HD Install :: Install, then build?

If I install DSL on a 40 GB external USB hard drive, can I build that system into a full software development workstation that includes Java JDK, servers such as Apache, Tomcat, MySQL, an integrated development environment (IDE), and other tools and applications?

If I install software, will it still be around if I reboot the system?

Thanks.

If you do a traditional DSL hard disk install, it will still be around.

For other types of installs, you will need to use the backup/restore process and/or mydsl system on to a storage device in order to keep your stuff around after reboot.

But if I was going to set up a full workstation, I would skip the fuss and just do a full hd install.

original here.