FAQ

Official FAQ


How can I boot Mandriva Flash?

Most recent BIOS allow your computer to boot on USB devices. If not sure check this document: BIOS Configuration on USB devices.

How do I boot Mandriva Flash if my computer can not boot from USB?

A small bootable CD-ROM image is present on the shared partition of the Mandriva Flash USB key. It is only 3MB, so it can be burnt on a credit-card sized CD-ROM. You can then make your computer boot on this CD-ROM (and make sure your Mandriva Flash USB key is plugged), it will automatically use the Mandriva Flash USB key. Once Mandriva Flash is booted, you can eject the CD-ROM.

Is it some kind of cheap USB key?

No, it is a name-brand USB key, made in UE and designed by Dane-Elec, and comes with a 5-year warranty.

Will I have to configure my hardware manually?

No, Mandriva Flash includes the automatic hardware configuration tool that will reconfigure any new hardware detected at boot. This tool is included in all Mandriva releases, but shows all its full potential in live distributions such as Mandriva Flash.

Does it include proprietary drivers and firmwares for my hardware?

Yes, Mandriva Flash includes drivers for video cards, wireless adapters and modems, as well as the required firmwares.

Does it include proprietary applications?

Yes, it includes Adobe FlashPlayer and RealPlayer.

Can I install Mandriva official software updates on my Mandriva Flash?

Yes, you can install Mandriva updates using the MandrivaUpdate tool.

Can I install new software on my Mandriva Flash?

Yes, you can install new software using the Software Management tool. Please keep in my mind that you can not add more system modifications in Mandriva Flash than the size of the system you allocated at first boot (up to 3GB).

Is there any doc included?

No, due to space restrictions, it was not possible to include man pages and documentation.

Can I install Mandriva Flash to my hard disk?

Short answer: no. The live installation tool (draklive-install) is not included in Mandriva Flash, because in some rare case, the bootloader installation could have erased the Mandriva Flash bootloader. As preventive measure, Mandriva did not include this tool in Mandriva Flash. Long answer: if you feel adventurous, and you can download the draklive-install package from the Mandriva official repositories, and use it at your own risks.

How is the key partitionned?

There's only one 4GB FAT partition. At first boot you will be ask to allocate space for your system. You can allocate up to 3GB for your system and keep the rest of the free space for your personal documents.

How fast does it boot?

It boots almost as fast as a classical Mandriva Linux installation on hard-disk. They key uses USB 2.0, which makes Mandriva Flash boot as fast as the recent USB norm allows. Furthermore, the main filesystem is compressed, so the amount of data to transfer physically is smaller, and compensates for the relative slowness of USB.

What do I do if I accidentally crash my USB key?

The Mandriva Flash product comes with one month of Mandriva support, please contact us if you experience some problems.

For owners of the Mandriva Flash, Mandriva has developed a utility CD which will allow you to do several maintenance / repair operations on the Mandriva Flash.

The CD is able to:

  • reset the root or user password

  • make a backup of the Flash

  • restore from any of the last ten backups

  • test the USB key for errors

  • restore the Flash to factory settings

You can download the Mandriva Flash Rescue CD and restore your Mandriva Flash. And read the Mandriva Flash README.

If the key remains crashed despite the use of the rescue tool, you can also ask DANE ELEC for another key via this Replacement for Mandriva Flash Form in ODT or the Replacement for Mandriva Flash Form in PDF.