A Live CD is a bootable disc containing an operating system that can be used without making changes to the computer. It allows users to try alternative operating systems and comes with built-in programs. Changing the BIOS settings may be necessary to boot from the CD. Live CDs can be downloaded or requested by mail.
A Live CD is a bootable compact disc that contains your operating system (OS). Booting from a Live CD allows a user to try alternative operating systems without making any changes to the computer’s existing operating system, hard drives, or files. Live CDs, sometimes referred to as LiveDistros, are widely used for various incarnations of the GNU/Linux operating system.
When power is supplied to a computer, the first thing the computer does is process a set of instructions read from the BIOS or basic input/output system chip. The settings herein can be changed by the user, but the typical default settings instruct the computer to, among other things, boot from the hard drive after verifying that there is no bootable compact disc in the CD/DVD drive.
If the computer finds a Live CD in the drive, it will boot to that system instead of the installed operating system. Once the computer boots from the Live CD, the user is free to explore the operating system without compromising the host computer. To return to the locally installed system, simply remove the Live CD from the CD/DVD drive and restart the computer, allowing it to boot from the hard drive.
Live CDs are useful for a variety of reasons. For one, a user no longer has to invest time and internal storage space to set up a dual boot system to try out a new operating system. Additionally, many Linux distributions such as Ubuntu are self-contained systems with a suite of free built-in programs including a word processor, spreadsheet program, graphics editor, and the award-winning FireFox web browser. This means you can take a Live CD to any computer to get your work done without invading the host computer’s desktop, workspace, or system.
If attempts to boot from a Live CD fail and the system boots to the hard drive, you will need to change the BIOS settings. To do this, hold down the Delete key during the initial moments of the boot process. When the BIOS menu appears, go to the options that will allow you to change the order of bootable devices. Instead of listing the hard drive as the first device to check, change the settings so that the computer tries the CD drive first. These settings can be saved without causing problems. When there is no Live CD in the drive, the computer will boot from the hard drive.
Several Linux distributions are available online, many free. In some cases, it is possible to request that a Live CD be sent to you by mail, although this may incur material and shipping costs. You can also choose to download a Live CD file and put it on a CD yourself. However, the file will be large and unsuitable for downloading over low-bandwidth connections such as dial-up.
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