini-cd and there goes Mandrake. A friend of mine has it, and he loves it. He can access all his winXP files and use every game he wants without having to bother with hard drive partitioning.
The only downside is the price, it costs about $250/300 because of the pocket drive.
It's way too slow on a USB 1 plug though.
I may be a bit out of date on cd-rs (Score:4, Insightful)
Wouldnt that make even an empty cd fail be filled after a months, nevertheless rather full distro cd?
Whats wrong with using an USB stick for such things?
Re:I may be a bit out of date on cd-rs (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I may be a bit out of date on cd-rs (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I may be a bit out of date on cd-rs (Score:5, Informative)
So when I boot and download pr0n (Score:2)
Re:So when I boot and download pr0n (Score:3, Funny)
Good for data recovery and such (Score:4, Insightful)
Anyhow, even if some of that is available, it might just plain be convenient. I like the idea, anyway
Re:Good for data recovery and such (Score:2, Informative)
I use knoppix-std (security tools distro) from time to time. there is a "tomem" cheat code available at bootup for loading the image into memory - provided you have enough. As you would expect, things run faster.
I can't say for sure but I presume the cdrom is free after
Re:Good for data recovery and such (Score:3, Informative)
It only asks for the CD that it booted from during shutdown to burn the changes.
I've been running it for kicks for the last couple of hours, and I'm very impressed! It's of course minimalist, but very functional (with Gxine and Firefox installed, I'm even streaming music).
If you're going to give it a try, keep in mind that, for me, it ran significantly better after the first reboot (and burn of session). Not sure why that would be .
dogs & cats (Score:5, Funny)
Linux Live CDs now required to surf the Net! (Score:4, Interesting)
I would use Ubunto, which is the first live Linux I have gotten my hands on, but it wouldn't pick up my modem correctly (probably a win modem thing). Other than that, and the fact that it wouldn't play MP3s without a plugin, I loved Ubunto. Linux is way close to "getting there."
But after I wasted three days getting some powerful trojan crap off my computer not too long ago (yes, on an XP system), running from a CD and having a read only hard drive while connected to the Net seems like a pretty good idea, to me!
Usurper_ii
Re:Linux Live CDs now required to surf the Net! (Score:2)
If you add the restricted repository to apt-get, i believe there are drivers in there for winmodems. Furthermore, you can just install XMMS for mp3-playing, or gstreamer for use with rhythmbox
Wonderful (Score:2, Interesting)
Packet Writer (Score:2, Interesting)
It's a patch for the linux kernel that make it treat CD-RWs as another local filesystem, you can write and remove files as you can do that in your harddrive, no need to blank all the cdrw.
I tried it on the nitro kernel patchset, and it was fast on 4x media
(I think Nero InCD does the same thing)
Internet Cafes (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Internet Cafes (Score:4, Informative)
As for the solution for windows users to prevent the altering of a configuration:
www.symantec.com/goback/
My university uses it to lock down the general student labs. In 3 years, I've seen it work well.
Re:Internet Cafes (Score:2)
I can see the Slashdot headline now... "Puppy Linux costs hard drive, spyware, encryption makers millions of dollars in lost sales."
But maybe it brings new business to data recovery companies... that is,
Re:Internet Cafes (Score:2)
Using a small, dirt-cheap hard drive, and leaving out the CD-ROM, would save you just as much. And a hard drive is sure to be much faster than a CD.
All this can be just as easily accomplised with a hard drive, and is
load "kernel32.sys" ,8,1 (Score:3, Funny)
And its going to Everest! (Score:5, Interesting)
1.0.0 alpha ONLY is multisession? (Score:2)
Can someone confirm that only the latest ALPHA version is multisession, and
Also I wish they had a torrent available, I feel almost bad with Puppy being caught with its pants down, torrentless.
Torrent (Score:4, Informative)
Great for Work (Score:2)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:5, Funny)
Mutlisession CDR Bootable/Saveable Linux
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:2)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:2)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, but at least it's not named:
Extreme Multisession CDR Bootable/Saveable Linux XP 3000
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:2)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Puppy linux? (Score:5, Funny)
No, they could not have. This name is more sexually attracted to other names of the same gender than any other name.
Re:hmmm (Score:4, Funny)
Re:first 2 say! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:first 2 say! (Score:2, Funny)
-1 for no capitalization of "I".
-1 for no punctuation.
-1 for "know" instead of "now."
-1 for terrible joke.
Congratulations, you have reached the famed moderation level of "-4, Never Post Again."
Re:Now for it's next trick... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:improvements to the LiveCD model (Score:3, Informative)