Installing on a CF card

esperto · Apprentice Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 158 Location: Brazil

I want to build a HTPC type computer and use a CF card (using a CF to IDE adapter) to hold the OS, hard drives will be only to store data, probably on a raid 5 array. There is any guide on how to install gentoo on the CF card but using a RAM drive (like the live CDs but saving the changes at the CF card on logout) so the CF life time is not reduced too much?
I'd like to use gentoo for this, as I like portage a lot, but If it is too complicated and you guys know about another distro which already do this out of the box and has KDE and XBMC, it's fine by me.

ps: I'll use this box to download torrent 24/7 also :wink:

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nasci pelado, careca e sem dente, o que vier é lucro

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:45 pm Post subject:

esperto,

In a word, don't install on a CF card. Install on a normal drive then copy the bits you need to CF.
Keep logs in RAM and throw them away at power down, or put them on your raid 5.
That way, the CF is almost never written.

When update time comes, update the image on the hard drive and copy it over again.
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Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

esperto · Apprentice Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 158 Location: Brazil

Thanks for the reply neddy, but how can I keep the logs only in RAM? mount the /var partition as a RAM drive?
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nasci pelado, careca e sem dente, o que vier é lucro

whiteghost · Guru Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 374 Location: north dakota

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:58 pm Post subject:

esperto,

Mount /var/log as a tmpfs ... almost like whiteghost said.