Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2020 13:52:06 -0700 From: David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD live USB stick Message-ID: <503ac059-c4a5-d618-9b85-e154339e1f36@holgerdanske.com> In-Reply-To: <c829ccc34d426f37671515a43980c00385434e7a.camel@rocketmail.com> References: <4ccdd6e57db9817c48ff492cb82361ebe820cf86.camel.ref@rocketmail.com> <4ccdd6e57db9817c48ff492cb82361ebe820cf86.camel@rocketmail.com> <d0d02464-c122-46e3-d052-a67eac129222@holgerdanske.com> <c829ccc34d426f37671515a43980c00385434e7a.camel@rocketmail.com>
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On 2020-04-25 11:21, Ralf Mardorf via freebsd-questions wrote: > On Sat, 2020-04-25 at 11:01 -0700, David Christensen wrote: >> On 2020-04-25 08:03, Ralf Mardorf via freebsd-questions wrote: >>> Hi, >>> >>> I want to have FreeBSD on a 32 GB USB 3.0 stick. Since I'm an openbox >>> user NomadBSD [1] looks promising to me. Any opinions or hints? >>> >>> Regards, >>> Ralf >>> >>> [1] https://nomadbsd.org/handbook/handbook.html#intro >> >> I have installed FreeBSD onto SanDisk Ultra Fit 16 GB USB 3.0 flash >> drives. I like these for their compact form factor, which reduces the >> chance of mechanical damage to the drive and/or port/ motherboard. >> However, they run hot, they are not a good choice for high-endurance >> applications (I cooked a 128 GB model using it for Time Machine backups >> in a MacBook Pro), and write performance is an obvious limitation when >> running a graphical desktop. I have experienced problems with both >> FreeBSD and Linux when using these drives in USB 3.0 ports, but not with >> USB 2.0 ports. > > Thank you for the pointer. > > I noticed that a Toshiba 32 GB USB 2 stick gets hot when either > connected to my Roland GR-55 guitar synth or to a hub connected with my > Linux PC, just by being connected and at worst by sharing a few bytes of > data. For the live FreeBSD I ordered a Toshiba USB 3 stick. I never > noticed that my aged 8GB and smaller USB sticks get hot, by just being > connected or sharing a few bytes of data. I still could cancel the order > and purchase another aged USB stick. > > Fortunately the openbox Window manager is not that bloated as almost all > desktop environments. > > However, I didn't had head in mind. I hope the temperature would not > become a show stopper. > > Until now I only used Linux live DVDs, if I needed a live media. I > thought it would be a good idea to migrate to either a BSD or Linux on > an USB stick. After the 128 GB Ultra Fit failed, I shopped around for high-endurance USB flash drives. These are hard to find, especially in larger capacties. I did find one OEM that makes industrial flash devices in various capacities and form factors, including USB: https://www.cactus-tech.com/products/industrial-grade/usb-flash-drive/ Unfortunately, Cactus Technologies is an OEM and does not sell into retail channels. I contacted them, and they offered to sell me two 16 GB drives (USB 2.0?) for $39 plus shipping with a lead time of 5 weeks ARO (if not in stock). STFW 'industrial usb flash' there are a few other manufacturers and/or distributors. The MacBook Pro has an SD Card slot. SanDisk high-endurance microSD cards are readily available, so I went with that: https://shop.westerndigital.com/products/memory-cards/sandisk-high-endurance-uhs-i-microsd#SDSQQNR-032G-AN6IA SanDisk also makes a "max endurance" model: https://shop.westerndigital.com/products/memory-cards/sandisk-max-endurance-uhs-i-microsd#SDSQQVR-032G-AN6IA STFW I see that some people put these into USB adapters and use them as live drives. If you run embedded systems with SD/ microSD slots (Rasperry Pi, etc.), this might be a better way to go. David
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