Live CD

Hello
If you want to go to sites you would like protected, I understand using a live cd is one tool to help.
If I run Win 8.1 do I have to use the same OS or can I use another version of Windows or even Linux?
I read Puppy Linux is small and hope it could allow me to go to a favorite site with protection by booting from the disc and instead of installing the OS, I would work off the disc. I think a cd would suffice for Puppy but a dvd for Ubuntu. Is any driver work necessary once the iso is burned?
Any ideas would help.
Thank you
Peter

 

peter - when you boot with a live CD your Windows system is bypassed altogether and the live CD takes full control of your system. Puppy is a great choice for the sort of thing you have in mind as it doesn't use your hard disk at all - no reads, no writes. In fact it doesn't care even if your HD is u/s or absent altogether. Just burn the Puppy ISO to a CD or DVD and boot to it. You have to go through a couple of configuration wizards to get a decent screen and an internet connection and away you go. It will also remember your configuration and other stuff so next time you boot it it starts where you left off.

Good luck!

 

I agree with Earthling. Puppy Linux even found my USB wireless unit and used it to connect to the internet.

 

HI B.
That is great news. I have the older BIOS so I will be tapping F12 until the disc is detected.
I wonder what happens when you just insert the disc and wait - maybe auto play appears?

I will let you know how I do and thank you.
Peter

 

peter - I did say that Puppy will save your settings but of course it has to have somewhere to do so. I keep an 8GB Sandisk flash plugged in for that, but if you like Puppy I can show you how to set up such a drive so that it can boot Puppy straight from its ISO file stored on the flash disk. The method can also be used to boot other bootable ISOs, such as the Macrium or Acronis rescue disks. Pretty well does away with the optical drive and the need for CDs.

 

B.
Do you use a different flash drive for each program?

I would like to learn how to use Puppy with a flash drive as I now understand how to do it with the disc. I have not yet done it as I am not home with my own material.

What is the advantage of using a flash drive instead of the disc, if any?
P.

 

You can put several bootable ISOs on a single drive and have a simple boot menu pop up when you boot to USB. I have Puppy, Acronis, Macrium Reflect, Partition Wizard and the Windows System Repair Disk available at present, but it's very simple to add and remove items.

The advantages are first, speed. You wouldn't believe how quickly you can boot an ISO compared with booting a CD. But it also means you always have these tools available - no need to be carting CDs around with attendant risk of damage.

You do have to create the CDs too though, just in case USB won't boot for some reason.

 

If you want to browse with better than average privacy using a Linux Live CD, use Tails

https://tails.boum.org/

You can also burn this to USB stick and enable persistence if you want...

 

As soon as I am home I am going to get involved with both the disc and flash drive. I like the idea of the tools being portable and of course the security factor.
Thank you,
Peter

 

B
I am ready at home to make the Live cd. I was watching tutorials and reading about it. I think it is a matter of downloading Puppy Linux, to desktop and burning it to cd .
Then booting from it by tapping F12.
When Puppy appears I select a browser like Firefox to get to the source I want to work on and commence as I would with any OS, adapting to the differences.
If I am off on anything please correct me?
Thank you
Peter

 

As I said, you do have to go through a couple of wizards to get your screen and internet connection sorted out. Once that's done you can start finding your way around Puppy.

 

Should I use an RW for updates and should it be a cd or a dvd?

While in Puppy, and it is time to go, just x out like any screen, remove the disc and restart to Windows?

While formatting, should it be mastered or not?

 

CD-R or -RW is fine, updates are not written to the CD, they are included in the 'persistence' file that is written when you close down. Make sure you have a flash drive plugged in to receive it. Puppy has a normal menu for shutting down.

You don't need to prepare the CD, other than erase it if it is a used CD-RW. Just burn the ISO with your burner program.

 

"Make sure you have a flash drive plugged in to receive the persistence file." I don't know what that is.

Does this mean that every Live CD has an accompanying flash drive.

I thought you just used a cd-r or cd-rw. What will happen if I don't have a flash drive inserted.

If one has never done this, some steps are not intuitive that is why I am asking.

If using Puppy I just need a cd-r and no flash drive?
Can you site a link to a Puppy Linux download to make the Live CD?

Thank you - P

 

If I "start from square "one each time, is here a drawback to that?
Can you still access sensitive/family/business sites securely with just a disc?

If so, a disc would be fine as I store them neatly and never leave home.

If however, I need persistence I would be happy to follow instructions such as you have given above. Thank you

 

As I said in #5 you have to provide somewhere for Puppy to save your settings etc to, otherwise every time you boot the live CD you've got to start all over configuring everything again which would be totally impractical. An 8GB flash drive FAT32 formatted is the ideal place to save this information, which I call the 'persistence' file, and if you use more than one live CD you could store the others' files there too - it isn't one CD = one flash drive. When Puppy boots from CD it looks for this file and, if it finds it, is able to boot in the same state it was in when last used. Any software updates installed in the last session will also be included in this file. I'm not absolutely sure what happens if you don't have a flash drive inserted. Possibly Puppy will suggest using your hard drive, which I wouldn't recommend, or just boot in its basic state, just don't know.

Here's your link. Go down the page and get Lucid 5.2.8

http://puppylinux.org/main/Download Latest Release.htm

 

B
You have been more than kind for which I thank you.
I will let you know how this unravels and thank you again.
Peter

 

When you boot from "square one" you will be very fortunate if your screen is satisfactory and you will have no internet connection. That enough reason?

 

I must have had a drop too much when I posted that. It's total nonsense - please ignore it :-o

 

Apologies not necessary.