Live CDs?

[somerandomdude]

I'm a tad confruzzled about Live CDs. If I am correct, they are Linux Distros that run directly from the CD without installing anything. Wouldn't this make things incredibly slow? Also, wouldn't this make it impossible to surf the net w/ chaching, download anything, install software (from a CD, as well as downloaded), and set/change preferences? Yet, somehow, people seem to be able to "live on" a live cd for quite some time. I'm just wondering how things like e-mail are done if you can't save or change your e-mail connection preferences?

[madcompnerd]

You're right, they run straight off the cd, and yes they are slow. Usably they're ok for speed, if you have 256+MB of RAM, but loading programs off the cd is slow.
They make a RAMdisk for saving data, and that's where internet cache goes.

They're meant for people to try it, or as recovery tools, or to test hardware, etc etc.

[rbrimhall]

I think some allow you to save profiles/home folders/etc to USB pendrives... MEPIS Linux was working on this and pretty sure Knoppix has this functionality as well.

[somerandomdude]

Yeah, I'm in somewhat of a predicament here. See, I want to test out SuSE and I have the Live CD for 9.1. I also have an iPod, however. I found a program that's supposed to make your iPod work under Linux, but I want to test that first, to make sure it works with SuSE before I install it, because it's so improtant to my system. Same problem with another piece of software. I need NetMeeting (as much as I hate it with all of my guts) because I take some online classes over it. I found a program that's supposed to work with NetMeeting, but once again, I'd like to test it before I commit.

[Hayl]

yes, iPods work fine under (any) Linux.

use GtkPod, it is the best one imho.

there is a how-to for iPods in our help file forum.

[Sgood1971]

Originally posted by lupin_the_3rd
I think some allow you to save profiles/home folders/etc to USB pendrives... MEPIS Linux was working on this and pretty sure Knoppix has this functionality as well.

This is they way I use my Damn Small Linux Live CD. Everything gets saved to the thumbdrive. It's like a pocket distro that goes everywhere with me. I think that I will try installing to thumbdrive at some point in the future when I get another thumbdrive. That would be cool.:cool:

[linux12414]

Originally posted by somerandomdude
. Same problem with another piece of software. I need NetMeeting (as much as I hate it with all of my guts) because I take some online classes over it. I found a program that's supposed to work with NetMeeting, but once again, I'd like to test it before I commit.

Try Gnomemeeting for NetMeeting.