I'm trying to turn my old laptop, which has 16GB of RAM, into a lightweight AirPlay server for my speakers. I think Alpine Linux would be perfect for this since it's super lightweight. I'd like to boot it from a USB stick, similar to how Unraid operates. My main question is whether it's possible to run Alpine entirely in memory. If I need persistent storage for one Docker container, would that negate the benefits of running the OS in RAM? Any tips would be appreciated!
3 Answers
You might want to look into using a live boot environment for Alpine Linux. This way, you can boot directly from the USB without relying on persistent storage. It’ll run in memory for the most part. Just keep in mind that depending on what you’re running, some configurations might still require a small amount of persistent storage. Good luck!
Network booting could be another option if you're up for it. This way, you load the OS via the network, and it can also be configured to store logs or other files temporarily in RAM. It can be a bit tricky if you're not familiar with the process though. Let me know if you'd like more details on setting it up!
Yeah, I'd love more info on that!
You could find some useful [installation tips here](http://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/wiki/installation). They might guide you through the live boot setup process. Remember to remove your boot media after installation, and connecting via Ethernet often helps things run smoother. Just a reminder from one of our community members!
Right, but is there a step-by-step guide for setting that up?