Does Linux Mint 8.0 write to USB memory if "live" install?

[nooby]

I have done something odd.

I have installed on an USB pendrive memory pin/stick Linux Mint 8.0
and I want to know if the standard version of Linux Mint write to USB memory if "live" install?

I tried to

sudo apt-get install iotop

so I could get what is going on. The USB is a Kingston Flash memory.

As you know standard Linux distros do a lot of writing to the HDD.

But maybe the live version of Linux Mint 8.0 is a special version that never write?

I made it "persistent" using the Pendrivelinux program.

So two questions.

1. How do I look at a log or install a program that can monitor writings to the USB?
2. Are the Linux Mint 8.0 live distro by default set to never write to the CD/DVD/USB?

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/install-li ... n-windows/

By using this tutorial, the persistent feature works as it does in Ubuntu, allowing you to save most of your changes.

Linux Mint 8 Helena Desktop Screenshot

I like the program very much. But have to know these things. When does it write to the USB if only installed on the USB in persistent mode.

[revdjenk]

nooby,

By making the usb live Mint persistent, you are saving your settings, installs, etc. to the usb...so the next time you start Mint with it, it will be as you left it.

I do not know the answer to your question #1.
But for #2, the live session does write to usb, cd. However, since most people run live with the CD, and since most systems usually have only one cd, writing is not available. This is less a problem with usb.

As to the log apps, I'm sure there is something available, I am not aware of them.

God Bless
Doug

[nooby]

revdjenk
thanks for caring about me.

I must have posed my question in poor english. I guess from your answer that you didn't get my question.
Most likely my fault. i 'm known to have fuzzy thinking.

1. Linux distros that are made for standard computer like desktops or laptops with a HDD does a lot of automatic writing to the HDD because it just works for them to do it.

But a flash memory or a SSD doesn't remain long if you write to them once a minute or so.

2. Therefor there are special made versions of linux distros that only write to the USB or SDD when one tell them to and when you log out or shut down to save the session. Apart from that they never write to the USB.

So my question was if Linux Mint is the old generic ones or the new special made one?

Edit

I 've downloaded the latest one now that is named LinuxMint-8-Universal and that one is said to be for DVD? But does it compulsively write even when I don't want it to and how does one find out?

[StanTheMan]

A USB storage drive is like any other hard drive partition , it will store files and folders. They can be copied and pasted (or cut and pasted) from another storage drive into a USB drive , or vice versa in the opposite direction. To do this action you use a file manager program such as Nautilus, Dolphin, Konqueror.

But for this action to take place, the storage drive must be ' mounted ' to your operating system.This makes the connection.

A CD or DVD disk it different, here you need a program such as Nero, Roxio , Brasero, K3B , to burn a file and/or folder to the disk.

This applies to just abut all Linux systems. Running a Linux system ' live ' from a disk , running Live in RAM, is much the same.

In Linux , all folders and files have permissions set. A file owner , or a listed 'group' , will have special permissions one way or another, which can be set by the system administrator.

Also if you are creating a 'document' , this can be 'Saved as' a file with a specific file name, and to a storage drive or folder of your choice.
Some program applications such as Open Office have a setting to 'save every xxx minutes' automatically, In the menu you can change this time.In this case your work is saved to the file name that was first 'saved as' to. But if you just started a document then it will not be saved until you give it a name and position.

[nooby]

Okay, thanks for caring about me.

My english failed to give the right wording.

some linuxes writes to a log every thing one do. That writing wear the Flashmemory out.
so linux for netbooks and such with SSD are remastered or remixed to not include Swap files and such.
so they only write when one shut down the os. or when one tell it to write.

Huge difference to versions that write all the time. Usually every linux distro always write to such a file on the HDD.
They are set up that way consciously because HDD tech allow it. Then when they came with SSD they realized they could not do it like this so they made special versions. UNR or was it URN? They only write to USB when shut down.

my question was if Mint for DVD is the older regular version or the remixed version that only write when shut down?