Looking for possibility to mobilize my Kubuntu desktop.

[vbgunz]

I hope this is possible and the right place to post. If anything, I hope good things will come.

I am looking for a way to mobilize my Kubuntu desktop by using an external HDD. I am hoping I can completely mirror my current setup onto an external HDD and somehow **easily** keep the external HDD synchronized with the internal HDD. Ultimately I wish to be able to use my external HDD exactly like a live CD. I'd like to be able to plug it in to another machine and boot up into **my** system. I would like to to use the foreign machine as if it were my own. Once done, nothing special and just shut down. Once I get back home, I'd like to plug in the external HDD and **synchronize** all of **my** changes. At first this sounds somewhat possible *but* I can really see some trouble ahead.

1. I have a 64bit system. Not every machine is 64bit so I could be severely limited.
1a. OR duplicate 64 and 32bit packages OR strictly operate in a 32bit mobile environment only.
2. I obviously need packages to applications that do not ship on a live CD.
3. There are going to be so many files that should never be synchronized.
3a. I'd hate to synchronize settings specific to a foreign machine onto my main home machine.
3b. I'd hate to synchronize or add 32bit binaries to my 64bit machine.

I am sure there are definitely more issues. Is what I am aiming for even slightly possible in some easy-to-maintain way? Is there anything out there stable enough in which I can trust my data that aims to achieve my goal?

I'll sum up the goal. I would like to mobilize my Kubuntu desktop. I would like to use my external HDD as the live CD. Once plugged in and booted in a foreign machine, outright use it as if it were my own. Shutdown, unplug and sync all of my important (wanted and needed) changes onto my home desktop. Is this a wild dream? Ideas?

BONUS: Something that would absolutely make this rock is to somehow create machine profiles. e.g., some machines may require software to run better. Software that would never be installed onto the personal desktop. It would be nice to get this software once and reuse it if I ever use the machine again.

I hope this ain't nutty. Is this possible?

[dibl]

Re: Looking for possibility to mobilize my Kubuntu desktop.

I don't think it's going to work as well as you imagine, unless every other computer that you plug it into has exactly the same BIOS and hardware as your own computer.

You come closest by setting up your external hdd as a 32-bit "Live CD", i.e. booting from the ISO, with persistence. That would let you preserved added packages and data, while keeping maximum hardware flexibility.

[vbgunz]

Re: Looking for possibility to mobilize my Kubuntu desktop.

I was looking at the remix article on the Ubuntu wiki and for starters, it just doesn't look like easy maintenance. *but* it seems like the absolute best way to go. Creating a 32bit live CD remix with all the required extra software (which lends itself into the Gigs). But for the flexibility of being able to at least take my needed applications anywhere I go sounds good. It's just so daunting.

I imagine it's possible with a whole lot of time on my hands which definitely strikes **easy** of the list. I am not sure how casper-rw works exactly *but* will it be possible to have casper-rw mirror my home directory at bare minimum?

For example, this is what I am planning on looking into. Partitioning my external HDD into 2 partitions. 1 for the remix and 2 for casper-rw. I'll never sync the remix. Do you think this sounds viable? Can casper-rw actually mirror my /home ?

It might take a lot of work but I am now seeing this as possible.