The Calculate Linux Scratch (CLS) it is bootable LiveCD distribution, which able help building you the new own distribution, and includes the necessary software, for recording it to livecd or flash drive. CLS has many components, which are necessary for creation LiveCD and installations system on a hard disk. CLS used TILCS (The Interactive Layers for Constructor of System), it is an original approach to environment creating for build a new system. TILCS technology enable change the content of the system image, included in the distribution "Calculate Linux", with applying the various changes and save the final image of the new system to the hard disk, USB flash, or the bootable ISO image.

How it work?
When CLS has booting, TILCS will create three layers for work with system using unionfs. The first "calculate layer" is mounted a read-only livecd.squashfs system image, the second "delta layer" for save all changes made in the process of building system and third "workspace layer" for manage build process and contains traces of your working in the system. After the end of build process TILCS will combine changes saved in the "delta layer" and source image of system who located in the "calculate layer" and will create a combined final clean image of the new distribution, without traces of your working in the system.

Features:
1. The distribution includes only are basic applications: Xorg, Firefox, drivers for system and devices, libraries, Portage and the kernel sources. The version CLSG additionally includes are lightweight version of the Gnome DE, gdm and wicd.
2. Build applications be carried out in a isolated unionfs layer. Final distribution can be packed in an ISO image suitable for burning to a CD or USB-Flash, with support for installation on the hard disk.
3. The source squashfs image of the system who installed on USB-Flash is rewritable. You can update software on it and working with system without using the hard disk.
4. Installation Profiles can help you for easy configuring of your future distribution for any tasks.
5. CLS is 100% compatible with Gentoo GNU Linux. Calculate uses Portage - the native Gentoo package manager.

Download: http://www.calculate-linux.org/Download

CLS i686 - 587 MB
CLS x86_64 - 644 MB
CLSG i686 - 664 MB
CLSG x86_64 - 722 MB

OK
I got a couple questions

1) Can I install to usb manually, by hand, or I gotta burn iso to cd, and install from livecd? (I prefer Not burning to cd)

2) Can it run persistent off usb?

3) Can Gnome be uninstalled, and say, fluxbox replace it?

4) I assume it can be unsquashfs'd and remastered, are there any docs available?

thanks

In this article the author gives an example installations Calculate Linux from Ubuntu. After start, it is possible to instal system any more flash drive, the command: `calculate -d /dev/sdb` (if you flash drive is defined as the device sdb).
http://translate.google.com/translat...istory_state0=

Having booted on flash drive in a mode scratch you can delete programs, refresh and instal the new. It is possible to use also /mnt/flash for storage of the documents.
Calculate Linux Scratch extends in two versions, with Gnome and without it (only with Xorg).

The manual on operation with Scratch is accessible here:
http://www.calculate-linux.org/Using_Scratch_technology

If you have questions, I with pleasure will answer.