LiveCD

A LiveCD is an operating system stored on a CD-ROM that can be executed from it, without installation on a hard drive. Some LiveCDs come with an installation utility that can install the system on a hard drive.

One can use a ready CD or burn an ISO image downloaded from the Internet, using a download manager.

The most popular are the GNU/Linux LiveCDs, for example:

• Knoppix and its many variants (Gnobian Gnoppix)
• Dynebolic [1]
• Flonix
• Gentoo

Most LiveCDs can access the information on internal and/or external harddrives, diskettes and USB Flash memories.

Syslinux Project covers lightweight bootloaders for floppy media (Sysklinux), network booting (Pxelinux), and bootable "El Torito" CD-ROMs or LiveCD (Isolinux).

External links

• PDF document with the standard for bootable CD-ROMs.
• Making Bootable Linux CD
• Syslinux.
• http://livecd.lockedbox.net/