USB Mobile CAD?

[zerorisers]

I was wondering if there was a good USB run CAD program for windows machines. I am usually traveling away from home and can not use a single PC for everything.

thanks in advance,
zerorisers

edit: accidently posted in wrong section, if an admin or mod can move the post it would be well appreciated!

[Wilksey]

I would try putting either:
KiCAD, DipTrace, or Eagle onto a stick and seeing if it runs from there.

[radix]

KiCAD runs from a stick with no problems. It includes tools for drawing schematics and PCBs, a gerber viewer and some other random bits. You can also get any of the programs separately.

[zerorisers]

That all sounds good To me. Where is a download link as the only Windows downloads for lived I have seen are installers

[Wilksey]

Install the software on a desktop PC then copy the folder(s) to a pen drive.

I'll use KiCAD as an example.

Copy the contents of "c:\program files (x86)\kicad" to a pen drive and run the KiCAD app from within the \bin folder.

I am sure the same goes for Eagle and DT, paths might need to be created when the program first runs, you may be able to change paths, I think you can in Eagle.

Alternatively you may be able to download one of those portable app creators, which takes an installed app and creates a "portable" version of it, I have seen a portable Altium, never tried it, not sure if it would even work that great, it was like a 4GB file.

[ElektroQuark]

If you copy KiCad files to an USB stick, you will lose you lib table, it's stored in the OS data folders not in the KiCad tree. So you will ne to create it again if you need your own libraries.

[zerorisers]

Install the software on a desktop PC then copy the folder(s) to a pen drive.

I'll use KiCAD as an example.

Copy the contents of "c:\program files (x86)\kicad" to a pen drive and run the KiCAD app from within the \bin folder.

I am sure the same goes for Eagle and DT, paths might need to be created when the program first runs, you may be able to change paths, I think you can in Eagle.

Alternatively you may be able to download one of those portable app creators, which takes an installed app and creates a "portable" version of it, I have seen a portable Altium, never tried it, not sure if it would even work that great, it was like a 4GB file.

yes, But the only problem I have is that I do not have a windows PC that I can install KiCAD onto. I have a linux machine hiding somewhere, but that is about it.

[Wilksey]

You can probably do the same with Linux.

If you don't have any machines why do you want to put it on a USB stick?

Put the installer on a USB stick, when you get to a windows pc, install it and do as I mentioned.