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Online Banking Using Puppy LiveUSB

How to obtain and use Puppy Linux to ensure safe online banking.

At the moment, these instructions only work with Windows-based computers. I hope to have a good solution for Mac users soon. Also see the overview and discussion of why this is good for online banking. Post any questions or comments on the blog.



The following steps will get you started using Puppy Linux. Follow these steps whether you are starting from a Windows PC or if you currently use Linux. Here is a summary of the necessary steps, and a complete explanation follows below. (If you already use Puppy Linux, see the notes below about downloading a small file with only the changes and additions.)

Note: This is a customized version of Puppy Linux, and is "experimental" software. You will not get support from your PC vendor if something goes wrong.

If you have questions that are not answered here, a more detailed explanation with examples and snapshots of what you should expect to see as you progress is also available.


Step 1: Determine Whether Your PC Can Boot From a USB Memory Stick

Most PCs sold within the last 10 years can be configured to boot from a USB memory stick with only a couple of simple changes. Unfortunately, the way to do this can be very different depending on the manufacturer.

To check if this is possible, start your PC and press the key to enter "Setup Mode" which is sometimes called the "BIOS Menu." To do this, notice what the initial startup message tells you. It may flash by rather quickly, so be ready to react. On many computers you must press and hold the F2 key, but sometimes it's a different key.

Once you get the Setup Menu, look for a menu labeled "Boot Order" or "Startup Sequence." If nothing is obvious, try some of the menu choices. What you are looking for is a list that determines the way your computer searches for a "bootable" device.

Usual choices include

What you want is to change this list to the following order

Some computers have a special menu choice to "Enable" booting from Removable Devices, so read the menus carefully.


Step 2: Determine if You Need "Java" to Access Your Web Sites

If your bank uses "Java Applets" (such as the "Virtual Keyboard" used by Banco Nacional de Costa Rica during the login process), you need the version below that includes the "Java Runtime Environment" (JRE).

Note that Java is very different from JavaScript, and all of downloads below include support for JavaScript.

If in doubt, select the version with Java. The main difference is the size of the download file.

Step 3: Obtain the Correct Files for Your System

If you can boot from a USB or Removable device, Great! You can follow the directions below to create a LiveUSB memory stick. Otherwise, to boot Puppy Linux, you will need to create a CD-ROM.

Step 4: Give It A Try

With your new "LiveUSB" memory stick connected (or your "LiveCD" disk in your CD-ROM/DVD drive), reboot your computer. You should see the Puppy Linux Startup Screen and, soon after, Puppy should start.

You will see some descriptions of the boot process, and then see a few prompts to choose the type of keyboard, and the type of video adaptor. The default choices should be sufficient to get started.

Step 5: Give Some Feedback

Leave a comment and let me know how it worked for you.


Additional Information

Getting Some Help With All This

If you have questions or experience problems, a lot of help is available. Try one of the following links.

The Details of Completed Changes

The Known Issues

The Next Steps

If You Are Familiar With Puppy Linux