IBM Using iPod to boot Linux on PCs

Applejack writes "Looks like iPod fever has caught on to Big Blue. IBM has a yet unreleased iPod-based software for rescue, restore, and recovery of failed Windows PCs. I read this description of the software on Amit Singh's blog, whose group at IBM apparently created this stuff. If I understand this correctly (and I think I do), the iPod contains IBM's rescue software along with Linux. A crashed PC boots into Linux from the iPod, after which you get all kinds of rescue & restore functionality ... web browsing and all, even if the PC's drive is totally hosed. All this while the iPod keeps working normally as a music player as it would. The blog has pointers to further information, including a Windows Media demo of the thing. " Should be noted this is not iPod specific; USB devices will do.

Not very cost-effective

[winkydink]

when compared to say, a CD containing said rescue sw? Sounds to me a lot more like justifying the iPod purchase.

And this is different from Knoppix how?

[milesw]

In this [crn.com] CRN news article, Steven Welch, an "IBM distinguished Engineer", is quoted as saying, "One-touch IBM Rescue & Recovery On Linux all wrapped up in a portable media device under $300. Priceless. That is music to my ears."

I wonder how his ears would respond to a free Knoppix CD?

The cool part is that it still works as an iPod

[Anonymous Coward]

There are already comments about how an external usb drive w/ knoppix can be used for this purpose. I think they are missing that the cool part is that it doesn't interfere with the iPod's ability to act as, well, an iPod.

Great Idea, IBM Developers

[Rheagar]

Seems to me that the developers are on the ball with this one. They get to requisition expensive iPods for, ahem, work. They also get media attention from slashdot. This is much sexier than burning knoppix.

Re:OOOOHHHH LOOK AT ME!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

I think you are missing the point. A knoppix live CD does not give one an area to save recovered files onto, as in the case of the iPOD.

Basically, if the knoppix cd can't fix the problem, but data can still be recovered, you're up a creek without a paddle. But the iPOD can not only attempt to fix but can also act as a storage device if repair is not possible.

Think outside the box rather than issuing a knee-jerk troll.

Re:No, Really?

[Rei]

Well, the nice thing is that it's designed to work on something that's commodity item and probably won't get lost as easily as rescue CDs. Plus, a lot of people still recover from floppy disks, and we all know what a pain that is with the very limited space and frequent bad blocks :P

Re:hmmm...

[Kenja]

"Is there anything the iPod can't do"

Play back OOG or FLAC audio files? Oh i know, gapless MP3 playback? Hava a good EQ?

Re:OOOOHHHH LOOK AT ME!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

>I'm using my $699 iPod as a substitue for a $0.10 Knoppix liveCD!!!

how much does a read/write knoppix cd cost that works on a machine without a cd burner?

Re:OOOOHHHH LOOK AT ME!!!

[zev1983]

If you already have one then why bother carrying the CD, after all people buy iPods so they don't have to carry around CDs everywhere. That's the whole point...

What about the software?

[Qwavel]

As many of you have pointed out, this has little to do with the iPod.

(But the iPod solution should be compared to a LiveCD - more like a LiveUSB key.)

On the other hand, if IBM has created a Linux distro for managing and repairing Windows PC's then maybe it has some features that the other Linux distros (like Knoppix) don't have. For example, does it support captive for NTFS defragging and writing?

Yes, I've tried BartPE. I find it's functionality to be quite limited.

Re:Not very cost-effective

[Mwongozi]

It's very cost effective indeed if you already own an iPod

People aren't getting it....

[djroute66]

Another day, another bunch "Knoppix is cheaper" posts without any thought.

Hey, here's a question for you who aren't getting it: If you boot up from your Knoppix CD where do you plan on saving your data when you recover?

In case you haven't figured it out, booting from a harddrive/iPod with rescue/live-OS gives you a place to restore your data.

Re:OOOOHHHH LOOK AT ME!!!

[kkovach]

But are you using your $0.10 Knoppix liveCD as an mp3 player? ;-)

- Kevin

Why ipod?

[Anonymous Coward]

Most of new motherboards support booting from USB device. So why you need an ipod for this? Any decent player (acts as a USB mass storage device) will do.

Re:Oh the irony...

[Master_T]

ummm it is ironic that someone has devised a method to repair a windows machine with its arch-enemies linux and apple. There is a poetic irony to that.

From Dictionary.com:

: "1.incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs: "Hyde noted the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated" (Richard Kain). 2 .An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity."

It is true that the usage is loose however it is not innapropriate. Next time perhaps I will be more correct (or specific) in my usage.

Re:No, Really?

[xstonedogx]

I'm confused. Aren't USB thumb drives also a commodity item that probably won't get lost? Heck, you can stick one on your keychain and they cost less than an iPod.

Re:Recipe for front page news on Slashdot

[Beatbyte]

4. Wait for the hundreds of repetetive comments about how bad Slashdot is but same people that complain keep coming back driving up your ad revenue.

and as far as the iPod used as a recover tool, that's kinda like putting linux on a toaster. you could do it. but why?

for $100 you could have an external firewire hard drive that could do the same or as others have noted.. you could use knoppix/knoppix variants for rescue.

Re:Where to save your data

[djroute66]

1. Any USB/Firewire device

If you're going to do this, you might as well just boot of the USB/Firewire device.

2. Another internal hard drive

You don't know that every PC has 2 internal hard drives. Many outfits run cheap as possible.

3. Any other PC connected through virtually any connection (serial, parallel, cross-over cable, SSH, FTP, etc)

Hmm.. How about USB/Firewire?

4. Floppy!

Have fun with that one! :)

Slashdot ipod commision?

[theLOUDroom]

"Should be noted this is not iPod specific; USB devices will do."

DUH!
Seems like five times a week we see some new story involving "ipods", that really isn't ipod-specfic at all. Does slashdot make a comission off every ipod sold or something?
Otherwise, why be such blatant whores for apple?

Here are some exampmles:

1. ipod shuffle RAID [slashdot.org], so you can make an array of USB drives using ANY USB drive, and someone did it with an ipod. Big deal.
2. Crank recharged ipod. [slashdot.org] Was anyone NOT aware that mechanical energy can be converted to electrical energy and that ipods are powered by electricity?
3. Bootable linux on an ipod. [slashdot.org] Not the ipod actually RUNNING linux, just being used like any other mass storagte device. Not ipod specfic at all.

If you have news about the ipod that's actually ipod-specfic, then fine, otherwise PLEASE STOP WHORING A SPECFIC BRAND NAME. THIS IS SLASHDOT, WE ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT A "MASS STORAGE DEVICE" IS.

Re:No, Really?

[anti-drew]

Duh. Imagine for a moment that you are an IT worker who does this type of recovery work (you may be already). Which sounds better?

- your employer buys 10 USB drives for the IT group
- your employer buys 10 iPods for the IT group

Yes, exactly. That's why. :-)

Re:No, Really?

[_Swank]

This doesn't really contain recovery tools. This works specifically with IBM Rescue and Recovery which is a program which creates images of your hard disk and stores them for later restoration. Up until now, these images were, as far as I know, restricted to residing on a hidden partition on your hard drive. Depending on the size of actual applications and data on your OS partition, these images could VERY EASILY top 1GB. Do you want to split that 30GB image over 50CDs or stick it on the unused portion of your 60GB iPod for easy recovery if your hard drive crashes?