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.
Rescue and repair live CDs
- Boot Repair Disk - One-click repair disk featuring 'Boot-Repair' for Linux and Microsoft Windows Systems
- Billix – A multiboot distribution and system administration toolkit with the ability to install any of the included Linux distributions
- Inquisitor – Linux-based hardware diagnostics, stress testing and benchmarking Live CD
- Kaspersky Rescue CD - A live CD "to scan, disinfect and restore infected operating systems." by the antivirus editor
- Parted Magic – Entirely based on the 2.6 or newer kernels
- Recovery Is Possible (RIP) – A Linux-based CD with partition tool and network tools (Samba), earlier versions were based on the 2.6.17 kernel
- System Folder of Mac OS on a CD or on a floppy disk – Works on any media readable by 68k or PowerPC Macintosh computers
- SystemRescueCD – A Linux-based CD with tools for Windows and Linux repairs, based on the Linux kernel
- Trinity Rescue Kit – Mandriva Linux-based CD for use on a Windows or Linux-based system
BSD-based
Other BSDs
DOS-based
- FreeDOS – the official "Full CD" 1.0 release includes a Live CD portion
- Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD)
GNU-based
Linux-based
Arch Linux based
- Archbang – An OpenBox preconfigured Arch Linux Live CD AND distribution
- Archie is a live CD version of Arch Linux.
- DidJiX – A live Linux distribution focused on Mixxx
- FaunOS – a portable, fully integrated Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, which can run from a USB Flash Drive or a DVD
Debian-based
These are directly based on Debian:
- Debian Live – Official live CD version of Debian
- aptosid[1] based on Debian unstable (Sid), installable Live CD, DVD
- BackTrack – A penetration testing toolkit
- Finnix – A small system administration Live CD, based on Debian testing, and available for x86 and PowerPC architectures
- grml – Installable Live CD for sysadmins and text tool users
- Instant WebKiosk – Live, browser only operating system for use in web kiosks and digital signage deployments
- Knoppix – The "original" Debian-based Live CD
- PureOS – Based on Debian testing, installable Live CD/USB
Knoppix-based
A large number of live CDs are based on Knoppix. The list of those is in the derivatives section of the Knoppix article.
Ubuntu-based
These are based at least partially on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian:
- CGAL LiveCD – Live CD containing CGAL with all demos compiled. This enables the user to get an impression of CGAL and create CGAL software without the need to install CGAL.[2]
- 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
- Mythbuntu – A self-contained media center suite based on Ubuntu and MythTV
- OpenGEU – Installable Live CD
- PC/OS – A Ubuntu derivative whose interface was made to look like BeOS. a 64 bit version was released in May 2009. In 2010 PC/OS moved to a more unified look to its parent distribution and a GNOME version was released on March 3, 2010.
- Puredyne – Live CD/DVD/USB for media artists and designers, based on Ubuntu and Debian Live
- Qimo 4 Kids – A fun distro for kids that comes with educational games
- 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 Virtual Appliance Library – Family of installable Live CD appliances optimized for ease of use in server-type usage scenarios
- Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu – Installable Live CDs, also known as the desktop installer[3]
Other Debian-based
Gentoo-based
Mandriva-based
openSUSE-based
- openSuSE – official Novell/SuSE-GmbH version – installable Live CD GNOME and KDE versions available
Red Hat Linux/Fedora-based
Slackware-based
Other (Linux-based)
- Acronis Rescue Media – to make disk images from hard disk drives
- 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
- 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.
- Granular – installable Live CD based on PCLinuxOS, featuring KDE and Enlightenment
- Lightweight Portable Security – developed and publicly distributed by the United States Department of Defense’s Software Protection Initiative to serve as a secure end node
- Linux From Scratch Live CD – used as a starting point for a Linux From Scratch installation
- PCLinuxOS – installable Live CD for desktop computing use
- 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 Flwm, begins at 10 MB
- XBMC Live – a self-contained media center suite based on Embedded Linux and XBMC Media Center
Mac OS X-based
Microsoft Windows-based
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.[6]
- BartPE (Windows XP/2003) – allows the creation of a bootable CD from Windows-install files
- Reatogo-X-PE – based on BartPE
- Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD4Win) – a BartPE based Live CD with lots of recovery/system tools
- VistaPE – a Live CD version for Windows Vista
- WinBuilder (Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista) – allows the creation of a bootable CD from Windows-install files
- Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment
- Windows PE (Windows 7) – the official tool from Microsoft to create a bootable image based on the Windows 7 kernel. It is part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit 3.0.
- Windows PE – Free eScan Rescue Disk
OpenSolaris-based
Systems based on the former open source "OS/net Nevada" or ONNV open source project by Sun Microsystems.
- OpenSolaris – the former official distribution supported by Sun Microsystems based on ONNV and some closed source parts
- BeleniX – full LiveCD and LiveUSB distribution (moving to Illumos?)
- MilaX small opensolaris based LiveCD and LiveUSB
- SchilliX started as the first OpenSolaris Live CD distribution.
Illumos is a fork of the former OpenSolaris ONNV aiming to further develop the ONNV and replacing the closed source parts while remaining binary compatible. The following products are based upon Illumos:
- Nexenta OS – combines the GNU userland with the OpenSolaris kernel.
- OpenIndiana – since OpenIndiana 151a based on Illumos
Other operating systems
- AmigaOS 4 – Installable Live CD
- AROS – Offers Live CD for download on the project page
- BeOS – All BeOS discs can be run in Live CD mode, although PowerPC versions need to be kickstarted from Mac OS 8 when run on Apple or clone hardware
- Haiku – Haiku is a free and open source operating system compatible with BeOS running on Intel x86 platforms instead of PowerPC.
- Hiren's BootCD
- Minix
- MorphOS – Installable Live CD
- OpenVMS – Installable Live CD
- OS/2 Ecomstation Demo
- Plan 9 from Bell Labs – Plan 9 has a Live CD, which is also its install CD (and the installer is a shell script).
- QNX
- ReactOS
- SkyOS
- Syllable Desktop Live CD
See also
References
External links
