Ubuntu 10.10 LiveUSB

[utu]

I have recently set up a Live USB version of Ubuntu 10.10 on a 2 Gb SanDisk card.
I used the PenDrive program to make the LiveUSB directly from the Ubuntu iso.

The result provides a remarkably clean and efficient Linux Desktop,
which compares quite favorably with my Knoppix 6.4.3 Live USB.

The quirky LXDE & PCManFM imperfections which plague Knoppix 6.2 and 6.4 are happily absent.
Ubuntu 10.10, 32-bit has a few worrisome (installation) edges, but not many.

Unfortunately, I haven't found Ubuntu forums as friendly or as useful as knoppix.net.
I just got (in mid Jan 2010) a Launchpad query about a Ubuntu bug I posted there in May 2010.

[utu]

edit mid Jan 2010 -> mid Jan 2011
My bad.

[krishna.murphy]

Perhaps you'd be willing to post an ISO (on Google docs, for instance) of the finalized version, assuming that was workable. I'd be interested to try it out.

Cheers!
Krishna

[utu]

Nothing special here:

Ubuntu iso is at: http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

The maker of USB's from isos I used is at:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/univers...easy-as-1-2-3/

I download the iso first, then fire up the pendrive program.
If you have Broadcom wi-fi, just be patient, the wl driver IS there.

[utu]

Note, this pendrive program is for Windows XP or 7.

[utu]

Having used both Ubuntu 10.10 and Knoppix 6.4.3 both for some time now,
I can offer the following amendments to my initial endorsement of 10.10.

A basic deciding factor for me is that my internal wifi is a Broadcom
unit which requires a 'non-free' driver, wl.
Knoppix 6.4.3 installs this driver with no problem at all.

Ubuntu is the only other current LiveUSB distro I've tried that does install wl.
It does so seemingly reluctantly, and not without some problems thereafter.
After finally installing wl, subsequent Synaptic operations seem very clumsy.
Something about redo-ing initramfs seems to take a long time,
with error messages that make you wonder if all went well or not.
As far as I can tell, Synaptic is doing its thing, but not happy working
around the 'non-free' driver's invasion into its neighborhood.

No such problems arise in Ubuntu using an external RTL8187L wifi adapter,
it may be noted.

So, assuming living with one's internal Broadcom wifi is one objective,
and insisting on reliable access to Synaptic is another:
taming LXDE/PCManFM imperfections in Knoppix 6.4.3, currently yields
a more satisfactory final result, than does dealing with a 'non-free'
driver problem in Ubuntu 10.10.

[utu]

In researching 11.04 I decided to revisit Ubuntu 10.

In so doing I became aware that the snags I decided I might live with
in Ubuntu 10.10 are probably best described by Ubuntu Bug 562312.
In short, the Broadcom wl driver will get loaded, but a necessary redo
of initramfs hangs up and registers an error before returning. This
snag also recurs on every subsequent access of Synaptic. Annoying but
not catastrophic. You can review the Launchpad record yourself at

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ls/+bug/562312

This bug was apparently brought under control in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.
I now have an improved Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, daily build ~11 Feb 2011 which
has most of the kinks of Ubuntu 10.10 final ironed out. I found this at

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/lucid/daily-live/current/

However, it's really tight for a 2 Gb USB setup, leaving only 360 Mb
persistent after a fully successful Broadcom driver installation with no
initramfs complaints. Compare this with the 1181 Mb persistence I get
with a 2 Gb Knoppix 6.4.4 LiveUSB.

Bug 562312 seemed to be the Broadcom/initramfs hang-up in Ubuntu 10;
presumably 'fixed' in the noted daily build of 10.04 LTS. AFAIK the
Ubuntu 10.10 that's to be downloaded does not have the 'fix' in it, but
may perhaps may be upgradeable if your initial USB has a large enough
persistent store. I wouldn't try this with a 2 Gb initial install.

So, in conclusion I feel I should amend this thread with the suggestion
that Ubuntu 10.04 LTS with a daily build of 11 Feb 2011, or later,
LiveCD version looks OK to me, but suggest that 4 Gb is a better fit
than 2 Gb for the LiveUSB. This build avoids problems I've experienced
with both Ubuntu 10.10-final and Ubuntu 11.04 beta1. It's not as elegant
and transparent as Knoppix 6.4.4, but a workable alternative.