no speed difference, however i find the management of cgminer much easier in linux, especially when talking about backup pools and such. also, along with linux comes the benefit of being able to throw the whole thing on a 8gb jump drive and getting rid of the physical HD for maximum power savings.
This. Exactly this.
I've got a pendrivelinux instance of Ubuntu server 12 on a stic that boots wonderfully. Just wanted to make sure.
Thanks guys... This place is a fantastic source of expertise.