Who runs MX from USB and why?

[richb]

I snapshot my system and use Live USB maker to create an ISO of it. I have used it for recovery purposes and to transfer the system to another computer. So I do not regularly run from the USB. I do run from it to do testing of alphas and betas. I find it more convenient then swapping out disk drives or installing to extra drives in my system. This avoids a careless mistake of installing to the wrong drive or overwriting my working grub.

[Antediluvian]

You can use a live MX USB to spread the joy! Maybe you have a friend who is curious about Linux and wants to try it out on their own computer without committing to an install. Perhaps they are clueless about how to download an ISO, validate the download, and create a live USB. Well, you have everything ready to go.

I may be wrong but isn't running live w/o persistence a reasonable way to visit sketchy web sites?

[Laurentius]

I boot daily on one of my jobs, from usb, a live session of MX with persistence because I don't want to touch the MBR of the pc I use there (w10 installed), just in case. I don't need W10 but other people is just used to it. I have my persistence files in one partition of the hard drive and use the usb stick just to boot, so although it is a 2.0 stick, the performance is excellent. I am using now the persist_static mode.
I think I will try soon a frugal install.

[BV206]

Right now I only use Xubuntu as a daily drive permanent installation but I have my $HOME backed up with Lucky Backup on MX live USBs. That way if my hard drive crashes or the whole (old) laptop dies I can at least boot one of the live USBs and have easy access to anything I need before I restore $HOME to a new hard drive or new computer.

[Grey_2NE1]

xxxxxxx!
Sorry for that being my first word in my first post, but I had just written 2 pages of text in response, and when I clicked submit, the board just logged me out.

I will post this - se if it sticks - and then try to return with an answer to the question...

[Grey_2NE1]

hihi - automod censor...

Well, back to the point, but I'll skip to the conclusion:

My reason to choose MX was the ability to test it on a production machine without messing with the HDD: AND the ability to make a snapshot of a nice setup, so my non-net machines can stay updated and share look and feel.
(After all, production machines must NEVER be on the internets)
For a non-techie, that is [insert incredibly gross and offensive expletive] unfunny in a windows setting!
- After having MX as my first hands-on .nix experience I can already say that this distro solves a lot of my problems
- Speed dont seem to be a problem: on a 32 bit Dell laptop w. 2GB ram and USB 2.0 it runs just fine off the live stick with no discernible lag (disclaimer: I have only gotten to small tests, production file-test will have to wait untill I'm less sleepy, but I don't expect problems; I'm a text man, and 1000 pages of pure text is nothing to any o/s after DR DOS 3.0)

[JayM]

I guess I'm just dull as I don't need a portable system since the only computers I use are my own and have installed systems. I swap out hard drives when I'm testing stuff as it only takes a minute and I have lots of spare drives. One thing I check before I buy any laptop (haven't owned a desktop in 20 years) is how easy hard drove changes are. I was just genuinely interested in why people use USB as I've never seen the need except as an install medium,,,

I swap out hard drives only when I want to test a new MX installer, otherwise I use a live USB to test versions/respins of MX or antiX. Why?

Your workflow: burn the ISO to a USB stick, shut down, disconnect every peripheral's cable from the laptop (external mouse, speakers, power supply, whatever) if there are any, turn the laptop upside-down, remove the battery, remove the cover over the drive, remove your system drive, install a spare drive, close the case, replace the battery, turn the laptop over, reconnect your peripherals (if any), power up, reboot from the USB, install MX (and set up partitions, time zone, user name and password, root password, grub install location), then reboot into the new installation. That sounds like way too much unnecessary work to me.

My workflow: plug in a USB stick, burn the ISO to it, reboot, select the USB from my boot menu, boot, hit F5 and enable persistence and F8 to enable saving the boot options, configure persistence file sizes, change default passwords and select the sync type. Done!

And I have a full-featured operating system that I can install apps to, install updates to, customize my desktop, and do everything I can do on an installed system. I no longer even have to hit F5 and F8 or configure persistence options or passwords the next time I boot from my USB, I just boot, and it's just the way I left it the last time I used it. No tearing into the machine and swapping hardware needed.

One of these methods is way easier and faster than the other. :)

[mxer]

Yes, mainly for convenience, & trying things out - but my computers usually have installed systems too.

[jackdanielsesq]

Amen ...

Just thankful it replaced that bogus on-again, off-again CD/DVD ROM framus, is all.

Love permanence and order in my life - dont care about the difference in miniscule
boot times, I can still only type on one doc screen at a time - maybe my multitasking
skills need sharpening - and not two - BTW, Snapshot is sheer genius for distribution,
security - we love it - do not use/allow other O/S within our organization - ever.

Regards

Jack

I may be thick but I have yet to hear why as I really don't see a USB system will be faster/better than an installed system. About the only use I can see is as a portable system I can use on computers that I don't own. Never use any computers except my own so I have never seen the need for a portable system. I do keep a current snapshot to do installs when necessary though...

[Justinian]

Unable to replace bad EIDE hdd on old laptop. Used its CD drive to install MX-15-Core-32 on the root partition of a USB 2 flash. Operates better than the hdd and boots on all computers it's been tried on.