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Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Troubles installing with Suse USB stick

Thanks Rob.

On Tue, Aug 13, 2013 at 9:54 AM, Rob Echlin <rob [ at ] echlin [ dot ] ca> wrote:

> Hi Rick,
> 1)
> I think that throughpput to a USB3 drive would be slower than access to a
> local hard drive, even though USB 3 is faster than USB 2.
> Access time may be slower as well.
>

This is one of my considerations.  The application is to allow me to
continue development away from my home lab, for talks &etc.

Checked USB3 drive tests a couple weeks ago, some were impressive.  There
is an HDXC slot that I could use as well.  If I went that way there
wouldn't be a drive hanging off of the box, but HDXC is expensive and the
throughput on USB3 appears to be significantly better.


>
> 2)
> You may know this already, since you sound like an experienced user.
> Dual booting means having something take charge of both boots and allowing
> you to choose.
> Generally a Linux install will be able to do that with grub or equivalent
> identifying the Mac OS and knowing how to boot it.
>

I've done that in the past, on a MacPro.  Using an application called 'Boot
Camp'.  It worked wonderfully, Linux looks good running on a Mac Laptop.

The Pro was a work puter.  Boss laughed.  "I spent all that money on a Mac
for you so you could install Linux on it?" ... "Well, duh."

But I had to blow it away to update MacOS.  This made me unhappy, I didn't
bother reinstalling, didn't need it as much at the time.


> I would recommend you tell Grub to install itself on the USB drive, not
> the local drive. Then you can boot to either OS when the USB drive is
> present and boot directly to Mac OS when it is not.
> This would mean setting the BIOS to permit it to boot from any USB drive
> when it is present.
> Do Macs let you do that?
>

I don't know.  From searches, it does appear to be problematic, and it is
what I want to do, precisely.

Failover is to install Linux on a small partition as I did with the MBPro
(with Boot Camp) and use the USB3 for space.  It's not what I want to do
though.  Still, easier to fix on an OS upgrade.

Space is limited on the MBAir, I didn't have that problem with the MBpro.

BTW, Boot Camp is excellent for anyone thinking of using it.  Or it was
about three years a go.


> If there are more dual boot caveats with Macs, I would not know them as I
> don't have a Mac.
>

> 3)
> Hardware compatibility.
> I don't know what distros support Mac hardware, especially new Mac
> hardware.
> It may be worth checking on this.
> Anyone know more?
> We do have some Mac users.
>

One thing about Mac hardware, it is Mac hardware, choice is limited so
porting to it is not the big deal it can be with general Windoze market
hardware.  This is 'new' Mac hardware though.

The MBPro install was Fedora.

If anyone has advice and/or a recent experience to share I'd love to hear
it.

Doing this next week, on vacation.

Cheers!

-- 
*Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days.
        -- W. C. Fields*