Linux anywhere, me Idiot! - Part 1

Whilst administration of and programming my noble wife's site, I challenge my PC, the server, my Mac at work, my wife's eMac or a power- or notebook, whatever and wherever ... and always have to change something, test something, upgrade something, you know what I mean ...

Why in the world, did I not yet made an USB-stick containing a mirror of the site? Not only for backup reasons, but also as a start-or-boot-linux-whatever-chip-I-confront-thingy?

NSLU - you have to wait. Here comes the world of qemu for linux, 'Q' for the Mac, sadly Qemu for Microsnoft Windows, Debian for sure and so here I go - anything else I may need I should find at pendrivelinux.

- USB-stick, 2GB, cheapo but it works. *done*

- Grab the Debian-Installer - I use the smallest one, the business-card, the rest comes over the net. *done*

- Download 'Q' for the Mac. *done*
'Q' names the HD-images ".qcow" - I don't know why, but as it seems, I could use any name within Linux and M$W. Installation? Started, HD-Image created (1.5GB should be enough), let's go.

- Install Debian - the ordinary stuff, small, encrypted image, tiny X, apache, MySQL ... oh, Python not to forget. *done*

- While waiting for the Mac, I do switch places - download and install qemu for Windoze (I don't know if it will work with Vixxxa, so I'll try Wbug2K first. Looks like it works, but I do need TAP for the network and there exists an accelerator. All these things and How-To's can be found at the 'QEMU on Windows'-site (check out the 'Documentation' - sounds silly, but it contains all evident hints). Tested using the Debian-installer-image under W2K until an affirmative download has been started. *done*

- Still waiting for the finish of Deb's install. I comment sth worthfully in german at the Handelsblatt. *done*

- "Package Selection" - I know my wife will come home within the next minutes (always the wrong time if you have started a new game ;-), so I think I have to snip it right here. "What?" you may ask. 'Q' for the Mac allows a full 'Session Save' - it rocks. But I have to continue as long as I am alone ... Restart and fulfill ... *done*

- *whew* - the package selection and installation has finished, just in time. So let's try a reboot of the sandbox but not on the mac, I have to try the rest on the PC - it works.


The LUKS passphrase is the encryption key for hda1 (aka the virtual disk .qcow) I defined before.

Ah. My wife is home. Let's try an 'apt-get update', everything fine ... aaaaaaand CUT! *done*

Time spent: 2.5 hrs.
--- to be continued ---