List of live CDs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of live CDs. A live CD or live DVD is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive.

Contents 1 Rescue and Repair Live CDs 2 BSD-based 3 Linux-based 3.1 Debian-based 3.1.1 Ubuntu-based 3.1.2 Knoppix-based 3.2 Gentoo-based 3.3 RPM-based 3.3.1 Mandrake/Mandriva-based 3.3.2 Red Hat Linux/Fedora-based 3.4 Slackware-based 3.5 Other (Linux-based) 4 OpenSolaris-based 5 GNU-based 6 Mac OS diagnosis and repair disks 7 Mac OS X-based 8 Microsoft Windows-based 9 DOS-based 10 Other operating systems 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

[edit] Rescue and Repair Live CDs

• Billix – a multiboot distribution and system administration toolkit with the ability to install any of the included Linux distributions
• Hiren's Boot CD – DOS-based computer rescue CD (partition, filesystem, and Windows tools)
• Inquisitor – Linux-based hardware diagnostics, stress testing and benchmarking Live CD
• RIP: (R)ecovery (I)s (P)ossible is a Linux-based CD with partition tool and network tools (Samba), based on the 2.6.17 kernel.
• SystemRescueCD is a Linux-based CD with tools for Windows and Linux repairs, based on the 2.6 kernel.
• Trinity Rescue Kit – Mandriva Linux-based CD for use on a Windows or Linux based system.
• Ultimate Boot CD^[1] – Linux/freeDOS-based computer rescue CD (partition, filesystem, and Windows tools)
• UBCD4Win^[2] – the Windows version of Ultimate Boot CD (BartPE based)
• Parted Magic – GNU/Linux live CD with rescue and partitioning tools

[edit] BSD-based

• Anonym.OS – an OpenBSD-based disk for secure anonymous web browsing
• DesktopBSD – as of 1.6RC1^[3] FreeBSD and FreeSBIE based
• DragonFly BSD
• FreeNAS – m0n0wall based
• FreeSBIE – FreeBSD based
• Ging – Debian GNU/kFreeBSD based
• m0n0wall – FreeBSD based
• pfSense – m0n0wall based
• Jibbed – NetBSD based

[edit] Linux-based

[edit] Debian-based

• Damn Small Linux – very light and small with JWM and fluxbox, installable Live CD
• DemoLinux (versions 2 and 3) – one of the very first Live CDs
• Dreamlinux – installable Live CD to hard drives or flash media
• Finnix – a small system administration Live CD. A PowerPC version is available.
• Freeduc-cd – an educational live CD using Xfce realized with the help of UNESCO
• gnuLinEx – includes GNOME
• GNUstep – works on i386, AMD64, UltraSPARC, and PowerPC
• grml – installable Live CD for sysadmins and text tool users
• Kanotix – installable Live CD
• Knoppix – the "original" Debian-based Live CD
• MEPIS – installable Live CD
• sidux^[4] based on Debian unstable (Sid), installable Live CD, DVD
• Tuquito – created in Argentina
• ULAnux/ULAnix – created in Mérida, Venezuela, and available on CD/DVD and USB forms

[edit] Ubuntu-based

These are based at least partially on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian:

• CrunchBang Linux – installable Live CD, using Openbox as window manager
• Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu – installable Live CDs
• gNewSense – supported by the Free Software Foundation, includes GNOME
• gOS – a series of lightweight operating systems based on Ubuntu with Ajax-based applications and other Web 2.0 applications, geared to beginning users, installable Live CD
• Linux Mint – installable Live CD
• openGEU – installable Live CD
• Sage – designed solely for the use of sage mathematics software
• Ubuntu – installable Live CD
• Super OS (formerly Super Ubuntu) – installable Live DVD, can be converted to a Live USB using the built-in cd2usb or usb-creator
• TurnKey Linux – family of installable Live CD appliances optimized for ease of use in server-type usage scenarios
• WeakNet Linux - installable Live CD with Security tools coded by members of WeakNet Laboratories

[edit] Knoppix-based

A large number of live CDs are based on Knoppix. The list of those is in the Variations section of the Knoppix article.

[edit] Gentoo-based

• FireballISO – VMWare virtual machine that generates a customized IPv4 and IPv6 firewall/server Live CD.
• iloog
• Incognito – includes anonymity and security tools such as Tor by default
• Kororaa
• Pentoo
• SabayonLinux – MiniEditions are full-featured Live CDs
• SystemRescueCd
• VidaLinux
• Ututo

[edit] RPM-based

• PCLinuxOS – installable Live CD for desktop computing use
• Granular – installable Live CD based on PCLinuxOS, featuring KDE and Enlightenment
• openSuSE – installable Live CD, Live-DVD

[edit] Mandrake/Mandriva-based

• MCNLive – mid-sized (300 MB) and for multimedia
• DemoLinux (version 1)
• Mandriva Linux – installable Live CD, GNOME and KDE editions available

[edit] Red Hat Linux/Fedora-based

• Berry Linux
• Fedora – installable Live CD, GNOME or KDE
• CentOS – installable Live CD
• Network Security Toolkit

[edit] Slackware-based

• Austrumi – 50 MB Mini distro
• BackTrack – a penetration testing toolkit (up to version 3 - Prerelease of version 4 now out)
• GoblinX
• NimbleX – under 200 MB
• SLAMPP
• SLAX – a Slackware derivative, modular and very easy to remaster
• STUX
• Vector Linux (Standard and SOHO Editions)
• Zenwalk

[edit] Other (Linux-based)

• Acronis Rescue Media – to make disk images from hard disk drives
• Archie is a Live CD version of Arch Linux.
• CHAOS – small (6 MB) and designed for creating ad hoc computer clusters
• Devil-Linux – for services such as firewall/router (and many others), no graphical interface, can run from CD or USB
• dyne:bolic – for multimedia production (especially for media activists, artists and creatives)
• EnGarde Secure Linux – a highly-secure Linux based on SE Linux
• FaunOS – a portable, fully integrated Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, which can run from a USB Flash Drive or a DVD
• GeeXboX – a self-contained media center suite based on Linux and MPlayer
• GoboLinux – an alternative Linux distribution. Its most salient feature is its reorganization of the filesystem hierarchy. Under GoboLinux, each program has its own subdirectory tree.
• Linux From Scratch Live CD – used as a starting point for a Linux From Scratch installation
• Mythbuntu – a self-contained media center suite based on Ubuntu and MythTV
• Puppy Linux – installable Live CD, very small
• SliTaz GNU/Linux – installable Live CD, one of the smallest available with good feature set
• Tiny Core Linux – based on Linux 2.6 kernel, BusyBox, Tiny X, Fltk, and Jwm, begins at 10 MB
• XBMC Live – a self-contained media center suite based on Embedded Linux and XBMC Media Center

[edit] OpenSolaris-based

• OpenSolaris the official distribution supported by Sun Microsystems
• MilaX small opensolaris based LiveCD and LiveUSB
• BeleniX full LiveCD and LiveUSB distribution
• SchilliX is the first OpenSolaris Live CD distribution.

[edit] GNU-based

• Nexenta OS – a Debian-based GNU/Solaris
• Ging – the first live CD distribution based on Debian GNU/kFreeBSD

[edit] Mac OS diagnosis and repair disks

• System Folder of Mac OS on a CD or on a floppy disk – works on any media readable by 68k or PowerPC Macintosh computers

[edit] Mac OS X-based

• BootCD from Charlessoft^[5] for Mac OS X (including PowerPC Macintosh)
• OSx86^[6] (x86 only)

[edit] Microsoft Windows-based

• BartPE (Windows XP/2003) – allows the creation of a bootable CD from Windows-install files
• WinBuilder (Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista) – allows the creation of a bootable CD from Windows-install files
• Reatogo-X-PE – based on BartPE
• VistaPE – a Live CD version for Windows Vista
• Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment

Microsoft representatives have described third-party efforts at producing Windows-based Live CDs as “improperly licensed” uses of Windows, unless you use it solely to rescue your own, properly licensed Installation. However, Nu2 Productions believes the use of BartPE is legal provided that one Windows license is purchased for each BartPE CD, and the Windows license is used for nothing else.^[7]

The Microsoft sanctioned MS Windows Preinstallation Environment product is linked above, but only WinPE version 2.0 or newer is available freely for general use as part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] DOS-based

• FreeDOS - the official "Full CD" 1.0 release includes a Live CD portion
• FUZOMA – a Live CD educational software collection based on FreeDOS

[edit] Other operating systems

• BeOS – all BeOS discs can be run in Live CD mode, although PowerPC versions need to be kickstarted from Mac OS 8
• OS/2 Ecomstation Demo
• Minix
• MorphOS – installable Live CD which can be also used as independent from any existing MorphOS installations.
• AROS – offers Live CD for download on the project page
• OpenVMS – installable Live CD
• Plan 9 from Bell Labs – All Plan 9 CDs can run in Live CD mode in PC systems.
• QNX
• ReactOS
• SkyOS
• Syllable Desktop Live CD
• KolibriOS – a fork of MenuetOS

[edit] See also

• List of Boot Disks
• List of Live USBs

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• FrozenTech‘s Live CD List (more than 300 live CDs)
• (French) French Live CD List (English coming soon – about 350 CD/DVD)
• Download Live CD (over 350 CD's)

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