Boot from SD?

On the BIOS boot options, one of them is "removable device." Has anyone tried this from an SD card? I understand a USB HD will work, but I have one that I use for backup, and another older one that's USB1.1 (reeaalll ssllooww.) so thinking of other options.

I want to play with a linux install, and an 8 or 16GB SDHC card seems like an interesting place to load an install, if it's bootable. (And still faster than the USB1.1)

 

This is exactly what I'm doing with F8Sn.
Check before whether your card reader is bootable

 

The reader is built into the M50Vm, bios boot option includes "removable device," so would think that would include a card, but not sure...

 

Try it...I think it will...
Good luck

 

I'll try the next time I see one cheap... Went to Staples to price them out, and saw a two-pack of 4GB thumb drives for $30, couldn't resist...

Actually, don't remember the exact specs but the USB 2.0 thumb drives are quite a bit faster than SD too. SDs are optimized for low powered portable gadgets.

FWIW; Couldn't get the live version of PCLinuxOS to work worth a hoot. FaunOS works OK, but not great. I need to monkey with the drivers and figure out screen resolution. Also going to try NimbleX, and maybe a couple of others. I suspect I'll wind up going with a stripped-down version of Fedora and the venerable DSL (D*** Small Linux.)

Interesting... but the BIOS sees the thumb drive as an HD, not an external storage device. I set the boot priority for HDs first, then the thumb drive as the first priority of the HDs. If it boots with the thumb drive inserted, it's linux, without, it's windoze.

 

i might give that a try, linux of a thumbstick, or sd would be great! just need a bigger sd or thumbstick..

 

Actually, it doesn't take one that big
. I've got the "live" version of Fedora running on one, and it's taking a little over a gig. And Fedora is a major distribution, not one of the tiny ones written to run on machines with limited resources. Stripping out some applications I don't use should shrink it more. It comes with several games, for example.

Anyway, Fedora should be fine in a 2G drive. Those are pretty cheap now. They also have a handy installer to get it loaded on the drive from windoze.

I'll post more details once more is working, like the wireless card. Fedora did automatically detect screen size (1440x900) which is more than I can say for any of the tiny distributions.

 

SD card is not a boot option. Borrowed a friend's and tried it. Oh well...