Linux help

[Donkey]

So I've never done any sort of thing like installing an operating system, or taking windows off. It seems like all of the tutorials/walkthroughs are for people who already understand a bit of lingo. I thought I might just start the installation process and walk myself through it.

I think I'm going to install the ubuntu netbook remix on my Acer One... but I don't have a flash drive handy (god knows what happened to mine forever ago), and the ones in the house can't be wiped. My question for the now: is it possible to install it off of a sufficiently large SD card?

I'll go forward with researching the situation, but any advice would be awesome.

Also, once Linux is on, how do I/should I remove windows?

[drgoodtrips]

Does the box have a CD drive? If so, you can burn an Ubuntu CD and run the OS on a trial basis that way.

[Donkey]

Does the box have a CD drive? If so, you can burn an Ubuntu CD and run the OS on a trial basis that way.
Nope. These are tiny machines.

I tried to install it off of my SD card, but I don't think my computer can boot off of that. I'll try it with a USB drive later.

[drgoodtrips]

Nope. These are tiny machines.

I tried to install it off of my SD card, but I don't think my computer can boot off of that. I'll try it with a USB drive later.

The USB should work as long as you can set the BIOS to boot from it. However, keep in mind that the USB drive has to be formatted specifically as bootable. I haven't done that in several years, so I don't know if it's more common and easy these days, but it isn't as straightforward as booting from a CD/DVD and I think the ability to set it bootable varies from drive to drive.

[Americano]

The USB should work as long as you can set the BIOS to boot from it. However, keep in mind that the USB drive has to be formatted specifically as bootable. I haven't done that in several years, so I don't know if it's more common and easy these days, but it isn't as straightforward as booting from a CD/DVD and I think the ability to set it bootable varies from drive to drive.

Odd timing, I just finished reading a novel where a USB stick was used at Internet cafes by drug cartel operatives to boot from the stick into a private operating system, do your business and leave without being detected by the obviously cheap as it gets cafe network system security.

[Michael]

Odd timing, I just finished reading a novel where a USB stick was used at Internet cafes by drug cartel operatives to boot from the stick into a private operating system, do your business and leave without being detected by the obviously cheap as it gets cafe network system security.
True, but there still would be ISP tracing available since one would still be using the Cafe's net connection which would be logged.

[drgoodtrips]

Odd timing, I just finished reading a novel where a USB stick was used at Internet cafes by drug cartel operatives to boot from the stick into a private operating system, do your business and leave without being detected by the obviously cheap as it gets cafe network system security.

I have a Linux distribution called "Damn Small Linux" that's configured with my custom OS preferences on it (as opposed to the stock one) on a thumb drive. I can plug that into any computer, anywhere, and run my own little OS.

I have it because it's one of the OS I use on my PC's at home for home automation stuff. It's configured to run happily on a machine with no hard drive and as little as 64 meg of RAM. So, truth be told, I probably wouldn't do that.

But, your book is accurate. That's an effective way to beat any local logging on an internet cafe machine, less the factor that Michael mentions (which would bring it back to the cafe, which could probably pinpoint the machine in question by process of elimination).

[Americano]

I have a Linux distribution called "Damn Small Linux" that's configured with my custom OS preferences on it (as opposed to the stock one) on a thumb drive. I can plug that into any computer, anywhere, and run my own little OS.

I have it because it's one of the OS I use on my PC's at home for home automation stuff. It's configured to run happily on a machine with no hard drive and as little as 64 meg of RAM. So, truth be told, I probably wouldn't do that.

But, your book is accurate. That's an effective way to beat any local logging on an internet cafe machine, less the factor that Michael mentions (which would bring it back to the cafe, which could probably pinpoint the machine in question by process of elimination).

The cafe machines were used to send text messages containing operating instructions to cartel members who received them on prepaid cell phones which were destroyed after each set of orders was received. I thought the system was very clever as Internet cafes are as common as fast food joints.

Schemes using computers and cell phones to avoid detection by authorities are now standard fare in most police procedure and thriller novels. Most seem very well researched as to their feasibility.