The Linux LiveCD
A relatively new phenomenon in the Linux world is the bootable Linux CD distribution. This lets you see what a Linux system is like without actually installing it. Most modern PCs can boot from a CD instead of the standard hard drive. To take advantage of this, some Linux distributions create a bootable CD that contains a sample Linux system (called a Linux LiveCD). Because of the limitations of the single CD size, the sample can’t contain a complete Linux system, but you’d be surprised at all the software they can cram in there. The result is that you can boot your PC from the CD and run a Linux distribution without having to install anything on your hard drive!
This is an excellent way to test various Linux distributions without having to mess with your PC. Just pop in a CD and boot! All the Linux software will run directly from the CD. You can download lots of Linux LiveCDs from the Internet and burn onto a CD to test drive.The list shows some popular Linux LiveCDs that are available.
Linux LiveCD Distributions:
You may notice a familiarity in this table. Many specialized Linux distributions also have a Linux LiveCD version. Some Linux LiveCD distributions, such as Ubuntu, allow you to install the Linux distribution directly from the LiveCD. This enables you to boot with the CD, test drive the Linux distribution, and then if you like it, install it on your hard drive. This feature is extremely handy and user-friendly.
As with all good things, Linux LiveCDs have a few drawbacks. Because you access everything from the CD, applications run more slowly, especially if you’re using older, slower computers and CD drives. Also, because you can’t write to the CD, any changes you make to the Linux system will be gone the next time you reboot.
But advances are being made in the Linux LiveCD world that will help to solve some of these problems. These advances include the ability to:
Some Linux LiveCDs, such as Puppy Linux, are designed with a minimum number of Linux system files. The LiveCD boot scripts copy them directly into memory when the CD boots. This allows you to remove the CD from the computer as soon as Linux boots.
Not only does this make your applications run much faster (because applications run faster from memory), but it also gives you a free CD tray to use for ripping audio CDs or playing video DVDs from the software included in Puppy Linux.
Other Linux LiveCDs use an alternative method that allows you to remove the CD from the tray after booting. It involves copying the core Linux files onto the Windows hard drive as a single file. After the CD boots, it looks for that file and reads the system files from it. The dyne:bolic Linux LiveCD uses this technique, which is called docking. Of course, you must copy the system file to your hard drive before you can boot from the CD.
A very popular technique for storing data from a live Linux CD session is to use a common USB memory stick (also called a flash drive or a thumb drive). Just about every Linux LiveCD can recognize a plugged-in USB memory stick (even if the stick is formatted for Windows) and read and write files to and from it. This allows you to boot a Linux LiveCD, use the Linux applications to create files, store those files on your memory stick, and then access them from your Windows applications later (or from a different computer). How cool is that?
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| The Linux LiveCD |
This is an excellent way to test various Linux distributions without having to mess with your PC. Just pop in a CD and boot! All the Linux software will run directly from the CD. You can download lots of Linux LiveCDs from the Internet and burn onto a CD to test drive.The list shows some popular Linux LiveCDs that are available.
Linux LiveCD Distributions:
- Knoppix A German Linux, the first Linux LiveCD developed
- PCLinuxOS Full-blown Linux distribution on a LiveCD
- Ubuntu A worldwide Linux project, designed for many languages
- Slax A live Linux CD based on Slackware Linux
- Puppy Linux A full-featured Linux designed for older PCs
You may notice a familiarity in this table. Many specialized Linux distributions also have a Linux LiveCD version. Some Linux LiveCD distributions, such as Ubuntu, allow you to install the Linux distribution directly from the LiveCD. This enables you to boot with the CD, test drive the Linux distribution, and then if you like it, install it on your hard drive. This feature is extremely handy and user-friendly.
As with all good things, Linux LiveCDs have a few drawbacks. Because you access everything from the CD, applications run more slowly, especially if you’re using older, slower computers and CD drives. Also, because you can’t write to the CD, any changes you make to the Linux system will be gone the next time you reboot.
But advances are being made in the Linux LiveCD world that will help to solve some of these problems. These advances include the ability to:
- Copy Linux system files from the CD to memory
- Copy system files to a file on the hard drive
- Store system settings on a USB memory stick
- Store user settings on a USB memory stick
Some Linux LiveCDs, such as Puppy Linux, are designed with a minimum number of Linux system files. The LiveCD boot scripts copy them directly into memory when the CD boots. This allows you to remove the CD from the computer as soon as Linux boots.
Not only does this make your applications run much faster (because applications run faster from memory), but it also gives you a free CD tray to use for ripping audio CDs or playing video DVDs from the software included in Puppy Linux.
Other Linux LiveCDs use an alternative method that allows you to remove the CD from the tray after booting. It involves copying the core Linux files onto the Windows hard drive as a single file. After the CD boots, it looks for that file and reads the system files from it. The dyne:bolic Linux LiveCD uses this technique, which is called docking. Of course, you must copy the system file to your hard drive before you can boot from the CD.
A very popular technique for storing data from a live Linux CD session is to use a common USB memory stick (also called a flash drive or a thumb drive). Just about every Linux LiveCD can recognize a plugged-in USB memory stick (even if the stick is formatted for Windows) and read and write files to and from it. This allows you to boot a Linux LiveCD, use the Linux applications to create files, store those files on your memory stick, and then access them from your Windows applications later (or from a different computer). How cool is that?
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