MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Anyone here running Linux from a USB drive?

FizzyWater · 07-02-2010, 10:30 PM

I've been toying with the idea of installing USB on a thumb drive and booting my netbook (which came with Windows XP installed) with it.

I would like to worry less about viruses and Trojans while surfing online. (You may know that I was badly infected by a Trojan worm in December and it took months to get everything ironed out).

Is anyone here booting a computer to Linux using an USB drive? Is there a preferred distribution (there are SO MANY)?

Does anyone know if I'm surfing the web in a computer booted from a Linux USB drive, does the OS even see my Windows drive? Can I still download a Windows virus/trojan that affects that drive while I'm surfing in Linux?

And finally, is Linux pretty intuitive, or would you recommend I at least skim through a "using Linux" book? (For example, I'm so used to just finding software - like Firefox - and installing it, and would it work the same, would I have to install that to the thumb drive, too?)

07-02-2010, 10:30 PM	#1
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Anyone here running Linux from a USB drive? I've been toying with the idea of installing USB on a thumb drive and booting my netbook (which came with Windows XP installed) with it. I would like to worry less about viruses and Trojans while surfing online. (You may know that I was badly infected by a Trojan worm in December and it took months to get everything ironed out). Is anyone here booting a computer to Linux using an USB drive? Is there a preferred distribution (there are SO MANY)? Does anyone know if I'm surfing the web in a computer booted from a Linux USB drive, does the OS even see my Windows drive? Can I still download a Windows virus/trojan that affects that drive while I'm surfing in Linux? And finally, is Linux pretty intuitive, or would you recommend I at least skim through a "using Linux" book? (For example, I'm so used to just finding software - like Firefox - and installing it, and would it work the same, would I have to install that to the thumb drive, too?)