USB booting :: running DSL from USB on public school computers

As far as security of the system is concerned: if DSL runs embedded there is no risk that the native windows might be damaged.

If the risk of infecting the DSL with viruses is very small, because the Windows system has viruses which normally don't work on Linux. Running DSL as read-only protects is completely!

Breadman

bread-n-linux.de.vu

I don't think its going to work.

usually on a public computer the bios is passworded and only the windows partition on the hard drive is allowed to boot. Other wise anyone could boot linux and trash EVERYTHING

And a x86 emulator would never work on a machine with those specs.

Good point!

In my school we do not know bios passwords....

The question from ryancw was:

Quote

It would be neat if there was a way for the kids to run a linux system at school, without modifying, harming, or interfering with the native Win2000 operating system, hard drive, or network (all the school PCs are networked together--I don't know the details.) In other words, it would have to be totally isolated from whatever was on the computer already.

I think it's neat that DSL can be "booted up" right from Windows, without physically rebooting the machine

And in this context an embedded DSL can run if the system has at least a celeron 300 MHz, 64 Mb RAM and a Windows 2000 operating machine.
But it is very slow, almost unusable (depends on how much time you have, loading firefox takes about 1.5 min then).

For it runs properly you should have a 500Mhz machine and 128 Mb Ram (the more the better). Very important if you can't reboot the system: are the USB-ports blocked or can you use them. Normaly if a system is made safe, they block USB ports (or as i heard recently make them write only).

Breadman

www.bread-n-linux.de.vu

I would simply try it. install the DSL embedded onto a usb flash stick, and send it off with your kid.

You can try a live cd. Most systems come with cd booting as default now a days. the only problem you would hit is not being able to save settings.

Also, depending on the internet access setup, the system might be locked out.

Chances are though, the school's tech department aren't good enough to lock down all the appropriate things.

That's my experience with the 20+ schools I've been to.

Yepp...., but a live cd can't be a solution unless it does not need to reboot the computer.

And, as far as I know, there are no Linux-LiveCD which run "embedded". If there would be it would be great!

I have the following problem in a public library:
I can start the DSL-embedded system from USB . But if i close it the system trashes DSL completely. Neither am I abled to boot it on the very same machine nor on mine at home.

1) What is the problem?
2) A live CD, which runs embedded would be grate, as I am not allowed/ abled to reboot the computer. In such a live CD i could include all favourite websites in Firefox and my personal settings (that's all I need). Then there wouldn't be a problem with a crashed system...

Breadman
www.bread-n-linux.de.vu

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