[SLUG] IBM Linux Roadshow - USB Memory Key works on Linux

[Stuart <slug@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Did the IBM Linux Roadshow yesterday on the virtues of Linux. I noticed
a number of familiar faces from SLUG.

It was very well done and the speakers were good. IBM are gearing up
well for the whole open source schebang. As an example - 11% of
mainframes are now shipping with Linux.

They gave away a 32Mb USB memory key with all the talk information which
was way cool except that the only install instructions where for
windows!!

Ironic?  I thought so. In their defense, they do not currently recommend
Linux on the desktop so maybe that's why it's not covered in the install
instructions. Also I guess, why bother selling to the converted?

If you'd still like to use it under linux it's not so hard.

su 
mkdir /mnt/usbkey
mount -tvfat -oumask=0000 /dev/sda1 /mnt/usbkey
ls -l /mnt/usbkey
<returns>
total 7149
-rwxrwxrwx    1 root     root      2027925 Jul 31 14:17 Caldera.pdf*
-rwxrwxrwx    1 root     root      2207441 Jul 30 11:11 Changing the
Game with Linux.pdf*
-rwxrwxrwx    1 root     root      2121113 Jul 31 14:25 Eating our own
cooking.pdf*
-rwxrwxrwx    1 root     root       962799 Jul 31 14:22 Red Hat.pdf*


For the self-helpers: got the advice via:

google:ibm usb memory key linux

from:
http://www.unc.edu/~aperrin/tips/src/usbkey.html

This worked for me on Mandrake 8.2 with no installs or downloads. The
advice is from a guy running Debian 3.0. 

The key reads and writes fine. It's now holding other data. The IBM PDFs
are worth a read and on the web for those who did not attend and for
those 

http://www.ibm.com/events/au/linuxpresentations/


HTH


Stu