Re: Who is booting IBM T42 or similar from USB stick?

[email protected] wrote:
>> Betreff: Who is booting IBM T42 or similar from USB stick?
>> Today I tried to boot IBM T42 from USB stick, but it didn't suceeded.
>>     
>
> Hello Jan!
>
> I´m glad you asked! Booting from USB storage is my thing ;-)
> Since 2004 I´ve been using a Socket 754 Mainboard from MSI which supports booting from usb devices.
> As not all mainboards support this, my advice is:
> 1. Look on manufacturers´ web sites for the documentation of their mainboards.
> 2. In case you are faced with existing hardware you should plug in the usb stick/drive and then turn on the machine.
>   
Most likely last one was a problem - I booted in enter setup w/o key 
inserted (else I have problems). People who are using DamnSmallLinux 
report that T42 boots from USB o.k., but that is a different situation. 
Additionally they claim it is possible, that one USB prepared to boot 
may work only on some of systems.
About Grub: does anyone managed to boot OS on HDD from USB? I tried this 
summer, but failed.
> The benefit of using micro-SD cards is the ability to destroy them in your hands while someone attacks your privacy. It´s less likely your being tortured once your keys are *physically* broken.
>
> I´d be happy to read about your advances!
>
>   
Why I prefer to use boot partition on USB? Actually I have no true 
reason to do it right now (It is nearly impossible, that such a 
sophisticated attack could be made against me), but, since I like to be 
sure about what I have done and I expect that attack risk to increase 
with the time, I boot from USB already now. I don't want to find myself 
new to it when there appear a real necessity.

BUT! That is close to impossible to rule out a possibility of leaking a 
key - how about when you sleep?! {I think, I know how to solve a 
problem, but that requires much more to do}

And about physical destruction - that is only effective in some cases, 
because *are you crazy enough to destroy the only key*?! I mean the case 
when it decrypts data you have worked for long and hard!

I don't have T42 yet - it is making a transatlantic trip. I'll send 
feedback about setting up syslinux in case there is something unusual.

PS: if someone wants to steal your data really bad, why not to install a 
small transmitter, that captures I/O from USB and keyboard! {again 
problems and you cannot be really sure}
Sometimes I think if it is possible to build a information system, that 
logically ensures impossibility of leaking AND loosing data, when used 
properly.

-- 
Jan


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Linux-crypto:  cryptography in and on the Linux system
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