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Bootable Linux Demo Distro - Knoppix

Posted by michael on from the beautiful-work dept.

ts writes "Newsforge has an article about using Linux to recover Windows partitions. The interesting part is not only the article, but also the comment about Knoppix a Live-on-CD distribution of Linux. I just downloaded it and it booted from CD on a Shuttle Spacewalker SS25. AMAZING. Even the audio works. Have any /. users found interesting uses for this distro?" I've been looking for exactly this to use in demonstrations. Perfect.

12 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. No Pix? by oever · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well no, lots of pix. These are the specs of this Debian based distro:

    * Linux-Kernel 2.4.x
    * KDE V3.0.2 as the standard desktop with K Office and the Konqueror WWW-browser konqueror
    * X Multimedia System (xmms) an MPEG-video, MP3, Ogg Vorbis Audio player and xine
    * Internet connection software kppp,pppoeconf (DSL) and isdn-config
    * Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) Version 1.2
    * utilities for data recovery and system repairs, even for other operating systems
    * network and security analysis tools for network administrators
    * OpenOffice(TM), the GPL-developed version of the well-known StarOffice(TM) office suite
    * many programming languages, development tools (including kdevelop) and libraries for developers
    * in total more than 900 installed software packages with over 2000 executable user programs, utilities, and games

    --
    DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
    1. Re:No Pix? by jmayer · · Score: 3, Informative

      That's for systems where you do not assign any swapspace on disk. Remove the swap line from your /etc/fstab, reboot and viola - no more kde :-)
      The essence is: without swap, virtual mem == real mem.

  2. I found an interesting use for this distro... by screenbert · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Have any /. users found interesting uses for this distro?"

    Yes I used the diskette to prop my table leg up. I was able to replace the AOL CD I was using.

    Seriously though it could have problems with varying types of file systems. For instance the guy said he used it with ME, not with Windows 2K which uses NTFS. And of course microsoft decided to come out with encryption in W2K so those files would pretty much be lost if you had that setup. Why not just create a recovery CD? If it's FAT there are a lot of ways to boot to it. Just my .02 cents worth.

  3. Forensics and network trouble shooting by wavelet · · Score: 3, Informative

    We've used this distro for forensics and network trouble shooting.

    Because its on a CDR we know the tools are safe. We use dd to image a drive off via the network (piped to netcat/cryptcat), firewire, another drive etc etc... just add a few scripts to do some MD5 hashing an away you go.

    It would make network trouble shooting tool as well because you have your network tools, tcpdump, etherreal, etc to check out the network on any users desktop or laptop. You don't have to lug aroung your linux laptop.

  4. Seti@home by Perdo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Full bootable Linux w/seti@home using my username. Perfect for every public machine I find that has network access w/dhcp enabled.

    --

    If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

  5. SuperRescue by XNormal · · Score: 3, Informative

    Take a look at H. Peter Anvin's SuperRescue - it's a full Red Hat system on a floppy. It uses zisofs compression to fit it all on a single CD.

    --
    Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.
  6. Some more "LiveCD" Distros... by Critical_ · · Score: 5, Informative

    Some more linux live cd distros:

    * DemoLinux - http://www.demolinux.org/
    Dedicated to bootable Linux CD distributions.

    * LNX-BBC - http://www.lnx-bbc.org/
    Business Card Sized Open-Source Bootable CD.

    * Mondo Restore/Rescue Utility - http://www.microwerks.net/~hugo/
    Use a live bootable Linux CD for your system backups and recovery.

    * Linux - Live on CD - http://www.ocslink.com/~blunier/
    Linux - Live on CD. Hard disk not required

    * Dyne Bolic - http://lab.dyne.org/DyneBolic/
    Complete GNU/Linux operating system working without the need for any hard-disk.

    * Diskless Nodes - http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Diskless-HOWTO-3.htm l
    Includes information on creating your own live CD.

    * Virtual Linux - http://sourceforge.net/projects/virtual-linux
    Bootable Mandrake Linux distribution with 1.6 gigs worth of tools and toys on a single CD.

    FreeBSD LiveCD -- http://livecd.sourceforge.net/

    NetBSD LiveCD -- http://www.netbsd.org/Changes/#live-cd

    1. Re:Some more "LiveCD" Distros... by IDkrysez · · Score: 3, Informative
      Don't forget PLAC, the Portable Linux Auditing CD, which is very cool: Project Homepage... be sure to check out the design, they use a compressed system image on the CD, to fit a 200+ meg image into ~50megs! Tight.

      And the tools it comes with are designed for recovery and forensics, not demonstrating your sound and video cards.... so beware and enjoy!! The partitions are mounted read-only by default, for instance, and there are tools for undeleting files as well as for copying all data to a network-mounted filesystem, includes nfs samba ssh etc ;^]

      --
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  7. No Big Deal by archnerd · · Score: 5, Informative
    Linux Boot CD are not difficult to write. Here's how you can write your own in a few hours:

    1. Compile the system. There's a fanastic guide at linuxfromscratch.org.
    2. Set the fstab up to place all read-write hierarchies on a tmpfs filesystem. This include tmp, var, and portions of etc. Have copies of the initial state of thse filesystems in a separate directory on the CD and set the bootscripts up to untar them at bootup.
    3. Compile a highly compatible kernel. Basically, enable most things that cannot be compiled as modules and compile all modules.
    4. Use devfs with compatibility links. it cuts down on confusion as to what devices exist.
    5. Create an ISO of the filesystem, being sure to enable all options required for bootable CDs.
    6. Install lilo into the boot sector of the ISO.
    7. Burn the CD.
    8. Reboot and pray.

  8. Timo's Rescue Cd Creation Set by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Timos Rescue CD

    This probably isn't as well suited for a super demo, but you can get the source, tweak it up as you want, and burn. Though the prebuilt iso is great as is for a rescue disk if you aren't into customizing it. Optionally the whole thing will load into RAM, freeing up the CD drive, say for if you've got data on CD that you want to access as well.

  9. our rescue disk by jsse · · Score: 3, Informative

    for our windows OSs is actually a Linux boot disk with parted

    (any major distro has parted) parted can copy, resize, move etc. partitions like a command line Partition Magic.

    Can't resize NTFS though, but we can still move it with dd.

  10. Re:Mini-CD linux demo distribution by Kredal · · Score: 5, Informative
    This is what you want...

    Linuxcare Bootable Toolbox

    It will fit on one of those oddly cut business card sized CDs, so will of course fit on a 3 inch CD. Enjoy!

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