Running Ubuntu 12.10 from a USB

This post is being done from Ubuntu 12.10 ran from a USB drive. I simply followed the instructions on how to create a bootable USB on Ubuntu's website. Just make sure your system can handle it, (check system requirements, like the computer being able to boot up from a USB device), download Universal USB Installer 1.8.9.2 and the Linux flavor you would like to install, (figured I'd try the latest version of Ubuntu). I would recommend getting Ubuntu via torrent since directly downloading it off of their site using your browser is prone to disconnections and interruptions which can ruin the file.

So far, the main advantage of this installation is that my DSL Internet connection was immediately detected even during the boot up process. For other Linux installations, getting the Internet up and running can be a pain if you aren't very knowledgeable with Linux.

Ubuntu 12.10 immediately gives you the option to run the OS from a USB or to install it alongside Windows. After seeing the first fee screens of the installation option, I immediately backed out. It wasn't recognizing the partitions I had set up in windows and I was afraid I might overwrite my stuff. I will probably check this option out once I am sure that the hard drive partition I am messing with is the correct one.

My files in Windows 7 are inaccessible from Ubuntu. I guess it has something to do with Windows having its own file system format, and Ubuntu running under FAT and FAT32. I'd have to create a FAT or FAT32 partition in Windows so that files in that partition and in Ubuntu can be shared between the two OS's.

Running the OS from the USB can become slow at times. I guess the performance would be faster if the OS was installed directly on the hard drive.

Just discovered that I can't get Youtube to work because of a missing Flash plugin but when I try to install that, it keeps messing up. I also don't have any audio so those two problems might be inter-related.

In terms of applications, Libre is the Ubuntu equivalent of Microsoft Office. The Word document saved fine. I'll try the Excel equivalent (Calc) and the Power Point equivalent (Impress) some other time.

Gotta go for now! Will just add to this post if I find more interesting things on Ubuntu 12.10. If your the tech-adventurous type, then try it out.