EXT4 and install straight to SD - I'm going to try Crashbang first - if I don't like it, Knoppix goes on.
That's if it will boot from built-in SD or USB, If it won't I shall make a copy of the data on the HDD and install Knoppix instead.
The Eee does definitely boot from USB. At least, my Eee 900 does. That's how I installed Jolicloud on it. You have to press a hotkey to get it to do it though.. The BIOS doesn't by default - when it's booting (and I can NEVER remember which) hit F2, or maybe F12.. it might have been Escape or Del. My Eee is at home so I can't try it out now.
F2 - yes, I've been into the BIOS, and guddled around under the 'Boot' header. AFAICS, USB is not mentioned, though solid state memory (OWTTE) is. This is a very early Eee - so early that I had to queueueueueue for it - somewhere around a month (but that might have been down to the tradr, who was going down the pan). I think the 900 is a lot newer - this has I think) 4 GB HDD.
Try ESC. I remember hitting esc during boot to do it and you get a small boot menu up in the centre of the screen asking what to boot from. You have to time the ESC hit just right or it'll skip that bit. Although, as you say the difference could lay in Eee900 vs. Eee 7*series.
Worst comes to the worst, come to Norwich, see me, get me down the pub with a backpack USB powered DVD drive I can borrow from work and we'll do it that way!! I am determined to see you on Crunchbang cos you'll love it over the naff Xandros.
Just exited Crunchbang's website, which is hopeless - the white-on-black is fine, but the rest of it is blue on black, and virtually unreadable. Have pointed this out on the form provided.
Next time I'm in Naaardge I shall get a Micro SD card and slot it into one of my carriers, and see if it will boot from that when it's posted in the SD slot.
Also, if you have a giant massive USB stick. Get hold of XBoot (as reported on Lifehacker:
http://lifehacker.com/5716173/xboot-creates-your-own-custom-multi+image-boot... ) then just copy over some ISO files and you can choose which one you boot into. It's totally awesome!
What do you mean by 'massive'? They're all too big, even the old Crucial 64 MB one which is hiding in my drawers... With a USB stick (or dongle) in, the slot beside it can't be used. <thinks> I might be persuaded to run the mouse from the other side innit. </thinks>
Massive as in bigger than ~700MB. Which all mine are. I've got several 2gb and a 4gb! Non spare though except a monstrously slow USB 1.1 one.
Huh! The dongle needs to be in one of the slots on the right, unless I rearrange the whole room - there's only one window in the house where I can get a usable signal (FSVO useful)
Yeah Xboot just does what Keith described but it does it all for you automatically(!!)
Cheers, Simon