Reproduction of My own Piece
Multi-Booting (Number of Different Distributions) Linux on an External hardware S.S.D Hardware is difficult.
New Hardware is always a pain, including the money invested, for a hardcore Linux user like me.
So keeping one's old hardware in trim condition, come good in retirement.
1. I always say that Linux always protects hardware that include RAM, Graphic Cards and S.S.Ds.
(Solid State Disks = SSD)
2. One exception of course is S.S.Ds. I come to that later.
3. Linux use minimum of resources for full functionality and 100 GB
is is enough with only 25 to 30 GB needed for the /root partition, installing Debian,Ubuntu and Emmabantus. The rest 75GB is for /home (50GB), and /boot (1GB), /var (15BG) / tmp (2GB) and the rest for SWAP which is ideally 2xRAM (8GB for 4GB RAM).
The SWAP is vital since that is where temporary files (Linux call it memory pages) are stored and deleted (page by page when no longer needed).
I am not sure how much for Ubuntu 21.10, probably less GBs.
I was not a fan of Ubuntu when this piece was written in 2018 but currently without Ubuntu I cannot survive.
I use Ubuntu for testing new software like BOX (Virtual machine for testing a distribution before installing) and OBS studio (testing Audio and Videos but my favorite V.L.C). I always get a message not enough space and I ignore it since space is taken by large ISO images stored for testing and deleting after testing is done.
By the way, I have 40GB N.T.F.S partition for storing images and the Toshiba Hard Disk is only, 320GB with three distributions installed.
Ubuntu has not become frugal but it is becoming pragmatic with Debian having an enormous package store to add up.
4. I will not talk about games which is taken care by Valve and Steam hardware.
5. This is about using a Functional Desktop.
6. With cloud functionality in full gear Linux Server can be
accommodated by 4M Linux or Tiny Core Linux of about 4 to 8 MBs (note
this is in MBs) in a Pendrive or USB stick.
Both of these tiny guys are within the top 100 in www.distrowatch.com ranking.
TAILS in a USB uses the cloud and forget about the connection soon after use.
7. What I mean is to run, server utilities one need not have a fully fledged distribution.
There are number of server dedicated Linux distribution, I forget their names.
? System Linux is probably one of them.
8. Coming to EXTERNAL SSD with 120 GB drive one can run two distributions but only one can be booted.
GRUB does not work on S.S.Ds, I believe S.S.Ds have no master boot record to configure booting
options.
One can run only one distribution on a SSD.
There is a way about it.
The second distribution can be installed and the the GRUB can written on a USB stick to boot. There is a caveat here, one cannot boot the hard disk (imagine you misplaced the USB) without the USB and I do not recommend (unless YOU are a paranoid guy, YOU do not want even your spouse to boot it) that strategy
Partitioning the extra GB with a N.T.F.S partition for storing data is my way about..
9. So spending huge sum on a S.S.D is counter productive and a simple way to waste money.
10. Buy 1 terabyte old external rotating disk and install the other distributions in it. Simply it adds unnecessary big hardware. The advantage of S.S.D. it is portable and carry in your pocket.
11. I have an old one terabyte internal drive which I have installed four other distributions using GRUB to access them.
12. I think I will incorporate those tricks in a book I may write.
I will dedicate the book to both GRUB and Ubuntu.
13. It is tempting to learn about Linux on YouTube but it can be frustrating without a Guru.
14. My Gurus has always being books.
15. Terms like /srv, /etc, /tmp, /bin, /libs, /home, /root, file history
and many more jobs like cron jobs can be learnt only through text mode.
16. Linux has a fixed file hierarchy.
One has to learn file hierarchy, the desktop is only the window
dressing and the real work of Linux is behind the screen in a text file
written in python.
17. There was a fully fledged text editor called LaTex gone into wilderness.
18. I have Endless OS in my Laptop and missing things like AbiWord, Telegram, Tex are there for me to fiddle with.
Endless OS is like an Android on a PC.
19. The Android like Linux distribution failed in it's early days.
20. Cloud Linux also failed but it looks like another one has come into fray of Linux influence.
21. There is no limit to Linux and enjoy it when one is young.
When one is old one settles down to the minimum that gets the work done.
Laziness becomes a habit.
I am in that mode, taking life in a relaxed way.
But Linux keeps me young at heart.
Don't be grumpy, if a Linux utility fails.
Improve it by becoming a critic and later a developer.
