Is it possible to boot and run Tumbleweed and Leap in RAM? I have 4GB of RAM. The net install on Tumbleweed is 114MB and the net install on Leap is 95MB.
The size of the NET installer doesn’t tell you much. After loading, the NET installer loads additional software over the network, that it needs to manage the install.
Do you recommend the live CD versions instead? I forgot to mention I want to boot into RAM on my PC from a USB flash drive.
It depends on what you want to do. But a live CD (could be written to a USB) is probably a better choice. Maybe go with the Tumbleweed live rescue CD, which is smaller than the other live versions.
If you are looking for live versions, check out Gecko Linux (another openSUSE-based distro).
Does the latest live CD stable release of Tumbleweed auto boot into RAM or is there a command or script that needs to be written?
It runs from the CD (or USB). But what’s on the CD or USB is mostly a “squashfs” file system. So it is compressed. And, in practice, it is expanded to RAM and run from there. But it is not completely RAM, so you need to leave the USB plugged in.
Given that, I’m assuming that, you mean that, you wish to know if openSUSE can be executed as a “Diskless” system:
- There’s this ArchWiki description: <https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Diskless_system>.
- In the openSUSE world, the term “Thin Client” or Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) is used:
<https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:PXE_boot_installation> – the URL is: <https://en.opensuse.org/SDB: PXE_boot_installation> – no space between “SDB:” and “PXE” – this Forum dropped a Smiley on the URL
<https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:KIWI-LTSP_quick_start>
<https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:KIWI-LTSP_quick_start> [Needs to be updated . . . ]
- And, last but not not least, there’s this Red Hat document:
[HR][/HR]I haven’t found any openSUSE documentation related to Thin Clients or PXE boot.
But, openSUSE diskless Thin Clients are often used for classroom systems – there’s an “Education” group within openSUSE.
I suggest that, you either contact them or, take a look at the openSUSE Conference sessions – there were several sessions around Education (classroom systems) last year and, possibly the same will happen this year . . .
Yes, a sometimes annoying “bug” with the forums … but, if you hover over the link, you will see that it still works correctly.