Is a USB desktop practical anymore?

[delphonso]

Something I would love to do is to carry a desktop with me wherever I go. I switch between three locations throughout the week and each has a pretty weak computer. Running Puppy (fossapup64-9.5) from a USB drive sounded perfect for my current situation, as uploading and downloading files all the time has gotten tiresome, and this should provide me with a more stable work environment, even if a more...petite one.

However, the levels of "security" which Windows has means just plugging in a USB and working isn't very realistic. Aside from admin access (to toggle off quick-start), one of my computers required the product key to finalize the changes to security in BIOS. I haven't seen a lot of mention of this, so it might be more common where I live (China), as there is also a special distribution of Windows here. Even if I managed to dig up the product keys for the three computers I usually use, rucking up to my wife's work, for example, and just plugging in isn't really an option.

How have the rest of you used USB boots?
Are they practical beyond taste-testing?

[taersh]

I have used USB flash drives for some years to boot my Puppy Linux on three different locations/computers.
Though, I wasn't limited by computer's BIOS settings and/or passwords etc.

[sonny]

I "prophesize" that in the future all personal computers will be used like just a "VCR":

All OSes and apps are installed in a "cassette" or removable media (pluggable/unpluggable or insertable/ejectable).
Either flash media with USB interface/adapter or SSD with or without adapter (for NVME, etc)

https://www.amazon.com/ICY-DOCK-Trayles ... 00&sr=8-11

At the end of the day, PC is just a "production" tool. It is not media to store the "product". Optical discs, tapes, HDD, etc are.
Putting the tool's hardware and the finished goods "together forever" internally may not be the case anymore due to software and hardware failures, fire, theft, upgrade concerns, etc etc.

[Grey]

As I understand it, these are features of the modern political system in your country (The Golden Shield Project aka 金盾工程). There were times when "wrong" radio stations were jammed in my country, and all copiers had to be registered with special authorities.
If these are hardware limitations, then perhaps you need to flash the BIOS or contact the local "people who solved the problem" for help.
Or maybe I just didn’t understand the essence of the problem and it’s something else.

[rockedge]

@delphonso do these computers have a CD/DVD drive? Can the drive be used to boot?

If so you can use PLOP boot manager to defeat the BIOS limitations. https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/download.html

1. Download and burn PLOP

2. insert USB stick containing the Puppy Linux OS into the computer

3. start the computer with the PLOP CD/DVD.

4. select boot from USB device.

This might work for you

[sonny]

Delphonso,

Newer computers have an option called "Secure Boot" in the BIOS.
For me, it spells "Windows Boot" and means that no other OS can boot the computer but Windows.
So, if you wish to boot from a USB media (Puppy Linux inside), you must...

1. Turn off Secure Boot from the BIOS
2. Enter some code prompted after closing the BIOS
3. Allow your eyes to see a disturbing red bar with an "unlocked" icon on screen (Microsoft Surface laptops)
4. Once your Puppy session is done, reboot and the turn the Secure Boot option back on

Dunno if we could skip those chores (if that's your question).

[rcrsn51]

@sonny Some Linux ISOs are "SecureBoot-aware", meaning that their USB install will boot even if the host machine has SecureBoot turned ON.

But you would still need to go into the UEFI setup, add USB drives to the boot priority list, turn off fast booting, etc, before you could get the flash drive to work.

@rockedge I dont't understand how booting from a PLOP disc could bypass security built into the UEFI firmware.

[sonny]

Some "Secure Boot" aware ISO booting shows "Secure Boot disabled" on some computers.
As for me Secure boot is Microsoft Windows testing the "monopoly waters"... (it's win-win conspiracy for some countries though)

http://techrights.org/wiki/index.php/UEFI

[rockedge]

@rcrsn51 Look over the table at Plop Boot Manager 6

https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanagers.html

The correct one to use is here -> https://www.plop.at/en/pbm6/efi.html#efidownload

[rcrsn51]

@rcrsn51 Look over the table at Plop Boot Manager 6

https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanagers.html

The correct one to use is here -> https://www.plop.at/en/pbm6/efi.html#efidownload

I have seen that table. But you could never get the PLOP disc to boot until you altered the UEFI settings.

Every modern UEFI-based computer I have seen already allows USB booting. So I can't see the point to booting off a CD.

[mikeslr]

Use viewtopic.php?p=1588#p1588 when creating the USB-Puppy. Have 'OtherInstalls', viewtopic.php?p=24919#p24919 available on your USB-Key 'just in case' & 'Keep your finger's crossed'.

[rcrsn51]

@mikeslr I believe that you are missing delphonso's point. It doesn't matter what Linux you try to boot or how you do it. It won't work until you have modified some Windows-UEFI settings.

And there is no standard way of doing this - every vendor has a their own UEFI firmware setup with different degrees of security built-in.

The days of having a swiss-army-knife bootable Linux flash drive that you can seamlessly move between Windows computers are long gone.

[delphonso]

I "prophesize" that in the future all personal computers will be used like just a "VCR":

I think you're right in the way that people market the Cloud - instead of a cassette, though, it's an account with some service and an internet connection, and pretty married to the OS right now. The physical option, being more reliable, secure, and also tangible is more to my liking as well.

mikeslr I believe that you are missing delphonso's point. It doesn't matter what Linux you try to boot or how you do it. It won't work until you have modified some Windows-UEFI settings.

And there is no standard way of doing this - every vendor has a their own UEFI firmware setup with different degrees of security built-in.

The days of having a swiss-army-knife bootable Linux flash drive that you can seamlessly move between Windows computers are long gone.

Yeah, this is exactly it - ideally, I could just plug in and go, but even with the computers I have, it's at least 5-10 minutes of shuffling accounts, changing settings, and restarting. And computers that aren't mine are basically off the table. It's a shame those days are gone, but I suppose I can start looking for other options for this problem.

Thanks for all the responses and suggestions - I might still tinker with the computers I regularly use and see how it goes.

[rockedge]

@rcrsn51 You may be correct. I was thinking about how PLOP works. I used it to boot USB drives when the computer BIOS did not have such an option, so I am wondering according to the problem described, was to get the USB stick to be seen. It seemed to me the problem is no matter what the UEFI settings are the computers in question disallow booting from USB no matter what. And if it was possible to boot from the CD/DVD drive once PLOP is started AND it's good enough to bypass UEFI and detect the USB drive and force it to boot.

All theory of course, I have no such machine to try it out on.....I do have some UEFI machines but these allow legacy BIOS if so configured, so they do not provide the same level of security.

[rcrsn51]

It seemed to me the problem is no matter what the UEFI settings are the computers in question disallow booting from USB no matter what

The point of SecureBoot is not to disallow USB booting or Linux booting - it is to block ANY unverified device from booting. Most Windows machines (unless they are completely locked down by the UEFI firmware) will allow USB booting to reinstall the OS.

If the UEFI controls won't allow USB booting, they certainly won't allow CD booting.

With almost all UEFI computers I have seen, it was possible to allow Linux booting after some messing around. The rare exceptions were former corporate machines where the owner had deliberately modified the UEFI firmware to secure the units completely.

Delphonso's point is that such "messing around" with other people's computers is no longer practical or sensible.

In today's world of ransomware, most people would see the ability of a computer to block unverified software from running to be a good thing.