[mythtv-users] How big CF card for frontend?

[Nick Rout]

On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 3:15 PM, Tom Lichti <redpepperracing at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 15, 2009 at 8:49 PM, Colin McGregor <colin.mc151 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 2/15/09, Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> How large would a CF card need to be to hold a mythbuntu front end? I
>>> am hoping 4G but can't find a figure anywhere.
>>
>> Just over a month ago I put the Mythbuntu front end on to a USB memory
>> key. It was quite happy on a 1 GB key. I don't recall if it would fit
>> on a 512 MB key (probably, but I was just testing things, and the 1 GB
>> memory key was what I had handy). Bottom line, a 4 GB CF card would be
>> SERIOUS over kill.
>>
>> My first choice would be to do a network boot, which has issues, but
>> you don't have to worry about updating flash devices, whereever.
>>
>> If network booting isn't an option (old BIOS, or buggy BIOS (I've seen
>> both)) then if you have a spare 4 GB CF card and the extra hardware to
>> support a CF card on your system, go for it. On the other hard, if
>> you're buying new hardware and have a machine with a BIOS that
>> supports USB booting, I would get an under $10 1 GB USB memory key.
>>
>>> Also how do people with CF systems handle updates? I know there can be
>>> a swag of downloads added somewhere in /var/apt and I am guessing
>>> these might fill the filesystem up pretty quickly.
>>
>> The name of the game is you update the flash device by doing an
>> erase/re-program each time you do a server version upgrade (once every
>> say, 6 months or so). Unless something very strange happens, not worth
>> doing incremental updates...
>>
>>> Any tips accepted :)
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>
> I use an 8GB USB flash drive on my frontend, with a full MythDora
> 10.21 install, and SVN myth trunk repository, I am still only using
> about 2.5GB. I paid a bit extra for a faster than normal drive (OCZ
> Rally Turbo) and it seems to work fine.

Looking at prices, USB flash drives are certainly cheaper than CF or SDHC.

Does that mean you have an ugly thumb drive sticking out the back of your PC?