Live CD ?? & Linux

[KHaled]

Hello all..

I am seeing this term frequently, what exactly is it ? Does it
install to a hard drive ?? What is a good Linux distro to break
in ?

TIA..

--
KHaled

e-mail: khaledihREMOVEUPPERCASELETTERS at fusemail dot com
(correcting antispam crap..)
please start your subject line with the string "==NG=="

 

[Roger Johansson]

I am seeing this term frequently, what exactly is it ? Does it
install to a hard drive ?? What is a good Linux distro to break
in ?

A live-CD boots directly from the CD and does not touch you hard disk.

Well known live CD's are SimplyMepis, Knoppix, Mandrake-Move, etc..

Try another one if the first doesn't work on your hardware.

 

[KHaled]

A live-CD boots directly from the CD and does not touch you
hard disk.

Well known live CD's are SimplyMepis, Knoppix,
Mandrake-Move, etc..

Try another one if the first doesn't work on your hardware.

Thanks for the reply..

When you say that it boots from a cd does that mean the
kernel and other applications are all on the cd, or that the
boot is from the cd, and then the rest of the system is on
the hard disk ?

Also, would a virtual cd work ? (something like
circlepoint/hakku)

--
KHaled

e-mail: khaledihREMOVEUPPERCASELETTERS at fusemail dot com
(correcting antispam crap..)
please start your subject line with the string "==NG=="

 

[Roger Johansson]

When you say that it boots from a cd does that mean the
kernel and other applications are all on the cd, or that the
boot is from the cd, and then the rest of the system is on
the hard disk ?

All of the system is on the CD. They are usually 700MB big so there is a
lot of room for a complete operating system and lots of programs. It
looks like booting a windows system. You get a desktop with menues and
icons. The programs work like they do in windows.

That is if the booting is successful. Sometimes the system cannot start
the graphical interface system, and then you get a DOS prompt like
interface. And that is not very useful for beginners in the linux world.
So make sure you get a graphical interface going. If one linux live-CD
doesn't give you that you simply try another which may fit your hardware
better. This is much of a problem of the past, as linux versions get
better at detecting different hardware situations.

Also, would a virtual cd work ? (something like
circlepoint/hakku)

No, the virtual CD program needs to run under windows, and windows is
never activated when you run linux.

Live-CD's need a real CD-unit to work correctly.

 

[KHaled]

All of the system is on the CD. They are usually 700MB big
so there is a lot of room for a complete operating system
and lots of programs. It looks like booting a windows
system. You get a desktop with menues and icons. The
programs work like they do in windows.

That is if the booting is successful. Sometimes the system
cannot start the graphical interface system, and then you
get a DOS prompt like interface. And that is not very
useful for beginners in the linux world. So make sure you
get a graphical interface going. If one linux live-CD
doesn't give you that you simply try another which may fit
your hardware better. This is much of a problem of the
past, as linux versions get better at detecting different
hardware situations.


No, the virtual CD program needs to run under windows, and
windows is never activated when you run linux.

Live-CD's need a real CD-unit to work correctly.

Thanks, this is not what I am looking for.. I need a basic
distribution that is easy to install and manage, mostly for
educational purposes right now..

--
KHaled

e-mail: khaledihREMOVEUPPERCASELETTERS at fusemail dot com
(correcting antispam crap..)
please start your subject line with the string "==NG=="

 

[Roger Johansson]

Thanks, this is not what I am looking for.. I need a basic
distribution that is easy to install and manage, mostly for
educational purposes right now..

Cygwin is a linux version which runs under windows,
and does not use much hard disk space.

Installs like any other windows programs and can easily
be uninstalled again.

 

[André Gulliksen]

Thanks, this is not what I am looking for.. I need a basic
distribution that is easy to install and manage, mostly for
educational purposes right now..

Knoppix, and probably others as well, includes a script to move the entire
system to a hard drive if you want to. Since the entire system is already
built on the CD the actual installation is only a matter of moving
everything from the CD to a hard drive. It probably won't be much easier
than that. It also has some of the best hardware detection routines I have
seen, meaning that there basically is not much to configure.

 

[KHaled]

Knoppix, and probably others as well, includes a script to
move the entire system to a hard drive if you want to.
Since the entire system is already built on the CD the
actual installation is only a matter of moving everything
from the CD to a hard drive. It probably won't be much
easier than that. It also has some of the best hardware
detection routines I have seen, meaning that there
basically is not much to configure.

That makes a difference.. I rummaged through my saved mail
and came up with this link for "The first guide to Knoppix
for the complete beginner"
http://www.pjls16812.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/knowing-knoppix/

I think this may be what I am looking for.

--
KHaled

e-mail: khaledihREMOVEUPPERCASELETTERS at fusemail dot com
(correcting antispam crap..)
please start your subject line with the string "==NG=="

 

[KHaled]

Cygwin is a linux version which runs under windows,
and does not use much hard disk space.

Installs like any other windows programs and can easily
be uninstalled again.

Thanks, I am looking to "move up" !!, so Linux under Windows
sounds a bit strange.. Howeve, cygwin is useful if there are
applications developed for Linux/Unix that are ported to Win,
and that need a comatability layer..

<Quote http://www.cygwin.com>

# Cygwin is a Linux-like environment for Windows. It consists
of two parts: A DLL (cygwin1.dll) which acts as a Linux API
emulation layer providing substantial Linux API
functionality.

# A collection of tools, which provide Linux look and feel.

</Quote>

--
KHaled

e-mail: khaledihREMOVEUPPERCASELETTERS at fusemail dot com
(correcting antispam crap..)
please start your subject line with the string "==NG=="

 

[Mel]

Thanks, this is not what I am looking for.. I need a basic
distribution that is easy to install and manage, mostly for
educational purposes right now..

Take a look at:

Ubuntu a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with
both community and professional support.

The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu
Manifesto: that software should be available free of charge, that
software tools should be usable by people in their local language and
despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to
customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit.

These freedoms make Ubuntu fundamentally different from traditional
proprietary software: not only are the tools you need available free of
charge, you have the right to modify your software until it works the
way you want it to.

http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

Download Ubuntu 4.10 "The Warty Warthog"

http://www.opensourcemirrors.org/ubuntu-cd/4.10/warty-release-live-i386.iso

http://www.opensourcemirrors.org/ubuntu-cd/4.10/warty-release-install-i386.iso

I just got this and so far it looks very respectable as an Operating
System.

If you want to get the look and feel of the OS; download and boot the
Live CD; highly recommended.

If you like what you see you can Install the OS. You'll need a Harddisk
with at least 2GB of freespace. Boot the Install Disc; the install is
completely automatic; ubuntu will create the partitions it requires
without interfearing with your other OS and Install itself.

Good Luck and Have Fun!

 

[JanC]

Mel schreef:

I just got this and so far it looks very respectable as an Operating
System.

Ha, and 'hoary' will be even better!

(I'm testing Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" now, which will be released
very early in April.)

 

[Mel]

Ha, and 'hoary' will be even better!

(I'm testing Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" now, which will be released
very early in April.)

What point are you making?

 

[MLC]

_Mel_, martedì 22/mar/2005:

http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

Download Ubuntu 4.10 "The Warty Warthog"

http://www.opensourcemirrors.org/ubuntu-cd/4.10/warty-release-live-i386.iso

http://www.opensourcemirrors.org/ubuntu-cd/4.10/warty-release-install-i386.iso

I just got this and so far it looks very respectable as an Operating
System.

For people on dialup like me, they also send the CDs via snail mail for
free, not even the stamp cost. I've got them four days ago.

If you want to get the look and feel of the OS; download and boot the
Live CD; highly recommended.

Ditto

 

[Mel]

For people on dialup like me, they also send the CDs via snail mail for
free, not even the stamp cost. I've got them four days ago.

Thanks for pointing that out to the OP.

Have you Installed Ubuntu? Or do you have plans of doing so in the near
future?

 

[Vrodok the Troll]

[snip]

Thanks, this is not what I am looking for.. I need a basic
distribution that is easy to install and manage, mostly for
educational purposes right now..

http://www.goodgoat.com/distro/

- - - - - - -
"GoodGoat Linux is based on Gentoo a simple desktop
that can run from a usb key, hard drive or cdrom disk"
- - - - - - -

 

[MLC]

_Mel_, martedì 22/mar/2005:

Thanks for pointing that out to the OP.

Have you Installed Ubuntu? Or do you have plans of doing so in the near
future?

I've bought a new PC and I've put inside it also the old hard disk. When
I'll finish the move of the documents and the reinstall of the software,
I'll install Ubuntu on the old HD. In the meantime I'm looking at it with
the "Live" cd and I'm trying to know this Gnu world...

 

[Mel]

I've bought a new PC and I've put inside it also the old hard disk. When
I'll finish the move of the documents and the reinstall of the software,
I'll install Ubuntu on the old HD. In the meantime I'm looking at it with
the "Live" cd and I'm trying to know this Gnu world...

Since I wrote last I've discovered that their are two versions of
Ubuntu, one with a Gnome Desktop (Ubuntu) and the other with a KDE
Desktop (Kubuntu). I guess I need to look at the Pros and Cons of each
Desktop to see which one I like the best.

 

[dszady]

A live-CD boots directly from the CD and does not touch you hard disk.

Well known live CD's are SimplyMepis, Knoppix, Mandrake-Move, etc..

Try another one if the first doesn't work on your hardware.

It does touch your hard drive for swap file usage. The beauty of Linux is
its balance between the swap file and RAM.

 

[Roger Johansson]

It does touch your hard drive for swap file usage. The beauty of Linux
is its balance between the swap file and RAM.

In knoppix you are asked if you want to allow knoppix to use empty space
on a hard disk for a swap file, and if you want to save your personal
settings to a file on the hd, to save your settings for following sessions
in the live-CD environment.

It explains very carefully that it is not necessary but an option you
have, what the filenames are and where they would be placed, and that you
can safely delete both or just the swap file from windows later if you
need the space.

Mepis uses only ram memory as default, but there is probably
similar possibilities for saving settings and creating a swap file if the
user chooses to do so. I haven't used it enough to explore these
possibilities.

If you have enough memory there is less need for using a swap file.

 

[M.L.]

Since I wrote last I've discovered that their are two versions of
Ubuntu, one with a Gnome Desktop (Ubuntu) and the other with a KDE
Desktop (Kubuntu). I guess I need to look at the Pros and Cons of each
Desktop to see which one I like the best.

I tried the Knoppix CD from my brother's WinXP desktop computer and
was extremely impressed. I especially liked the desktop interface. Was
that Gnome or KDE? There were no hardware recognition as far as I
could see. The only problem I had after installation was that I could
not get an Internet connection (ie., I couldn't get web pages with
Mozilla).

But for myself, there is a much more serious problem: My HP Zt1150
(WinXP) laptop booted the Knoppix CD in "non-emulation booting" mode.
As a result, the CD could not boot on my system. A response from a
Usenet inquiry on this issue follows:

The CD is booting by emulating a floppy boot disk; your computer does
not support this mode - it is a function of the ISO image, not the
burning method AFIK. You can get around this by booting with a CD that
is not emulating a floppy boot, then mounting the problem CD.

This site has a Mandrake 9.1 boot CD ISO image. Burn it to disk, boot
with it, and when it notifies that it can't find the install CD, replace
it with your problem CD.
http://www.bothwick.org.uk/lxf/mandrake91-boot.iso

</quote>

However, at the site I get the following message:

I am still in the process of moving to the new server and restoring
content, so please bear with me and check back often.

</quote>

Is there any other place I can get this boot file? Will the Ubuntu
boot disks have the same non-emulation booting problem for me? Are
there any advantages of Ubuntu over Knoppix? I sooooooo want to try
one of those Linux Live CDs on my laptop. Thanks in advance.