USB Linux for playing DVDs on Laptop?

[JLR2000]

Ok, wondering if anyone knows if this is possible....

A friend of mine is a pilot and has his own 4 seater plane.  When he flys friends around he said it would be nice to be able to let them watch a movie on his laptop.  Now his laptop doesn't work when he is up in the air, something to do with air pressure and harddrives.  I was just wondering if a usb linux distro exists that would allow him to boot to linux off USB thumb drive and use his DVD-rom to watch movies?

Just curious if anyone ever heard of this.....I guess he could always go out and buy a 7" DVD player for $100, but I'm just wondering if the linux on a thumb drive would work....

Thanks....

[JackTucky]

I don't get it.  What does this have to do with politics?

[Goz]

Google for knoppix or movix and you will find what you are after.

[missioncontrol]

I don't get it.  What does this have to do with politics?

he clearly wanted to watch that Fahrenheit 911 movie 

[danny_galaga]

Ok, wondering if anyone knows if this is possible....

A friend of mine is a pilot and has his own 4 seater plane.

[Stingray]

Duh. He just needs to fly at lower altitudes.

-S

[ChadTower]

Dude REALLY needs to learn to separate from his porn for longer periods of time.

[danny_galaga]

seriously though, if he really wants to show them movies while flying, why not get a portable DVD player?

[SOAPboy]

Ok, wondering if anyone knows if this is possible....

A friend of mine is a pilot and has his own 4 seater plane.

[JLR2000]

seriously though, if he really wants to show them movies while flying, why not get a portable DVD player?

yup, that's the easiest......but I just wanted to know if someone was already doing it the way I described....

[SOAPboy]

seriously though, if he really wants to show them movies while flying, why not get a portable DVD player?

yup, that's the easiest......but I just wanted to know if someone was already doing it the way I described....

Take a bootable linux distro, add codecs and everything, plop it onto a mem stick and go.. itll work if the laptop supports booting from usb media..

[USSEnterprise]

Would the problem affecting the HDD affect a CD ROM as well? Why not just use a live CD in that case?

[danny_galaga]

what altitude can a hard drive run at anyway? most people dont fly their light aircraft over ten thousand feet, since above that you should either have a pressurised cabin or oxygen...
i'm guessing too that if you live on a mountain you're boned!

[Harry Potter]

Since a hard-drive is hermetically sealed, a change of air pressure should make bugger all difference to the hard drive.

[danny_galaga]

actually some one told me that they are well sealed, but not so completely that the air pressure is different to the outside. if what he says is right then a change of air pressure outside the hard drive would be the same inside the hard drive

edit: aha! msn search is your friend!! (i'm bored of google):


http://thestarman.dan123.com/asm/mbr/DiskTerms.htm#Terms



"NOTE: The platters of a common hard drive are not completely sealed off from the outside as most people think! Therefore, you can damage an HDD by running it at too high of an altitude where there is less air pressure; and the heads will stay in contact with the platters! Laptop users might want to check with their drive's manufacturer before taking it on a mountain top experience they won't forget! The astronomical observatories atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii, are at almost 13,800 feet (4205 m) and must use specially designed air tight drives similar to those used in aircraft/spaceflight where air pressure may be lost."

[Harry Potter]

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