[Willie Green]

Take advantage of Live Linux

• 1. Test-drive Linux
• 2. Recover aging hardware
• 3. Secure your network
• 4. Troubleshoot failed systems
• 5. Work anonymously
• Extra: Create a Live USB drive from a Live CD image

[LearnsFromMistakes]

ping

[DManA]

Thanks Willie. Think I’ll get this and turn my boys loose on an old desktop we can’t boot anymore.

[JRandomFreeper]

6. Create a temporary Blender render farm. I've been really happy with that.

/johnny

[Moonman62]

In the almost 20 years since Linux was first released into the world, free for anyone to use and modify however they like,

And it still has less than 3% market share.

[Paradox]

I just used a Linux based LiveCD Antivirus to rid my laptop of a particularly persistent piece of malware. Worked as advertised. Definitely something to keep in ones arsenal.

[stainlessbanner]

good post Willie G

[CA Conservative]

I keep a supply of various Linux Live CDs on hand for my work. I use them for everything from cloning hard drives (Clonezilla), recovering data, performing computer forensic examinations (Helix, PlainSight, DEFT), network penetration testing (BackTrack), cleaning up infections, etc. I will also use them if I need to borrow another person’s computer to access my bank account or any other sensitive information.

But then, I am a computer security professional, and have need for a lot of things the average user does not. Still, an Ubuntu live CD is a good tool for even the average user to keep around.

[isthisnickcool]

Was running SCO Unix on Intel in the early 1990's. Was building systems using EISA boards and early caching controllers. Some of the servers had up a dozen or more drives. I ran across Linus on IRC and we started talking about his work on his early kernels. I thought he was on to something. Turns out he was. Way smart guy.

There is a lot more to the story but suffice to say over the years Linux has been very very good to me:)

[Ellendra]

Bookmarked

[B Knotts]

Another more specialized use is Devil Linux, which boots from a CD and turns a computer into a standalone router. It stores its config on whatever writeable drive it finds, but otherwise doesn’t require a hard drive.

[ShadowAce]

[for-q-clinton]

This is about the only way I can use Linux. I hate changing my hard drive to let it run...I still have the boot loader from ubuntu on my machine even though I uninstalled ubuntu.

[antisocial]

Bookmark

[martin_fierro]

[djf]

while user-friendly versions of Linux run PCs...

Let’s be honest here. There is nothing “user friendly” about Linux.

So I was testing a version of Knoppix and figure out the problem that I have to edit FSTAB. I figure I’ll just create a new file, make the changes, then rename the files.

Who’d a thunk that there doesn’t appear to be a simple rename command? To do what I needed, I had to use the Move command! Silly me!

And God forbid I should try to “man” something to see what a command does. It dumps 12 pages of info at me and I still haven’t figured out how to get back to where I was! ESC doesn’t work. None of the Fx keys work. Reboot works...

And the applications? About as consistent as McCain on the immigration issue...
That’s what you get when you have armies of 14 year olds who never went on a date writing code.

Linux is an interesting curiosity. The platypus of operating systems. Possibly perfect for servers you run out of you closet or basement.

But calling it user friendly is a statement of fantasy and wishful thinking.

[Jet Jaguar]

bflr