From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Oct 17 23:59:39 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 906B1106566B for ; Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:59:39 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4D8258FC17 for ; Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:59:39 +0000 (UTC) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.14.5/8.14.5) with ESMTP id p9HNxckV018811 for ; Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:59:38 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.14.5/8.14.5/Submit) with ESMTP id p9HNxc7c018808; Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:59:38 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:59:38 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block To: Jason Usher In-Reply-To: <1318891999.94031.YahooMailClassic@web121216.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: References: <1318891999.94031.YahooMailClassic@web121216.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.2.7 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:59:38 -0600 (MDT) Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: USB thumb drives for bootable flash FreeBSD installation... X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:59:39 -0000 On Mon, 17 Oct 2011, Jason Usher wrote: > I'm going to run FreeBSD off of a flash drive on some older mac mini systems. > > Before I begin, though, I'd like some advice on the best USB thumb drives for this. > > These systems will be deployed and left in place, hopefully for YEARS > in a remote, inaccessible location. So, I'd like to make sure I get > the most durable, fault-tolerant USB thumb drives possible. Put them on the inside so they don't get snapped off. Or get a low-profile drive and shield it somehow. There are internal IDE/SATA to CF/SD adapters also. > I'm not going to swap on them, or do lots of log writing, etc., but > still ... I really don't want to fly across the world just because > this one component died. > > Are they all the same, or are there some USB flash choices that are > more durable and fault tolerant than others ? I don't know which are actually more durable rather than just being marketed that way, but I'd consider making a mirror of two different brands and models to try to improve the odds against media or mechanical failure.