I used my converted thin client — really half a computer that I've relied on for testing purposes over the past year — and loaded the Debian GNU/Linux operating system onto the flash chip.

The computer then booted and is currently running.

In order to load the operating system, I had to hook a CD-ROM drive up to an IDE cable plugged into the motherboard and the thin client's onboard CF-to-IDE adapter (that's where the box's original OS was installed when it was an actual thin client — basically a glorified terminal — before I bought it used and converted it to a full-fledged PC with full-sized hard drives hanging out the side.

Now the only storage inside the box is the Compact Flash chip, which I'm backing up to a USB flash drive plugged into the back.

Reliability for CF drives used with traditional computer operating systems is generally unknown and not thought to be good, but the CF chip cost me only $20, as opposed to $170 or so for a 64 GB solid-state hard drive, and since this is an experimental PC, I wanted to see what kind of performance I could get from the CF chip.

I will update the status of what I'm calling The Self-Reliant Thin Client on the Click blog.

And look for the story on Oct. 18 at the Daily News Technology page.