this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2024
129 points (92.7% liked)

Linux

48287 readers
627 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Just picked up a 128GB USB A/C stick that can go on my keyring. What are some things I should put on it to have access to at all times?

I already have self hosted services accessible over my VPN, so this would be for when I can't access that.

I'm thinking at least Ventoy and some common ISOs, then I'm not sure what else.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk 27 points 4 months ago (6 children)

Well I carry it anyway for impromptu file transfers. I've just added 1gig of survival PDFs. Probably never need them but who knows

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 26 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You'll carry it until the plastic cracks and it falls off your keyring.

So don't put anything too private on there.

[–] smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk 17 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I'll encrypt anything vaguely private. Honestly its a useful way of me not losing it around the house too, I must have 3 or 4 USB sticks in the house but when I need to install an ISO I can never find any

Oh, then stick ventoy on it, and just shrink the partition and give yourself some permanent storage space too. Alternatively, just do the same for a live Linux iso of your choice.

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Do you have a link to the survival PDFs? I'm curious

I have a few apps like that installed, such as first aid for example. Might as well get some useful guides on my USB in case my phone is dead.

Also my recommendation

  • portable programs. Pick some that might be useful and add those. I have never had to use one, but I keep them anyways

  • Some media to pass the time. This has come in handy once or twice

  • extra space for large file transfers

[–] smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Survival/comments/732c79/ive_collected_a_bunch_of_free_survival_pdf_links/

Original Zip link is dead but someone in the comments recreated it. No idea if they're any good, hopefully I'll never look at them

[–] Todd_cross@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 4 months ago

You ought to read them and practice their use otherwise you'll never know if they're unintelligible when/if you need them.

[–] ouch@lemmy.world 16 points 4 months ago

No idea if they're any good, hopefully I'll never look at them

Well, better to be prepared. When you are starving and freezing from cold in a forest, lost and about to be mauled by a black bear, it's nice to have that stick around so you can quickly grab it and shove it sideways up in the arse of the bear.

[–] eco_game@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not OP, but this instantly made me think of the worst-case scenario PDFs I stumbled upon on Lemmy recently.

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 months ago

Thank you I'll take a look :)

[–] SaintWacko@midwest.social 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

How would you access it in a survival situation?

[–] smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

My phone that has no connection, or any USB A / C device that's around? Not saying its likely

[–] Rogue@feddit.uk 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Wouldn't it just be easier to store stuff on the phone...

[–] smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk 7 points 4 months ago

Why not both? I'm not lacking in storage on either the USB or the phone.

[–] mesamunefire@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

You could get a very very old ebook reader from a yard sale. You get something functional and a lot of them act like a USB drive.

Plus a very small solar panel can charge it.

[–] FatLegTed@piefed.social 5 points 4 months ago

With no phone/tablet/laptop how are you going to look at them?
Print them out and/or memorise (as much as you can) them.

[–] Rogue@feddit.uk 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Isn't it just far easier to transfer documents using one of the thousands of cloud apps though? Since Dropbox and such became a thing I've not had a use for USBs. If it's privacy that concerns you then you already mentioned self hosted services and I'm sure there's a few Dropbox clones among them.

There's not much point in survival PDFs unless you're also carrying a laptop to view them on.

If you really do want to go full apocalypse prepper then track down an archive of Wikipedia and various how-to websites.

[–] Jumuta@sh.itjust.works 9 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

i honestly prefer using usbs over cloud stuff because of the speed and it being less hassle, unless it's a situation where I can just just syncthing or kde connect

[–] smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Sure, for devices that already are logged in then yes. But to log into my Proton Drive I have to enter my password and authenticate with my Yubikey and it might not be a trusted computer, or the internet connection might be slow. And my self hosted services including my Seafile are behind a VPN so I'd have to log into my VPN on that PC to access them. I definitely transfer files by USB on occasion.

I guess I can put a VPN config file on my USB in the encrypted folder so I can connect to it from any trusted PC

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 8 points 4 months ago

Another common use case is for when I need to give someone else a file when we're in the same room. It's not worth the hassle of trying to transfer it over a network or wirelessly, especially if they are large files or we are on a different OS/ecosystem.

The USB stick just works.