(Part 3) Top products from r/archlinux

Safe options to avoid modifying your existing Windows drive:

• Buy a Sandisk USB3 16-32GB flash drive, and perform a conventional install to it. You would be amazed at how fast Arch boots and runs this way!. Be careful about your /dev devices during this process. It's really pretty easy. It also functions as a rescue tool, and as a way to easily demo Linux on a non-believers laptop for them.
  
  
• Buy or find an inexpensive ($50) hdd (for Arch, temporarily) and swap your Windows drive out.
  
  
• As others say, try VirtualBox under Windows to host your Arch guest.
  
  I still use the first option everyday even after years.
  
  The first two options will safely get you into Arch, and since they are hardware installs, they are exact practice for your final SSD install. (In my experience, VM's "hide" the (maybe slight) complexity of storage, network and graphics).
  
  Good luck.

Would you recommend something like this?

Amazon Thingy

EDIT - or something fancy like this is pretty neat, or is it gimmiky?

Wow that's pretty cheap for a mechanical keyboard. I love mine, but if they were cheaper in general I would have 5 or 6 ones with different switches to see what they're all like.

For meetings and things like that, I use one of these with one of these.

For keeping script snippets and such, vim.

What about this?

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WR702N-Wireless-Repeater-150Mbps/dp/B007PTCFFW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1467710894&sr=1-1&keywords=WR703N

WiFi bridge mode works very well.

DT100G3/8GB
https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Digital-8GB-DataTraveler-DT100G3/dp/B00C5K8DM0

Yes, the drive is USB3 and the motherboard port is reliable.

Right now I'm installing liveroot, as I have more RAM than storage, I'll see how that goes.

Any kind of DDR3 Laptop memory will do. If you want it to be as close to the one you're replacing, look for PC3-10600 (the same thing as DDR3 1333).

This stick matches the specs of what you have. It's well rated, about as cheap as you're going to find it right now, and it comes with a lifetime warranty.

My alfa adapter is AWUS036NH: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0035BGNWU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't installed any drivers yet as I don't know if this is the same one and it only shows for kali linux: https://www.alfa.com.tw/files/?dir=USB%20Driver/Linux

If it's new enough and it only has a single jack it's probably a TRRS plug, meaning headphones and mic on the same connector. Simple adapter has that covered. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SP0WAQ

I've personally never heard of retasking a normal TRS headphone only port.

Sorry, had to step away for a sec.

Hardware stats here: http://www.amazon.com/computers-accessories/dp/B009A8L0IE.

output from uname -a:

3.8.11-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT (date) X86_64 GNU/Linux

Per the Settings >> Overview in Gnome3...

Graphics: Gallium 0.4 on AMD ARUBA

I got this one and it works, except in the bios: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ZIILLI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's a little finicky in that sometimes I need to plug it back in if I reboot, and sometimes my keyboard won't connect automatically, but my mouse does.

I want to try to switch it to HID mode, but I haven't figured out how to do that as yet.

Sandisk Cruzer has yet to fail me. And it's only $9.

O, figgured I would tell you the rest of my specs, if it matters.

CPU = FX-6300

GPU = Gigabyte AMD R9 380 4GB

Mobo = GIGABYTE GA-970-Gaming

Ram = 2x4gb Patriot Viper Xtreme

Stay the hell away from the Mobo. It is horrid with linux (as well as Win7/10 unless you install the drivers, so hard to install Win too :( ), the damn USB ports are finicky as hell, by default %99 of the time the USB ports don't work at all on boot, and you have to move them around till one does work. Passing "iommu=soft" on boot 'fixes" this, but it still has some issues.

> For instance while first version of a TP-Link USB 802.11n USB dongle provides you a hassle-free and fully compatible experience

Im sitting here with a TP-LINK TL-WN821N and that shitty thing stops working completely volatile. I read that the chip may be gets too hot and also tried some config changes but nothing worked. I also tried a FritzBox WLAN stick, but i had the exact same problems.

So I just looked up the Zyxel NWD2105 you mentioned, and a new one is about 50 euros on amazon while the newer version (?) is only 15 eur. But you think the newer versions won't work as good as the old ones? Hm...

May be I'll have a look at Atheros or Realtek dongles you mentioned, but really, finding a working wlan usb stick is a pain :(