Originally Posted by
DLLS
Okay back to Slackware.
I believe it is possible instead of just a dual boot utilizing the hard drive(s) on a desktop (or notebook) that it would be possible to dual boot utilizing the option of creating a boot floppy (thus not leaving a trace on the master boot record of the hard drive) and having the Slackware operating system and files on say a USB Western Digital Passport drive that one could store, along with the boot floppy, away from the computer thus prohibiting personal data from being known about.
What I am getting at is, and I have not tried this because currently when I boot up the lilo boot loader is part of the master boot record (MBR) and I am presented with a screen to choose Windows or Linux, that if I used the option to create a boot floppy if the floppy is inserted then and only then would I get the option to choose Windows or Linux. Without the floppy inserted the system would check drive A: and finding no floppy would boot normally from drive C: automatically loading Windows.
Security of the removable drive could be further increased by using TrueCrypt (though last time I was on the TrueCrypt site there was a notification that they stopped upgrading the software and encouraged people to use the native windows file encryption program like I trust Bill Gates) to encrypt the entire drive.
Of course one would not want to neglect going into the CMOS or BIOS set up program on the computer and setting a password the computer needs before it even attempts to look for the operating system. This is not a fool proof security measure because 1) Fools are so ingenious and 2) all it takes to reset the master password is to remove the computer cover and move a jumper.