PCLinuxOS

I have it PCLinuxOS on one old PIII for 1 year and it works perfect. As I decide to put also on new one some distro, I check almost 20 Live distributions and again my choice will be PCLinuxOS (test with RC2 2007 - now waiting final). Simple: everything is working perfect!

Only live cd I sometimes use is: gparted gparted-livecd which is a livecd for only one purpose so perhaps not in the right place here.

I voted for knoppix cuz it's really the same thing, but accelerated knoppix boots in a lot less time and runs much faster. (if you wanna try it, remember to boot with 'knoppix lang=us' or you will get everything in Japanese.)

This should not include live installers such as ubuntu. All those do is prove that the distro will run fine by default on your computer.

Accelerated knoppix sounds good but the latest version v1.1 was released 6/2006. That's pretty old.

I put Knoppix 5.1.1 CD on my USB flash key and it boot really fast too.

Actually, theeil, then Knoppix should be excluded also because it, too, is a live installer.

I can't comment on the Ubuntu "live installer", I haven't seen it yet. In fact 1 of my complaints about Ubuntu is that in everything I have seen so far, they don't combine the the live & install functions.

The SimplyMEPIS CD has been multi-purpose for as long as I have used the distro (ver. 2004.04). It is designed to be used as a live CD for as long as you care to do so. It has the ever-evolving OnTheGo feature to carry your home directory w/ you on a "thumb drive" (USB memory stick). In my book, this is a true live CD. That it also carries the finest, easiest desktop installer I have yet to see* is a fringe benefit.
* I have heard that Ubuntu now has a similar installer, but I have yet to see it w/ my own eyes.

Finally, the last time I did a commercial server rescue I took both Knoppix & SimplyMEPIS, but used SimplyMEPIS because it was slightly easier for the problem involved. So SimplyMEPIS is also a rescue CD, not only for its own installations, but also in the traditional sense.

Show me a live CD that is only good for showing that its installer will work on your hardware, & I'll agree that it shouldn't be included here. However, I hope you don't include the one I am most familiar with, because I don't think it fits that criterion.

Knoppix Rocks! For a while befor I could install Fedora, Knoppix was the only Linux I used.

Looks Good

Sidux using Debian sid, this is the fastest booting Distro I have tried, a du-fixes-h2.sh script keeps users informed on current Kernel and updates it is powerfull and keeps the system in top shape. It detected all my hardware on my Sony laptop and my Emachine 64bit Desktop, I recommened it to users who want the most up to date system with features that are only available on leading edge software. find it at www.sidux.com If you like Knoppix you will love Sidux, knoppix uses sidux for some of its sources.

Another vote for sidux here (pity it's too late to vote).

Used over 30 distros and sidux is far and away the best I've ever used, both live or installed.

Only distro that has configured ALL my hardware on 2 different computers flawlessly.

I now have my Sony Vaio pcg-v505ex, Emachine T6420 all using Sidux and all the hardware was detected and am able to use everything, including a brother network priter mfc420cn
I know the voting is over but feel Sidux does not get the press like the other distros otherwise it would be at the same level of use as Knoppix. It is interesting Knoppix LiveCD performs well and even better than Sidux however when you install knoppix it has so many problems that you are left wondering what happend, then sidux takes the prize for speed and for features.

Though to be fair, sidux has only existed since the end of November and it's first official release was less than 2 months ago so it isn't going to get much recognition yet.

I reckon it's gonna be big.

Sidux? Sadly I haven't heard of it, here's proff of its lateness. Sounds good so it may pay for me to check it out !?!?
I used to only use puppy for my live distros, but my version is quite outdated (1.0.9 i think?)
but i also have a collection of DSL and feather.

But I can see why knoppix is winning here, My dad who is a IT manager, and is windows only, has a (very outdated) copy of knoppix in his folder of tricks. It, along with one of the origional fedora cores, are the only linux's hes ever tried. So knoppix is very popular with the "non-nixers" too.

I like Knoppix for its LiveCD and for that it is perhaps number one, Sidux goes beyond Knoppix in that it makes the Hard drive installation what Knoppix strives to do with its livecd. You will find that if you want to keep Sidux running smooth you will have to use their script otherwise the strange things that you have noticed with other distros will start to show up. The help from their forum is great but you need to pay attention to the script and how it is used
for updates.

I got knoppix 5.1.1 and used the installer it installed ok but I had a lot of quirks that if you read the problems in their forum you will realize it is not a good distro to have installed on the Hard drive, thats when I found out about Sidux, even Knopper visits their fourum and has them in the knoppix sources.list for updates.

My brother loves Knoppix. He likes how WINE is built in. He kept bugging me to get WINE on Fedora, but I was more interested igetting DOSBox. Now that I have Wine I have only used WINE for 3 Programs all of them simple games.