MX Linux Forum

bitjam wrote:to store changes under /home and nowhere else

you can always encrypt files and save them to the cloud or elsewhere. Is there another reason to store changes under /home on a live-usb that is going to be used during travelling except files? i mean, am i missing something? (except the frugal install on the hard drive which is another option)
moreover if you encrypt the files you use during your travel and save them to the cloud afterwards, you will have your files even if you lose your usb.

xali wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2019 4:21 pmyou can always encrypt files and save them to the cloud or elsewhere. Is there another reason to store changes under /home on a live-usb that is going to be used during travelling except files?

Of course the file system is all about saving files. Home persistence saves things like bookmarks and configuration files as well as user created /downloaded files. To some extent almost all of the changes a normal user would make get saved under /home while it usually takes root privileges to changes things outside of /home. I think it would be extremely onerous to encrypt all the files in your home directory and save them to the cloud and then download them every time you boot. With home persistence it is like being on a normal machine but without root access for installing or changing things.

A live system with no persistence is like kiosk-mode where nothing gets saved between reboots. But this can get very annoying if you want to add a bookmark or change a setting or jot down a note or something. So home persistence gives you something in between kiosk mode and a fully persistent system.

We also offer the Live-usb-storage feature (on full featured live-usbs) that creates the subdirectory Live-usb-storage/ in your home directory. This works even if there is no persistence enabled. This is a great place to store large files like iso files or media files. It is also extremely convenient for transferring files between the live system and another computer. Of course, if you use the encrypt option when you make the live-usb then everything under ~/Live-usb-storage/ is encrypted as well.

thank you very much bitjam, those are very useful.

Yeah, the Live USB tools look like a great thing to me, unless you're someone who easily loses their stuff, that is.
I've never been too cautious about computer security, but I guess I should start working on it; better late than never.

My setup is a bit more on the paranoid side, but when crossing many borders it is better to be safe than sorry, as some say.
I travel with MX on an external HDD which I plug in and boot when necessary.
MX is installed in a LUKS encrypted partition, say 50GB. Then on the same disk there is another encrypted partition for data. While I remember the password of the MX root, I do not know the Data encryption password. It's hidden in a file among many other files which stay in MX Home/Documents/etc.
However, since I might be forced to disclose this Data password, the real data which I do not want to show are inside a couple of hidden veracrypt containers placed on the Data partition.
Well It's not that I store big secrets, in the hidden containers I keep all my firefox profiles, keepass database and a bunch of personal files.
While an accurate analysis will show somehow that there are hidden data around, I think this setup is reasonably safe in case I lose my HDD or in case someone wants to make a casual check.

I like a Chromebook when I travel. Nothing is stored on it. The device is lightweight and good battery life. If it's stolen they won't be getting a $1000 laptop. Everything is done in the cloud. (and yes, I know Google sucks).
Edit: I should add I generally also carry MX full install on a usb stick, just in case I need something more than the Chromebook. I can boot the MX usb on the Chromebook.