What is the difference?

bibzgi · 11. May 2011, 04:00 AM

The only portable apps I use are for Firefox and Thunderbird.

I use portable apps as good working programs on my laptop computer and to back them up to the cloud after I encrypted them with 7zip.

They worked wonderfully under my prior MS Windows operating systems.

They work great under my more recent (this year) linux based operating systems.

So what's my drift?

There seem to be two different sets of portable apps.

One I'm guessing is cross-platform. It' needs so-called WINE in linux.

The other seems to be strictly for linux. The apps do not need WINE and they download without need for extraction and they only have one program icon vs. a folder with four or so sub-folders.

I'm nowadays totally leaning toward the linux os and I love the latter.

Comments about the difference appreciated!

As a side note, apps from my experience aren't good at privacy on a computer, perhaps best on an encrypted external medium like a flash drive. I have portable apps under a separate password-protected linux mint partition.

Any comments appreciated.

wdhpr · 12. May 2011, 02:29 AM

I have read and then reread your post and I'm not sure I understand what your asking. Windows portable apps work on Windows. Linux portable apps work on linux. (Have not tried Linux portable apps on Windows) Although I can run portable apps designed for Windows on my Linux system with the help of Wine I have found some that will not work.

I think the best solution is to keep them separate. USB drives are reasonably price and small in size why not have have both Windows and Linux thumb drives? Of course I always carry my thumb drive with Puppy installed.

Wdhpr

bibzgi · 12. May 2011, 11:46 AM

Thanks Wdhpr. It looks like keeping portable apps separate on a USB drive is the way to go.

I tried Puppy on a pendrive but I couldn't get wireless internet connection. I'll have another go at it or try another portable OS (I think there's one called "damn small linux" or something).

Here's a good link about linux portable apps for anyone interested:

"makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-portable-apps-linux/"

11. May 2011, 04:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
bibzgi Full Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 60	What is the difference? The only portable apps I use are for Firefox and Thunderbird. I use portable apps as good working programs on my laptop computer and to back them up to the cloud after I encrypted them with 7zip. They worked wonderfully under my prior MS Windows operating systems. They work great under my more recent (this year) linux based operating systems. So what's my drift? There seem to be two different sets of portable apps. One I'm guessing is cross-platform. It' needs so-called WINE in linux. The other seems to be strictly for linux. The apps do not need WINE and they download without need for extraction and they only have one program icon vs. a folder with four or so sub-folders. I'm nowadays totally leaning toward the linux os and I love the latter. Comments about the difference appreciated! As a side note, apps from my experience aren't good at privacy on a computer, perhaps best on an encrypted external medium like a flash drive. I have portable apps under a separate password-protected linux mint partition. Any comments appreciated.

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12. May 2011, 02:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
wdhpr Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: The north Coast Posts: 1,117	I have read and then reread your post and I'm not sure I understand what your asking. Windows portable apps work on Windows. Linux portable apps work on linux. (Have not tried Linux portable apps on Windows) Although I can run portable apps designed for Windows on my Linux system with the help of Wine I have found some that will not work. I think the best solution is to keep them separate. USB drives are reasonably price and small in size why not have have both Windows and Linux thumb drives? Of course I always carry my thumb drive with Puppy installed. Wdhpr

12. May 2011, 11:46 AM	#3 (permalink)
bibzgi Full Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 60	Thanks Wdhpr. It looks like keeping portable apps separate on a USB drive is the way to go. I tried Puppy on a pendrive but I couldn't get wireless internet connection. I'll have another go at it or try another portable OS (I think there's one called "damn small linux" or something). Here's a good link about linux portable apps for anyone interested: "makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-portable-apps-linux/"