4 ms·

Why does it need to be on the phone? Carry a normal USB stick.

Infinity315 2y ago
It doesn't, but consider that the vast majority of us already carry our phones everywhere. Would carrying an extra USB stick be that big of a hassle? No, but I can see the need for booting up a ready Linux image being extremely situational so the vast majority of time you're just carrying dead weight.
- forgotpwd16 2y ago
  You can have a stick with one boot and one commonly formatted (FAT32/exFAT/ext) partition, Linux image being stored in later. Then it's like a normal stick that can also be used to boot Linux. Ventoy automates this process, allowing you to throw any ISO in a specific directory and boot it.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago
  Wouldn't it be cool if these general purpose computers in our pockets were useful in novel ways? You're only allowed to use it in the prescribed fashion.
- dataflow 2y ago
  What do you do about the USB cable though? A flash drive you can plug in directly, it's guaranteed to work. A phone requires you to either carry around an extra cable (arguably more annoying to carry than a flash drive) or take the risk that you won't have the right cable available nearby when you're trying to (say) boot a laptop.
Medox 2y ago
The USB stick will be forgotten or lost much quicker than the phone.
- diggan 2y ago
  USB sticks attached to keychains are already widespread in some communities (DJs for example), I'm sure us software people could do it too if we wanted to :)
  - Perz1val 2y ago
    Also attach an USB killer for extra thrill
  - felixg3 2y ago
    That makes sense. I once got falsely identified as a DJ, but it was just a YubiKey.
  - zamalek 2y ago
    I leave my keychain at the door when I get home. This is probably a common practice.
- lizknope 2y ago
  I have a few Verbatim "Tuff and Tiny" USB drives. Like this but without the plastic clip part. I can fit them in my wallet because its about the thickness of 2 credit cards which are also in my wallet. https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-8GB-Clip-Flash-Drive/dp/B00NJG6K0G/ https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-8GB-Clip-Flash-Drive/dp/B00N...
  - Medox 2y ago
    Reminds me of the credit card sized (literally [1]) USB stick I still have somewhere but it was too annoying to carry around and hope that next time that cheap stick still works... Using the phone directly still seems the cleanest and most reliable way. Or maybe a combination of both, like those magnetic plugs [2] but with an integrated USB stick. Bonus points if you don't have to take it out at all (until needed) by either connecting the other magnetic part for data transfer and charging or data through USB OTG and wireless charging. One can dream... but the technology will shrink even further so who knows. 1. https://www.amazon.com/Enfain-Flash-Drives-Memory-Credit/dp/B00KBO2FGW https://www.amazon.com/Enfain-Flash-Drives-Memory-Credit/dp/... 2. https://www.adafruit.com/product/5524 https://www.adafruit.com/product/5524

It doesn't, but consider that the vast majority of us already carry our phones everywhere. Would carrying an extra USB stick be that big of a hassle? No, but I can see the need for booting up a ready Linux image being extremely situational so the vast majority of time you're just carrying dead weight.

forgotpwd16 2y ago
You can have a stick with one boot and one commonly formatted (FAT32/exFAT/ext) partition, Linux image being stored in later. Then it's like a normal stick that can also be used to boot Linux. Ventoy automates this process, allowing you to throw any ISO in a specific directory and boot it.
2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago
Wouldn't it be cool if these general purpose computers in our pockets were useful in novel ways? You're only allowed to use it in the prescribed fashion.
dataflow 2y ago
What do you do about the USB cable though? A flash drive you can plug in directly, it's guaranteed to work. A phone requires you to either carry around an extra cable (arguably more annoying to carry than a flash drive) or take the risk that you won't have the right cable available nearby when you're trying to (say) boot a laptop.

Medox 2y ago

The USB stick will be forgotten or lost much quicker than the phone.

diggan 2y ago
USB sticks attached to keychains are already widespread in some communities (DJs for example), I'm sure us software people could do it too if we wanted to :)
- Perz1val 2y ago
  Also attach an USB killer for extra thrill
- felixg3 2y ago
  That makes sense. I once got falsely identified as a DJ, but it was just a YubiKey.
- zamalek 2y ago
  I leave my keychain at the door when I get home. This is probably a common practice.
lizknope 2y ago
I have a few Verbatim "Tuff and Tiny" USB drives. Like this but without the plastic clip part. I can fit them in my wallet because its about the thickness of 2 credit cards which are also in my wallet. https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-8GB-Clip-Flash-Drive/dp/B00NJG6K0G/ https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-8GB-Clip-Flash-Drive/dp/B00N...
- Medox 2y ago
  Reminds me of the credit card sized (literally [1]) USB stick I still have somewhere but it was too annoying to carry around and hope that next time that cheap stick still works... Using the phone directly still seems the cleanest and most reliable way. Or maybe a combination of both, like those magnetic plugs [2] but with an integrated USB stick. Bonus points if you don't have to take it out at all (until needed) by either connecting the other magnetic part for data transfer and charging or data through USB OTG and wireless charging. One can dream... but the technology will shrink even further so who knows. 1. https://www.amazon.com/Enfain-Flash-Drives-Memory-Credit/dp/B00KBO2FGW https://www.amazon.com/Enfain-Flash-Drives-Memory-Credit/dp/... 2. https://www.adafruit.com/product/5524 https://www.adafruit.com/product/5524