Seagate FreeAgent Go - hdd system instalation

I would like to buyt 500G Seagate FreeAgent Go external hard drive and would like to install Debian on it, before I will do it I've few questions:

- are there any problem with this type of hard drives for example they can't be used for cold boot ?
- are they noisy ?
- do you have some comparation how much energy use Dockstar with Pendrive vs with USB HDD connected ?
- is Debian installation process same as installing to USB PenDrive ?
- I would like to create 3 partitions on hdd - system ext2/3, swap and third one fat32 (to use hdd as portable drive for windows boxes) -
what is the speed of accessing fat32 partition, is it much slower then accessing ext2/3 partition ?
- is it possible to configure Dockstar to wake-on-lan ?

Ping ! Anyone ?

bedek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would like to buyt 500G Seagate FreeAgent Go
> external hard drive and would like to install
> Debian on it, before I will do it I've few
> questions:

I just switched my debian dockstar from a usb drive enclosure with 3.5-inch sata drive to freeagent go 1TB. I've been running this setup for a couple of days now. I'll try to answer some of your questions.

>
> - are there any problem with this type of hard
> drives for example they can't be used for cold
> boot ?

No problems whatsoever so far. I tried cold boot once with no problem. Warm boot several times, no problems. Performance seems to be the same as the usb/sata enclosure, but haven't measured it. I believe that usb is the limiting factor, not the drive.

> - are they noisy ?

It is VERY quiet. I love it. My cockatiel, whose cage is right next to the dockstar, also loves it. :)

> - do you have some comparation how much energy use
> Dockstar with Pendrive vs with USB HDD connected
> ?

no info. The freeagent go is powered by the dockstar usb port, so I assume it is not drawing very much current. Dockstar is warm, but not hot.

> - is Debian installation process same as
> installing to USB PenDrive ?

yes

> - I would like to create 3 partitions on hdd -
> system ext2/3, swap and third one fat32 (to use
> hdd as portable drive for windows boxes) -
> what is the speed of accessing fat32 partition, is
> it much slower then accessing ext2/3 partition ?

no info

> - is it possible to configure Dockstar to
> wake-on-lan ?

no info



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/07/2010 11:01AM by PhantomsDad.

Re. the power consumption: with an 8 GB USB stick, my (rather simple) power meter reports 3-4 Watts. Running an older (noname) 2,5" 60 GB HDD adds additional 4 Watts.

HTH
Heinz

hkramski Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Re. the power consumption: with an 8 GB USB stick,
> my (rather simple) power meter reports 3-4 Watts.
> Running an older (noname) 2,5" 60 GB HDD adds
> additional 4 Watts.
>
> HTH
> Heinz

And those numbers are consistent with the information here for the FreeAgent Go 600GB and 1TB:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1057-page2.html

If you dislike the LEDs at the bottom of the HDD which I do at night, be sure to have access to a Windows installation with USB 2.0 support. There, you can install the proprietary software which turns the light off.