USB image

[Tron]

       Thanks Dylan, it is clear now.
       However, given your example of those other Linux ditro's, I am
    wondering why the DF group decided to build their images this way if
    there is an alternative.  I mean if DF seriously  wants to expand
    its ranks the best way is from the herds of Windows users and most
    of them know nothing about Unix.  So the easier the route to see
    what DF can do - the more likely is someone to put in the effort. 
    With this USB example alone: first, a newbie has to get the USB
    image, second realize (probably the hard way 'cause there is no
    mention of this on the download page) that the writing app is
    completely different from the one they use to write their CD images
    with and ultimately see that even though the DF image is small he
    can't move anything else onto the flash disk (which may be
    particularly frustrating if they only have the big one they just
    bought)...  I think it is easy to see how many novices may get
    discouraged with DF and give up almost before they began. 
    Fortunately, I am strongly motivated, have been to DF's IRC channel
    before and have finally succeeded in signing up on this help list
    (which also wasn't the most straight forward thing ever... and could
    not have happened without my knowledge of IRC).  My point is, I
    think you are a great bunch of guys who have done one hell of a job,
    but if you want to attract not just the most experience computer
    users, the route from A-B, never mind from A-Z should be easier.
    
    Many thanks,
    Tron.
    
    
    On 9/28/2010 8:56 PM, Dylan Reinhold wrote:
    
      
      Tron,
        Yes you are correct this would completely re write the stick
      with
      this image.
      The way DFly build their USB images means this is the only way. 
      I know some Linux distro's have some ways to allow you to drop the
      files on a fat[32] formated drive and run a command to boot.
      
      So when you want you disk back do will need to refomat it, saveing
      the
      current image might work also.
      
      Hope this helps,
      Dylan
      
      On 09/28/2010 05:42 PM, Tron wrote:
      
        
        
        An off the shelf flash drive allows standard copy operations of
        files
        under windows.  I imagine that writing a non win OS image would
        erase
        everything on that flash drive making it unusable for further
        storage
        of other (windows) data.  I don't know if USB flash drives are
        formated
        for NTFS, FAT32 or what but if I should want to use this drive
        under
        windows again, would I have to reformat it after DF (kind of
        like a
        hard drive)?  Or make an image of an empty USB drive for ease of
        later
        restoration before I through on a DF image?  Or is it
        possible
        to reserve space on a large USB for diff OS's (like partitioning
        HD's),
        or..?  (Hope the question isn't too idiotic but I haven't done
        anything
        like this with flash drives before).
        
        
        
        On 9/26/2010 4:21 PM, Dylan Reinhold wrote:
        <blockquote cite=""
          type="cite"> 
          On 09/26/2010 01:32 PM, tron wrote: 
           If I want to copy the DF USB image
            onto my
            USB 
            stick and I am working under WinXP, can I open the 
            archive with 7zip and just copy the resulting 
            files/folders to the stick or will I need a special app 
            for installing the image to the USB stick?  (Sorry if 
            this sounds dumb, but I am only used to the world 
            of Windows and the handbook on DF page only 
            discusses installation with CD.) 
            
          
          You should be able to use Image Writter 
          <a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
            href="https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer">https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer
          
          
          Dylan