Booted from Live CD.
USB Flash stick inserted with Linux formatted partition.
Repo is outdated and doesn't have the programs.

Q: How to download/install/run programs from websites like on windows xp?

EG. Much newer version of Firefox browser on Ubuntu 9 or 11 etc or Slacko Pup Linux or Linux Mint 12 or Zorin 6.

N.B. Persistence only seems to allow old stuff from repo or complete update to next full version of OS. Doesn't seem to be a way to use newer/additional programs on older Linux.

Are there no newer up-to-date CD based Linux distro, only DVD/USB media?

Welcome to the forums!

There are a couple of very important details missing from your question:

"Repo is outdated"

Which distribution or "distro" of Linux are you using? Are you using the current version, or an older release?

"Doesn't have the programs"

What are "the programs"?

Well a recent version of Firefox web browser would be a good start.

Get a current (i.e. maintained) livecd - Mint is at 19.something now, likewise Ubuntu. They should be at what you need, else just install as needed. Not sure how persistence manages that, as I don't have the need. In my case I install what I need, and on next re-boot it's gone - no an issue as I do it only in need.

Newer distro only available on DVD or USB, not CD.

Ahhh - I saw the reference to Flash drive and presumed you were using that as boot - liveCD is used commonly to also mean liveUSB. My bad.

Are you using Ubuntu? Which version of Ubuntu? The currently supported versions are 16.04, 18.04, and 19.04. If you are using a different version, then you are unsupported and have no security patches or bug fixes!

The website where you can always download the latest Firefox is: www.firefox.com

(edit) I see that you edited your original post to include more info. It is not safe to surf the web with old Linux releases like Ubuntu 9 (even if you can get the latest firefox to work).

If you are looking for a distro that has current support, and will also fit on a CD, I recommend the "base" version of Antix, available here: https://antixlinux.com/about/

Thanks for the replies from you both.

The programs = that which are exclusive to the repo.

I'll rephrase the question.

Imagine you could boot XP off the CD to the desktop, not just a crummy text based installer. You then need some programs which you download from websites etc and either install them to a writable media or a virtual drive (RAM disk). Obviously XP doesn't do any of this unless it's HDD installed.

Now imagine Linux CD was just the OS only, no apps or repo. How are programs installed so that they can be run from a writeable media such as a USB flash stick?

Hi,

most of the stuff on https://wiki.debian.org/LiveCD is actually DVD based now but
knoppix is still developed and seems to still have a small cd image. See
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/knoppix850-en.html
However I think that with most of these you won't get really big packages like firefox.

Perhaps tiny core linux would suit you better http://tinycorelinux.net/
This boots a very minimal system and then lets you install from online repos after booting. I've never used it and not looked at it for many years but I think it may do what you want.

Perhaps if you tell us why you are in the situation of running only from live cds and not usb or from a harddrive etc we might be able to point you to alternate solutions that you have not considered. Eg pxeboot a live system.

Evo2.

Typically this would be accomplished by running Linux from the USB flash stick (bypassing the CD entirely). There are two methods to run "persistent" Linux from a USB stick: First, you can do a full install, in which case it runs just like a standard Linux install. (Linux does not "care" whether it runs from a drive that is physically inside the computer case, or physically outside the computer case.) Second, you can create a Live USB with a "persistence" file that will remember your installed applications (and other data) from session to session.

If there is a specific reason why the standard methods won't work for you (for example your computer's BIOS does not allow USB booting) then the burden is on you to communicate that information. As it now stands, I am unclear why you even need the CD?

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Yes, you are like way behind the curve on this one. USBSick, Live OS with persistent to keep any changes made to the OS or downloads to ones account on the Stick. This wheel has already been invented.


It can still be capitalized on, for free. Making a distro that does not have this capability to have this capability. You might want to reset your sights on something like that instead.

puppy Linux might be what your looking for it uses pupsave files http://puppylinux.com/