[Tfug] Thumb drive sizes

[Bexley Hall]

Hi,

On 10/25/2012 6:15 AM, unixmito at SDF.ORG wrote:
> Now that I know that sneaker-net is an intentional choice (Sometimes My
> live connection goes down and it's consequential) I still believe that
> differential/incremental snapshots of what ever *needs* to be reflected on
> both machines is one of the better ways to tier the data between the two
> machines.

The SneakerNet is only used to get things to/from the "isolated
internet" from/to the "real world".  As I said, a "report" off
to a client, schematic/PCB markups *from* a client back into
my workset, binary images out to prototypes, etc.  Places where
(in a benevolent, ideal world) you could just "email", FTP,
HTTP, copy, etc. the objects *directly*, over a wire (but, the
nature of the world being as it is, doing so actually requires
considerable extra precautions/cost to protect OTHER things
that can be potentially exposed at the same time)

> I have a similar set up where each file on the "sneaker-net" drive has
> it's MD5/SHA-128 is taken and placed into a small SQLite database located
> on a seperate partition on the drive and then it's modified time is placed
> into the same database. Then the file is encrypted with GPG and the
> signature is verified on either ends, depending if the file is originating
> from computer A to computer B, C, D, or E in what ever necessary
> permutation is required.
>
> The entire transaction is then recorded internally in the database. After
> everything is said and done, any physical transfer doesn't expose any of
> the files or even it's Metadata (found in the SQLite DB) to unauthorized
> eyes should the thumb drive fall victim to theft or happenstance.

Why all the extra work?

*Within* my "isolated internet", I can freely copy, rsync, dump,
etc. data between those "trusted/protected" machines.  Likewise,
*outside* that isolated internet, I can act similarly (I just make
no claims as to the integrity of the data once it's been sitting
outside my protected little nest -- e.g., if it sits on someone
else's server/workstation).

Since I'm using SneakerNet just as an occasional transport mechanism,
the bandwidth requirements are relatively low (most transactions
occur *within* my isolated workspace).  OTOH, the size of the
medium places constraints on how effectively I *can* move objects.

E.g., if I've allowed cruft to accumulate on a thumb drive, then
the available space is reduced -- which limits the size (or number)
of objects that I can transfer at a time.

(Strict) discipline would solve the problem -- never leave anything
on a thumb drive ("move" it off as soon as you've moved it *on*!).
But, discipline would also leave my workbenches "clean" at the
end of each day, my "desktop" clean, my bank statements and canceled
checks neatly filed away AS SOON AS the statement arrives, etc.

<grin>  "Ain't gonna happen!"  (at least, not as long as there are
more interesting things to spend my time on!)  ;-)

--don