A Debian ["LiveCD"] is ["Debian"] distro (that contains as much software as possible) stored on a bootable ["CDROM"] that can be executed from it, without installation on a hard drive. Nothing is installed, and the system returns to its previous OS once you pop the ["LiveCD"] out.
One can use a ready CD or burn an ["ISOImage"] downloaded from the internet. Because of the large size of the image files many people use a download manager and, more actually, ["jigdo"],for this.
Some LiveCDs come with an installation utility launchable from a desktop icon that can optionally install the system on a hard drive or USB ["keydrive"]. Most LiveCDs can access too the information on internal and/or external harddrives, diskettes and USB Flash memories (i.e. to store data home directory or to be used like rescue systems).
For example, in Dynebolic the nest file is called dynebol.nst and it keeps all your home and settings inside (/home, /etc, /var, /tmp). The available space for your nest is found by dyne:bolic thru your partitions on harddisk or usb storage devices (like usb pens, smartcards or even photo cameras). This approach doesn't requires any change in the data structure of the partitions: just one file is created (dynebol.nst).
Generating Debian LiveCDs
Projects and tools for creating a Debian Live CD from standard Debian packages:
[http://www.minimix.ch/debian-live MINIMIX Debian/GNU Linux 3.1 LiveCD HOWTO ] German only!
[http://alioth.debian.org/projects/debian-knoppix debian-knoppix] reintegration. Announced [http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2003/debian-devel-200311/msg01501.html here] with an interesting thread following.
NEW: Now experimental knoppix from scratch available! See [http://lists.debian.org/debian-custom/2004/07/msg00096.html here].
[http://www.danix.org/Members/adam/build_your_own_CD_today mkdanix] noninteractive tool for building custom live CDs. Building is done from scratch. Should be easy enough for anyone who ever tried 'make all'.
[http://packages.debian.org/stable/utils/bootcd bootcd] debian packages
[http://holbytla.org/fai/ fai-bootcd]
[http://metadistros.hispalinux.es/tiki-index.php?page=Metadistros Hispalinux metadistros Project]
[http://mklivecd.sourceforge.net mklivecd]
[http://packages.debian.org/unstable/utils/dfsbuild dfsbuild]
Related software:
["jigdo"] [http://www.debian.org/CD/jigdo-cd 1] [http://atterer.net/jigdo 2]
- mkinitrd-cd
- cdbackup
- ["Syslinux"] where the majority of the ["LiveCD"]s are based on.
Mini-LiveCDs
A Mini-LiveCD is a [bootable business card] Linux distribution, this is, small enough to fit on a CD-ROM that has been cut, pressed, or molded to the size and shape of a business card (designed to fit in your wallet or pocket).
Mini-?LiveCds are able to hold about 50 ["MB"]. See DamnSmallLinux
LiveMove
["?LiveMove"]s are the set of a LiveCD and a bootfloppy or USB key.
I.e. ["?MandrakeMove"] is a new ?MandrakeSoft product that benefits from a [Mandrake Linux] LiveCD which doesn't need to be installed to run on a computer, and a USB key that automatically stores ["bootloader"], hardware configuration and personal data.
MoveKey
A ?MoveKey is a linux mini-distribution in a USB ["keydrive"], like ["Flonix"]
VMware
With ?"VMware", you can try a LiveCD without burning it to a CD or re-booting the computer.
List of Debian based LiveCDs
- ["Knoppix"] the mother of all LiveCDs:
- [Damn Small Linux] for a mini-CD.
[http://www.minimix.ch MINIMIX] minimal LiveCD based on Debian 3.1
- ["Flonix"] fits on a USB ["keydrive"] too.
- ["clusterKnoppix"] has openMosix support
- ["Quantian"] is a scientific variation of clusterKnoppix
- ["Morphix"].
GNUstep Live] a ["GNUstep"] live CD, http://www.linuks.mine.nu/gnustep/.
- ["Oralux"], a Knoppix-based GNU/Linux distribution for blind or visually impaired people. Its user interface is based on Emacspeak, an audio desktop.
- ["Mepis"]: user-friendly Debian for ["newbie"]s.
- ["Kanotix"]: A live-CD ... that can also be used to install Debian Sid (someone said that way is easier than the "standard" install CD to install Debian Sid).
- ["Gnobian"] versions:
- ["Gnoppix"]
["?LinEx"]
- ["Gnome"] ["Morphix"]
[https://systemausfall.org/prj/cryptobox ?CryptoBox] is a fileserver live-cd with harddisk encryption, fully configurable via web interface.
["?ZenLinux"] A LiveCD that can do a 100% Debian install and has easy remastering. Version 1.2.3 DVD iso only.
List of other LiveCDs
See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LiveCDs Wikipedia:list of liveCDs]
See also
?DiskLess