USB Memory Key booting

[Steve Gehlbach]

Eric W. Biederman wrote:

> I don't think there is USB-IDE.  I think the stack looks like USB-SCSI.
> 
> The challenge is that the USB stack is fairly tall.
> 
> We should be able to incorporate a version of that into etherboot or FILO.
> 
> I don't think we want a version of that in the core of LinuxBIOS, but
> I can be surprised.

I checked the latest EPIA BIOS and it says USB-HDD.

I figured the USB stack was deep; I may do some experimenting with Linux 
and booting from one of these and see what is involved.

I haven't checked the price to see how these compare with Compact Flash, 
but the small size and ease of customer installation is attractive.  The 
CF requires an adaptor to IDE that is a little awkward.  The USB flash 
memory can be installed by a customer without opening the case, and 
saves the price of a CDROM drive (and the mechanical failure problems 
with a CDROM drive).  All of this is from the standpoint of an embedded 
system and may be of no interest to clusters.

-Steve