Red Hat's Fedora 9 Linux Now Runs Off USB Keys

May 15th, 2008

The new Fedora 9 - an open-source Linux desktop OS financially backed by Red hat - now allows capturing an image of a user's desktop and then loading it onto a USB device, which will operate on any common x86 instruction set hardware. This can also be done without reformatting or repartitioning existing flash drives.

Creating a portable Linux desktop, according to Fedora project leader Paul Frields, opens up new opportunities for "low-heat producing, low-power consuming mobile devices..." that run off a comfortably on a 2GB USB drive. Another idea would be to install public kiosks in school or Starbucks where users can boot off their own Linux OS with all the familiar applications on a thumbdrive. Unfortunately, large footprint apps like OpenOffice and multi-language support, are off limits to this approach, but users can still combine small apps like AbitWord, email, calender & browser without taking too much memory.

Filed under USB Apps for Flash Drives

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