If you keep your boat abroad and need an onboard computer

Norman_E

Norman_E

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You have a problem because every time you come back to the boat the operating system needs multiple updates, in addition you probably don't want to leave personal data on the on board computer. There is a neat solution which I use. My on board computer has no, repeat no, hard drive or operating system. Instead I run it from an external USB drive which can be an SSD or a hard drive. That has always been possible in Linux, and I use Elementary OS and am currently testing the latest version of Ubuntu, but not in Windows unless you bought the mega expensive Enterprise edition and a Windows to Go certified external drive. There is now a cheap fix. A program called Hasleo WinToUSB is a free download and you won't need the paid upgrade, as is the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool which makes an ISO file. WinToUSB will use the ISO file to load a bootable Windows operating system onto a USB drive. Provided your PC has previously had the same version of Windows on an internal drive and had it activated there is no problem with having Windows plus all your programs and files on an easily portable USB drive, which you can plug in to your home PC, provided its BIOS is set to boot first from USB, in order to update it or transfer files to or from your home computer. I carry both Windows and Linux drives when I go to the boat. Windows is only used for one Windows only accounting program, everything else including Open CPN runs in Linux.
Hasleo WinToUsb: https://www.easyuefi.com/wintousb/
Media Creation Tool: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
 
duncan99210 said:
I just bring the laptop home with me, if I've bothered to take it in the first place.....
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Slight problem with that if your boat is in Turkey. Dalaman airport makes you put laptops into hold baggage. I go for 5 or 6 weeks at a time and the computer is essential to keep in touch.
 
Interesting. I have a laptop permanently on board for work and I carry an SD card with "My Documents" on it to update when I get there. Would it boot from an SD card? If not, it wouldn't be too much faff to take a USB stick and boot from that. How big is the OS on the USB?
 
Graham376 said:
I don't understand the fuss. I leave a W7 laptop on board with internal HD but all personal files are on an external USB drive which I bring home with me. SD card or stick would work just as well.
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That's very true, you don't understand the fuss. The OP was talking about the OS needing multiple updates (Win 10) which is a pain when on a metered connection. If the updates could be downloaded at home, on, usually, an unmetered connection, then installed on the boat laptop, it saves all round.
 
colind3782 said:
Interesting. I have a laptop permanently on board for work and I carry an SD card with "My Documents" on it to update when I get there. Would it boot from an SD card? If not, it wouldn't be too much faff to take a USB stick and boot from that. How big is the OS on the USB?
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Its not on a USB stick, as I said the on board computer has no internal hard drive, what I take is an SSD mounted in a USB3 caddy, complete with operating system and files. I have two, one for Linux and one for Windows, and can boot the PC from either. With Windows the disadvantage of leaving a normal computer on board in a place where you are on a metered connection is the size and regularity of Windows updates. If you leave a PC for a few months it will guzzle up your data allowance with updates. You might find, as I did once, that a new update comes in that needs an older one that has not been installed. I ended up having to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows once because of that.
Whilst a lightweight Linux distribution will run quite happily from a USB3 memory stick, Windows is just too big and complex to work well from one, and needs the speed of an SSD if run externally. When buying a caddy make sure it has UASB support, so as to maximise data transfer speed. As for the size of the things I carry, think external 2.5 inch hard drive. I just measured one, its 5 x 3 inches by less than half an inch thick, smaller and lighter than a lot of mobile phones.
 
My boat PC is about the same size as your USB drive, 12cm x 12cm x 2cm. I take it home with me from the boat as we also use it for watching iPlayer etc at home. I do agree Windows updates are a REAL pain ... ...
 
colind3782 said:
That's very true, you don't understand the fuss. The OP was talking about the OS needing multiple updates (Win 10) which is a pain when on a metered connection. If the updates could be downloaded at home, on, usually, an unmetered connection, then installed on the boat laptop, it saves all round.
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When we were on metered wifi, I used to stop it downloading updates automatically and only downloaded them manually on free connections, can't this be done with W10? Now we have 30GB/month 4G, it doesn't matter.
 
Graham376 said:
When we were on metered wifi, I used to stop it downloading updates automatically and only downloaded them manually on free connections, can't this be done with W10? Now we have 30GB/month 4G, it doesn't matter.
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That's the point, it's not always easy to find a free connection. Well, it's easy but time consuming and inconvenient in Empuriabrava.
 
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