Suggestion for Linux distro from USB/SD card
 

The SSD of my laptop (Dell Latitude E7240) seems gone for now, and since I'm travelling I can't order a new one. I have a USB stick (16GB), a SD card (4GB) and a micro SD with SD adaptor (16GB) that I can use for storage and a operative system. My idea was to download a Linux ISO and boot it from one of my devices. I will use the laptop mainly for browsing internet, listen to music, edit pictures. I would like a persistent install, so I don't have to download every software that I need everytime and I can keep the same settings too.
Also, I know that running a OS everytime from a USB/SD wear rapidly the device, is there a way to avoid it?
Note: I am a linux beginner, so please explain me things in a simple way and don't get anything for granted.
My questions are:
1) Which linux distro is better for me given the informations provided?
2) Which device should I use for booting it?
3) How to make a persistent booting?
4) How to prevent the wearing of the device?

Both the USB stick (16 GB) and the micro SD (16 GB) are too small to run a Linux distro from it.
Also the 4 GB SD card has not enough space.

fedenelcosmo,

Welcome to LQ forums.

You can always put Puppy Linux on a USB drive even when the computer has no hard drive:
http://sebastianmihai.com/main.php?t...on-a-USB-stick

https://www.lifewire.com/install-pup...-drive-2202096

Not true!

There are some very small distros, such as SliTaz & Tiny Core that need very little storage space, as low as 50MB.

I would install a (light weight) distro of your choice, onto your pendrive, & use the others as file storage that you can attach when needed.

If you want suggestions, AntiX, (Base or Full), or possibly MX Linux, is what I'd use. :)

There are any number of Linux distros which will fit on a 16GB drive. The problems is if you want to install a lot of additional software. Music and picture files take up a lot of space.

If you are travelling, then you can go to next computer store and buy a SSD.

I run a MX linux persist usb on a broken Asus touchscreen laptop where the hard drive wiring is ruined

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ck1yDUh3s

I had to use 2 pen drives. One for the live run to make the other pendrive persistent/live.

Not that you will do this ,though


As for device wear. That is long subject in itself.

Technically speaking, Clonezilla Live is a Linux distribution - I've got that running off of a 1GB USB stick.

(I'm NOT recommending that as a general purpose "full featured" distribution to the OP though)

Mkusb can create "persistent live" Ubuntu-family USB sticks. This means you get boot from USB and live system hardware detection, but can keep files and persistently install software. 16 GB is fine capacity wise. Run it from a *buntu live CD or one USB device, and create the persistent live on another.

Documentation is https://help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb (and can be a little unclear, but be careful and you should figure it out).

I used a stick like this a fair bit earlier this year. Performance was iffy, sometimes OK but other times it lagged. You may want to tweak Firefox or Chrome's settings.

The other approach is to just do a regular install to the USB stick. Most Linux distributions will have no problems with that. You lose hardware-portability, but things like system updates may be smoother. Whereas with persistent live it's advised you don't update the packages. Again, I tried it before and performance wasn't great. USB sticks just can't match a proper SSD for this kind of usage. But in a pinch it's OK.