Peter_22@xxxxxx 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
-
Linux-crypto: cryptography in and on the Linux system
Archive: http://mail.nl.linux.org/linux-crypto/
