Sunday, August 07, 2005


Linux Live CD's

Who needs a Linux "Live" CD? -- You do.

What is a Linux "Live" CD? -- It basically is a bootable CD that contains a version of the Linux operating system. If your pc is able to boot from your CD drive, you have a good chance of being able to use one. (See the Wikipedia for more information about "Live CD's.)

What can you do with a Live CD? Tux.org has a list of 10 things. (Those and some more with my preferences noted instead below...)

All of these are FREE! A broadband connection is best for attempting downloads as sizes of the ISO file can run between 45-800MB. There are lots of good books out on these, my all-time favorite is Knoppix Hacks by O'Reilly Press. It is awesome! and comes with a cd of the Knoppix distribution. Some distributions even support booting a pc from a USB device (assuming your motherboard supports it...)

Once you have downloaded the ISO file, use your preferred cd-burning tool to burn the ISO image to disk (don't burn a copy of the ISO file to the cd, burn the ISO file contents to cd--read your burning software help-file for more info.)

I carry several of the above distributions with my in my sysadmin CD case collection at all times. I pick and choose depending on what I want to accomplish. However, my "daily-use" pick is Damn Small Linux.

Even if you are not ready to take the Linux plunge and switch. These are a great way to find out what all the Linux talk is about, get your feet wet, and do some learning. All without touching your current pc setup's hard-drive configuration!

  • side note--I'm not really happy with my current blog font. I will be experimenting for a while with other fonts to decide which I like best. Please be patient!

See you in the Skies!

--Claus

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