Laptop with no HDD - WHich Distro please?

[nogarap]

Hi,
Usually I hang out in the MS forums, this is my first Q over here, so don't flame me please!
I've been given a laptop with a broken HDD, everything else seems ok (I think the HDD controller is shot, I've tried a different HDD with no luck).
I'd like to install some version of *nux/*nix onto a USB keyfob, and boot the laptop from there. I'll be doing text editing (just basic text editing is fine, don't really need word pro capability), surfing, reading PDF/CHM documents, and if I could play mp3s, it would be nice.
I've got ubuntu on one of my other laptops, which runs great, and have some experience of desktop linux. I've played with the live CDs of DSL, Ubuntu, and (I think) Slackware. DSL was cool, but slightly more features would be nice.

Which is going to be the best distro for what I need, and which will be most tolerant of the lack of HDD?

I have no great feelings of like/dislike for any distro with the possible exception of ubuntu, which I like for the philosophy as well as the OS. Many thanks in advance.
Gaz

 

[thedaver]

Which is going to be the best distro for what I need, and which will be most tolerant of the lack of HDD?

I don't know any LiveCD that would have a problem without an HDD as long as you are not installing anything. You didn't mention Knoppix, which tries to be a bit fancy and give you a lot of GUI sugar. If that's overkill then find something smaller.

D.E.R. Management - IT Project Management Consulting

http://www.dermanagement.com/

 

[nogarap]

That was fast! I forgot about Knoppix. We use it here to retrieve info from disks that windows has trashed.
I've just googled 'install knoppix usb key', and it's come back with loads of results. Maybe I'll give that a go. My memory gets worse and worse. Remind me, were Knoppix the first people to come up with Live CDs? I think they were, so it's kinda appropriate to try them first. Thanks again for the speedy answer.
Gaz

 

[piti]

you can also try slax, here's some info how to put it on usb >

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2006/09/20/all-in-one-usb-slaxzip

 

[Grenage]

The first distro was Yggdrasil, in the mid 90s. Knoppix was the first well known distro.

Carlsberg don't run I.T. departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[geirendre]

Have a look at PuppyLinux, it's a lightweight distro
loads from CD entirely into RAM, and runs from there.
You can then remove the CD, to free the CD-drive to other things.
(we use Puppy insted of Knoppix because of this...)
Puppy can also be installed to a USB-key.

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=puppy

http://www.puppylinux.com/

http://www.puppylinux.com/download/downpage.htm

BTW Puppy is a fun distro