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.
The reason you’re struggling to think of anything to put on it is because you don’t need to be carrying a USB drive.
No aircraft cabin crew have ever put out a call asking if there are any Linux sysadmin onboard with a copy of GParted Live v1.5.0 for 32bit ARM devices .
The grizzled greybeard spoke up, brandishing his weathered USB drive above his head like a sword. “I can do it. I’m a sysadmin.”
“Oh, thank God!” the flight attendant sighed. “It says something about booting, I’m not sure. Nobody here knows Linux.”
The greaybeard squeezed himself out of his seat and stood in the aisle. “I’d just like to interject for a moment.” he interrupted with a raised finger and a self-satisfied expression. “What you’re referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/LInux, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.”
He shifted his bulk to block one of the other passengers, who was screaming behind him that nobody cares. The pilot was now standing behind the flight attendant, begging the sysadmin to come up to the cockpit, but the greybeard was undeterred. “Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called “Linux”, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project. There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates t—”
The sysadmin never finished his sentence; the airplane smashed into the ground and all aboard were killed instantly. The impact somehow caused the GNU/Linux device to reboot correctly before it too was smashed to pieces a fraction of a second later.
The sysadmin managed to utter as the plane smashed into the Earth, ‘I use Arch by the way’.
Booted in a fraction of a second. Nice.
Well I carry it anyway for impromptu file transfers. I’ve just added 1gig of survival PDFs. Probably never need them but who knows
You’ll carry it until the plastic cracks and it falls off your keyring.
So don’t put anything too private on there.
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.
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
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
You ought to read them and practice their use otherwise you’ll never know if they’re unintelligible when/if you need 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.
How would you access it in a survival situation?
My phone that has no connection, or any USB A / C device that’s around? Not saying its likely
Wouldn’t it just be easier to store stuff on the phone…