boot USB disk on any PC to access home PC?

boot USB disk on any PC to access home PC?
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MUT308 @ 20th Oct 09:59PM:
boot USB disk on any PC to access home PC?

Bear with me on this one, I have a feeling what I'm asking is complicated.

I was recently given a 2GB thumb drive as a gift, and I'm looking for a use for it. I already have a 4GB USB flash I use for files, and I use my iPod as a disk to use my own Firefox and games like Crysis and WoW on other computers, but I'd like to do something entirely new with this 2GB.

I want to be able to plug it into any PC with internet access, reboot that PC, and have the option to boot from my USB into my home PC's desktop. This is VPN, right? Is what I am asking too far fetched? Will I have to run it as an application? Would I have to install linux on my USB flash drive and run a linux application to virtualize my home PC's desktop? My home PC runs Windows XP Home.

Obviously I'd have to set up something server-side on my home PC, but can I make the client USB flash bootable into the virtual desktop?

What I'm aiming for is access to all my documents, music, software, and browsers via any internet-connected PC. I'd do a google search, but I'm not sure what terms to use.
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SoonerAl @ 21st Oct 07:24AM:
Re: boot USB disk on any PC to access home PC?

One option is to use Tunnelier Portable, a free Secure Shell [SSH] client, on a USB flash/thumb drive.

»www.bitvise.com/tunnelier-portable

If you had VNC (any flavor although I recommend UltraVNC) on the drive you could run that through the SSH tunnel and have access/control of your desktop just like you were sitting in front of it. To add every Windows edition since XP has a built in Remote Desktop [RDC] client so you could run RDC through the SSH tunnel IF the home PC is running Windows 7 Ultimate/Professional, Vista Ultimate/Business or XP Pro/MCE editions.

My small SSH page...

»theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/S···ell.html

VNC through a SSH tunnel help...

»www.bitvise.com/winvnc
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MUT308 @ 21st Oct 07:56AM:
Re: boot USB disk on any PC to access home PC?

Installed Tunnelier to USB flash. Installed VNC server to home PC. Installed VNC client to USB flash.

Not really sure what the function of Tunnelier is, or why it is necessary. Isn't VNC a remote desktop connection? My settings look okay? VNC is set as an exception in the Windows firewall.

It's 9:00PM Wednesday here. I'll try the VNC client out at work tomorrow. I'm 14 hours ahead of CST.
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Matt @ 21st Oct 11:02AM:
Re: boot USB disk on any PC to access home PC?

VNC is unencrypted. Tunnelier uses SSH to encrypt the data.
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TheMole @ 24th Oct 12:56PM:
Re: boot USB disk on any PC to access home PC?

I have not tried this yet, but it looks promising. it is a VMware appliance that is approx 14MB. It runs OpenVPN and rdesktop.

»mediumware.biz/mw/index.php?opti···Itemid=1

[edit: sorry, this doesn't meet the OP's requirements. the product is interesting nonetheless]

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