Hi,
Does anyone have any recommendations / precautions about which flash drives to use or to avoid for Lubuntu 14.04? I am assuming that pretty much any flash drive will work. I have never had any problems, but I just wanted to check to make sure. Thanks!
Most flash drive should work "fine", or well enough, at least if I'm guestimating the intended Lubuntu usage correctly. At least with what I've seen on most failures, it's typically been lower quality flash media, with a fair amount to fairly heavy writes/rewrites. I think failures are more rare when typical usage is read-mostly - and I'm presuming that would be the case for your Lubuntu usage? Would I be correct in presuming ISO images to boot from on USB, and only occasionally updating the image on the USB flash? If so, the overwhelming majority of USB flash out there should work quite well enough for that.
For more regular writes/rewrites, reasonably good quality does seem to matter. And that doesn't always strongly correlate to price, but there's typically at least some fair degree of correlation. Basically, for heavier use - especially lots of writes/rewrites, usually decent name brand stuff works longer and more reliably than cheap no-name/off-brand stuff.
Your mileage may vary, but that's been my general experience.
Also, if one watches sales 'n such, can often get 20% to 30% or more off, at least once in a while - at least for physical stores ... on-line "deals"/sales, may not dip as much in price.
4 bit ... I presume 64 bit?
From: "Christian Einfeldt" einfeldt@gmail.com Subject: [BALUG-Talk] Flash drives for Lubuntu 14.04 4 bit Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2017 18:26:01 -0700
Does anyone have any recommendations / precautions about which flash drives to use or to avoid for Lubuntu 14.04? I am assuming that pretty much any flash drive will work. I have never had any problems, but I just wanted to check to make sure. Thanks!
Hi,
Thanks, Michael. Yes, 64 bit. Just a typo.
Do you have any brand names that you recommend for heavy writes / rewrites? Thanks again.
On Thu, Jul 27, 2017 at 6:50 PM, Michael Paoli < Michael.Paoli@cal.berkeley.edu> wrote:
Most flash drive should work "fine", or well enough, at least if I'm guestimating the intended Lubuntu usage correctly. At least with what I've seen on most failures, it's typically been lower quality flash media, with a fair amount to fairly heavy writes/rewrites. I think failures are more rare when typical usage is read-mostly - and I'm presuming that would be the case for your Lubuntu usage? Would I be correct in presuming ISO images to boot from on USB, and only occasionally updating the image on the USB flash? If so, the overwhelming majority of USB flash out there should work quite well enough for that.
For more regular writes/rewrites, reasonably good quality does seem to matter. And that doesn't always strongly correlate to price, but there's typically at least some fair degree of correlation. Basically, for heavier use - especially lots of writes/rewrites, usually decent name brand stuff works longer and more reliably than cheap no-name/off-brand stuff.
Your mileage may vary, but that's been my general experience.
Also, if one watches sales 'n such, can often get 20% to 30% or more off, at least once in a while - at least for physical stores ... on-line "deals"/sales, may not dip as much in price.
4 bit ... I presume 64 bit?
From: "Christian Einfeldt" einfeldt@gmail.com
Subject: [BALUG-Talk] Flash drives for Lubuntu 14.04 4 bit Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2017 18:26:01 -0700
Does anyone have any recommendations / precautions about which flash drives
to use or to avoid for Lubuntu 14.04? I am assuming that pretty much any flash drive will work. I have never had any problems, but I just wanted to check to make sure. Thanks!
Well, small number statistics - not like I've tested dozens (or even half that), and many brands I've not had experience with. But within my very limited sample set:
All those that have failed have been effectively "no name" freebies from trade shows and other giveaway events - all handed (or sent) out by some (non flash manufacturer/seller) vendor, though some lasted an impressive number of years with rather regular use, but others failed in well under 2 years use - even with more moderate write usage. Of those "no name", none of them had actual USB flash manufacturer/seller printed on them. As for the USB data, some had valid vendor IDs for vendors I'd generally never heard of (or branding of a computer store chain), or an invalid vendor value (e.g. all bits clear, or all bits set). Some of 'em also had USB serial numbers of all zeros (all bits clear) - whereas those are supposed to be unique - at least per vendor and product ID (effective make and model).
Brands -not necessarily at all "best", but if we (wildly) extrapolate from my very limited statistics - essentially I've got zero failures on these, and from largest quantity of units to least, and perhaps with a bit of bias on more writes to less, top down, have at least approximately: SanDisk Kingston Technology PNY Lexar and omitting some that may be as good or better, but have qty. 1 and have thus far received rather to quite light write usage, and some of those listed above towards the bottom only have qty. 1 - but have received at least some fair and regular or semi-regular write usage over some years or more without issue.
Perhaps someone knows of good reliable site that's well tested and rated USB flash on reliability? ... I wasn't able to find such with at least a few quick searches. I have seen such reports at least for some SSD units/brands tested - but that may not necessarily correlate to USB flash. Others may have experiences quite different than mine.
From: "Christian Einfeldt" einfeldt@gmail.com Subject: Re: [BALUG-Talk] Flash drives for Lubuntu 14.04 4 bit Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2017 19:13:13 -0700
Hi,
Thanks, Michael. Yes, 64 bit. Just a typo.
Do you have any brand names that you recommend for heavy writes / rewrites? Thanks again.
On Thu, Jul 27, 2017 at 6:50 PM, Michael Paoli < Michael.Paoli@cal.berkeley.edu> wrote:
Most flash drive should work "fine", or well enough, at least if I'm guestimating the intended Lubuntu usage correctly. At least with what I've seen on most failures, it's typically been lower quality flash media, with a fair amount to fairly heavy writes/rewrites. I think failures are more rare when typical usage is read-mostly - and I'm presuming that would be the case for your Lubuntu usage? Would I be correct in presuming ISO images to boot from on USB, and only occasionally updating the image on the USB flash? If so, the overwhelming majority of USB flash out there should work quite well enough for that.
For more regular writes/rewrites, reasonably good quality does seem to matter. And that doesn't always strongly correlate to price, but there's typically at least some fair degree of correlation. Basically, for heavier use - especially lots of writes/rewrites, usually decent name brand stuff works longer and more reliably than cheap no-name/off-brand stuff.
Your mileage may vary, but that's been my general experience.
Also, if one watches sales 'n such, can often get 20% to 30% or more off, at least once in a while - at least for physical stores ... on-line "deals"/sales, may not dip as much in price.
4 bit ... I presume 64 bit?
From: "Christian Einfeldt" einfeldt@gmail.com
Subject: [BALUG-Talk] Flash drives for Lubuntu 14.04 4 bit Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2017 18:26:01 -0700
Does anyone have any recommendations / precautions about which flash drives
to use or to avoid for Lubuntu 14.04? I am assuming that pretty much any flash drive will work. I have never had any problems, but I just wanted to check to make sure. Thanks!
Wouldn't want to put words in his mouth, but guestimating ...
I'm presuming this is for Partimus.org. I think this is in part some history/momentum ... basically I think it's gone approximately like: Lubuntu was earlier chosen, as it being in the *buntu family, relatively well supported (community 'n all that), pretty popular/common, etc., and Lubuntu, for being a more lightweight install, less consuming of resources (particularly noteworthy for older hardware) - and where the user base pretty much needed/"demanded"/required GUI environment and such. Also, smaller ISO to install from - I believe among the *buntu 14.04[.x], Lubuntu was the last desktop one to fit on CD (<=720,000 KiB) - some older hardware having CD, but not DVD drives, and possibly not supporting boot from USB (at least not directly). I think there's also fair bit of "momentum": procedures, configuration, documentation, etc., built up around Lubuntu 14.04[.x] for use by Partimus.
Anyway, that's my guestimate as to why Lubuntu 14.04[.x]. Why 64 bit? I have no idea - I'd think 32 bit would be preferred, as it will run on more lower end / older hardware, and consume a bit less memory.
Ah, but the *scary* bit I notice ... Lubuntu 14.04[.x] went EOL 2017-04 - so *no* security support, bug fixes, etc.
I always thought Debian Edu / Skolelinux would be a most excellent fit for Partimus.org, but thus far appears Partimus.org has gone in slightly different direction(s). Debian Edu / Skolelinux is also a Debian Pure Blend. And though Canonical naming convention is a bit different, Lubuntu shares similar relationship with Ubuntu - same repositories, "just" different selection of packages - and modestly different configuration. However, unfortunately, in the Lubuntu case, the support is different and ends earlier than that of Ubuntu. Maybe a Lubuntu (semi-)expert can fill in the details a bit better, but those Lubuntu specific packages (and/or the repository they come from?) - the support falls off sooner than that of Ubuntu. Debian also has "supported", and, after that (with some limitations), LTS support - but the Debian LTS model and what it does and doesn't cover is somewhat different than the Ubuntu model (and any other *buntus).
references/excerpts: https://www.wiki.balug.org/wiki/doku.php?id=balug:cds_and_images_etc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubuntu#Releases http://www.partimus.org/ http://www.skolelinux.org/ https://blends.debian.org/blends/ch02.html#Blends
From: "Rick Moen" rick@linuxmafia.com Subject: Re: [BALUG-Talk] Flash drives for Lubuntu 14.04 4 bit Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2017 11:15:16 -0700
Quoting Christian Einfeldt (einfeldt@gmail.com):
Does anyone have any recommendations / precautions about which flash drives to use or to avoid for Lubuntu 14.04?
Why specifically Lubuntu, and why specifically 14.04?
Quoting Michael Paoli (Michael.Paoli@cal.berkeley.edu):
Wouldn't want to put words in his mouth, but guestimating ...
I think you're misinterpreting my question. It wasn't why pick _Lubuntu_, but rather why qualify a question that is entirely about flash media with the requirement that this be media for a specific distro and version.
To put it another way, I'm curious why Christian thinks Lubuntu, uniquely among Linux distributions, and/or release 14.04 for x86_64 specifically among Lubuntu flavours, has particular requirements for flash drives. Is there something about that distribution & release/architecture he knows that the rest of us don't?
If there isn't, then perhaps he should not qualify his requests for help with particular constraints that aren't actually relevant to what he wants to know.
Ah, but the *scary* bit I notice ... Lubuntu 14.04[.x] went EOL 2017-04 - so *no* security support, bug fixes, etc.
That's the next thing I intend to cover, after Christian gets around to answering my question.
Which answer I await with interest.
Lubuntu particulars: Released Version Support Ends 2014-04-17 14.04 LTS April 2017 - EOLed 2014-10-24 14.10 June 2015 - EOLed 2015-04-23 15.04 December 2015 - EOLed 2015-10-22 15.10 July 2016 - EOLed 2016-04-21 16.04 LTS April 2019 2016-10-13 16.10 July 2017 - now being EOLed 2017-04-13 17.04 December 2017
Don't install an EOLed distribution, Christian, unless you are prepared to keep that machine airgapped from public networks and have a really, _really_ compelling reason for installing an antique, unsupported distro. It's the dumbth.