[mdlug] USB Flash Drive Recommendations for Linux?

[Robert Citek]

On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 12:15 AM, Raymond McLaughlin
<driveray at ameritech.net> wrote:
> To avoid this hazard I make it a practice to connect the USB last, and
> disconnect it first, while supplying power to the drive with a dedicated
> supply.

A few questions:

1) are you saying I can power a laptop SATA drive over USB?  If so, how?
2) how do I connect an external power source to a laptop IDE drive?
3) how can I tell if my IDE drive is putting undue power strain on the
USB circuit?

I've been using the IDE laptop drive with the IDE/USB adapter for well
over a year and it's been working flawlessly.  The drive is never hot,
nor is the cable nor the connectors.  However, I would like to upgrade
it to one of the larger SATA varieties but haven't figured out how (or
even if) to power it over USB.  I'm guessing the USB lapotop enclosure
variety has split the USB bus into SATA data and SATA power.

Regards,
- Robert