How to Set Up and Use Your OnTheGo Drive in SimplyMEPIS 6.0

OnTheGo is a fantastic feature of MEPIS! Since there is nothing else like it, you'll likely need a step-by-step walk through.

First, note that OnTheGo does NOT take-over your entire USB drive--it's only one file. That means you can format your key as fat32 for Windows & Mac compatibility to maintain publicly accessible files on your USB drive and still have a secure area for your MEPIS files!

OnTheGo expects things to happen in a specific sequence. Some steps require you to wait a few seconds. Changing users or logging off may take up to 30 seconds.

CREATING YOUR OnTheGo DRIVE:

1. Backup any data on your USB key (just in case)!

2. If USB key drive is plugged-in; right-click, remove safely, wait a few seconds, then unplug key.

3. Log in as root. (If you are currently logged in, log out using end session, then log in as root.) If you are do not have access to root (such as on your employer's or a friend's machine), boot the MEPIS LiveCD and log in as root.

4. Insert key drive then unmount it -- DO NOT use safely remove! Instead, unmount it using KwikDisk or the command line.

5. Using MEPIS utilities create the OnTheGo file (choose whether you want it to be encrypted or not), Copy over data at this point or later if you like, unplug drive, then log out.

USING YOUR OnTheGo DRIVE:

1. Unplug key, if plugged in.

2. Boot the computer. When the system gets to the graphical log in screen, plug in the USB drive. DO NOT log in yet!

3. Wait 10 seconds for drive to be detected & mounted.

4. Log in using...
user: onthego
password: onthego
NOTE: Both are lowercase without any spaces. Do not enter your encryption passphrase here.

5. If you chose to make an encrypted onthego drive, you will be asked for your encryption passphrase as this point.
If you enter your passphrase wrong the system may crash requiring a hard reboot (reset button on the case). This is not a bad thing, it really slows-down an attacker!

6. When finished, log out, and wait patiently as the logout can take up to 30 seconds while cached data is written to the key. When you see the log in prompt again, remove the key.

Thanks to Lance for helping out with this!