A live USB is a USB flash drive containing a full operating system which can be booted. Live USBs are closely related to Live CDs, and are sometimes used interchangeably. Like Live CDs, Live USBs can be used in embedded systems system administration, data recovery, or the testing of operating system distributions without committing to a permanent installation on the local hard disk drive. Many operating systems including Microsoft Windows XP embedded and many of the smaller Linux distributions can also be used from a USB flash drive. JumpDrive redirects here. ... An operating system (OS) is the software that manages the sharing of the resources of a computer and provides programmers with an interface used to access those resources. ... In computing, booting (booting up) is a bootstrapping process that starts operating systems when the user turns on a computer system. ... Gnoppix 0. ... A system administrator is a person responsible for running, or running some aspect of, a computer system. ... Data recovery is the process of salvaging data from damaged, failed, corrupted or inaccessible primary storage media when it cannot be accessed normally. ... A hard disk drive (HDD), commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk or fixed disk drive,[1] is a non-volatile storage device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. ... Windows XP Embedded, or XPe, is the componentized version of Microsoft Windows XP Professional and the successor to Windows NT 4. ... A Linux distribution, often simply distribution or distro, is a member of the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems comprising the Linux kernel, the non-kernel parts of the GNU operating system, and assorted other software. ...

Benefits and limitations

Live USBs share many of the benefits and limitations of Live CDs. One important advantage over Live CDs is the ability to conveniently change the data contained on the booting device. This allows for Live USBs to be used as personal storage, as it allows a user to carry their preferred operating system, applications, files and configuration with them, making it easy to share a single system between multiple users. Live USBs provide the additional benefit of enhanced privacy, because the user can easily carry the USB device with them or store it in a secure location (e.g. a safe) reducing the opportunities for others to access their data. Gnoppix 0. ... A boot device gets a computer up and running, kick starting itself from simple startup processes to a full operating system. ... A typical home safe. ...

The absence of moving parts in USB flash devices allows for faster seek time than is possible with hard drives or optical media, meaning small programs will start faster from a USB flash drive than from a local hard disk or Live CD. However, as USB devices typically achieve lower data transfer rates than internal hard drives, booting from a computer lacking USB 2.0 support can be very slow. Seek time is one of the several delays associated with reading or writing data on a computers disk drive. ... In computing, sound reproduction, and video, an optical disc is flat, circular, usually polycarbonate disc whereon data is stored. ... Note: USB may also mean upper sideband in radio. ...

Some computers, particularly older ones, may not have a BIOS that supports USB booting. In this case a computer can often be "redirected" to boot from a USB device through use of a bootable CD or floppy disk. For other uses, see Bios. ... A floppy disk is a data storage device that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible (floppy) magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. ...

History

• Proposed by IBM in 2004, in the papers "Reincarnating PCs with Portable SoulPads" (PDF & Summary) and Boot Linux from a FireWire device

Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Types of Live USB

Live CD derived

The first type of Live USB was created by simply taking the ISO image file from a Live-CD distribution and placing it on USB storage device and then making it bootable.

Full install

The second type of Live USB is closely related to a traditional operating system hard drive install with minor modifications like the elimination of swap partitions and files.

A window manager is computer software that controls the placement and appearance of windows within a windowing system in a graphical user interface; they are typically associated with X Window (see X window manager), but alternative shells for Microsoft Windows have also emerged. ...

Examples

• Damn Small Linux: Knoppix derived small installation, uses a 2.4 kernel, with JWM as default user interface.
• Dyne:bolic: 100% free distribution for multimedia production, boots from CD and USB stick, with Xfce as default user interface.
• MCNLive: Mandriva derived Live CD, and Live-USB distribution.
• PCLinuxOS
• Pentoo: Gentoo based Live CD and Live-USB distribution focused on penetration testing and security assessment.
• Puppy Linux Designed for easy install on USB.
• Slax: Slackware based installation.
• Knopperdisk: A small distribution based on Gentoo but designed to be run from USB pen drives or floppy disks.
• NimbleX: A small (200mb) distribution based on Slackware.
• RUNT Linux: Based on Slackware with a 2.4 kernel and Umsdos filesystem. Designed as a network testing tool for students at North Carolina State University.
• Belenix: Customized OpenSolaris installs including Live-CD and Live-USB.
• Ubuntu ^[1]
• Debian ^{[2] [3]}
• Gumstick Gentoo: Howto install Gentoo. Base install includes Fluxbox and runs about 750MB.
• Gentoo ^[4] Gentoo USB Live.
• Windows Preinstallation Environment: Freely available version of a live Windows installation.

Damn Small Linux (also known as DSL or DSLinux) is a Linux distribution originally conceived as an operating system to run on lower specification systems, including computers which would otherwise come out of use. ... JWM (Joes Window Manager) is a window manager for the X Window System. ... Xfce ([1]) is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris and BSD. Its configuration is entirely mouse-driven and the configuration files are hidden from the casual user. ... MCNLive is a Mandriva-based LiveCD and LiveUSB Linux distribution. ... Gnoppix 0. ... PCLinuxOS, often abbreviated as PCLOS, is a desktop Linux distribution. ... Pentoo Screenshot Pentoo is a Linux LiveCD distribution similar to Knoppix, but based off of Gentoo and uses GNOME. It provide the user with a complete toolset for penetration testing and security assessment in minutes, while booting directly off the cd. ... Gnoppix 0. ... Puppy Linux is a LiveCD Linux distribution started by Barry Kauler. ... SLAX is a Linux Live CD based on Slackware. ... Description Knopperdisk is a new Linux distribution specifically designed for a USB pen drive and floppy disks. ... NimbleX is a small Linux distribution which is able to run from a CD or USB flash drive. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... UMSDOS is a filesystem driver for Linux that simulates the more advanced features of a UNIX filesystem while using an MS-DOS style FAT partition. ... North Carolina State University is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. ... BeleniX is an operating system distribution that is built using the OpenSolaris source base. ... Ubuntu (IPA pronunciation (oo-BOON-too[5])) is a predominantly desktop-oriented Linux distribution, based on Debian GNU/Linux but with a stronger focus on usability, regular releases, and ease of installation at the expense of platform diversity. ... Debian is a free operating system. ... In Unix computing, Fluxbox is an X window manager based on Blackbox. ... The Gentoo Linux operating system (pronounced ) is a Linux distribution named after the Gentoo penguin. ... Windows PE beginning to boot under Microsoft Virtual PC. It uses the same, minimal version of NTLDR(SETUPLDR.BIN) as Windows NT/2000/XP Setup. ... 1. ...

See also

• extlinux
• LiveDistro
• Comparison of Linux LiveDistros
• List of LiveDistros
• USB flash drive

Image File history File links Free_Software_Portal_Logo. ... Gnoppix 0. ... A LiveDistro is a Linux distribution that is executed upon boot, without installation on a hard drive. ... This is a large list of LiveDistros. ... JumpDrive redirects here. ...

External links

• MCNLive :: Live USB.

References

1. ^ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/09/28/usb-ubuntu-710-gutsy-gibbon-install/
2. ^ http://debian-live.alioth.debian.org/
3. ^ http://wiki.flimzy.com/index.php/Debian_on_USB_Quick_Install
4. ^ http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/liveusb.xml