Linux Live distros

adflynn · 05-13-2004, 05:08 PM

Im just wondering if anyone can explain to me how linux distributions that boot from CD deal with storing data in memory. How much do they actually store, is it just your home directory. I've never used a distro that booted directly from the cd before so any information would be helpful. Thanks.

wrat · 05-13-2004, 05:11 PM

Im not sure what you mean but you can run a live cd such as knoppix without even having a hard drive attached at all.and if you have enough ram you can do quite a bit

SciYro · 05-14-2004, 12:15 AM

live CD's boot up, load the kernel, as well as the ram disk for the kernel (since there will be no mounted systems it needs a ram disk, this is basically the essential programs like mount, init, .. you get the picture.. as well as glibc (unless the essential programs were statically linked (makes the programs bigger, but it has no use for glibc)) , then it will load the other programs it requires off the CD as it needs to

adflynn · 05-14-2004, 03:41 AM

what if i then want to store a file, is this possible with these distros?

kam_kenneth · 05-14-2004, 03:48 AM

you could mount a hard drive and store files there. But if you store it in your default home directory (which is the ramdisk - /home/.....) it will be gone when you restart.

LinuxLala · 05-14-2004, 07:45 AM

live cd distros are made on discs with a capacity of 700 mb at most but they have software worth some gb's depending on different live distros.

If you need to save a file, you can do it either in your floppy drive or your hard disc. The hard disc does not need to neccessarily be running Linux. You can save files in the windows partition of that drive as well.

kam_kenneth · 05-14-2004, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LinuxLala
live cd distros are made on discs with a capacity of 700 mb at most but they have software worth some gb's depending on different live distros.

If you need to save a file, you can do it either in your floppy drive or your hard disc. The hard disc does not need to neccessarily be running Linux. You can save files in the windows partition of that drive as well.

Only if its running VFAT - not ntfs... because ntfs write support is not fully supported by linux yet. If you tried to write ntfs then you may end up breaking the NTFS partition beyond repair.

adflynn · 05-14-2004, 08:21 AM

thanks for your replies, Im in the process of downloading knoppix so this thread will come in handy.

whansard · 05-14-2004, 09:09 AM

i've made many knoppix custom disks for myself, and found i could make a loopback filesystem on on the hard drive, and load it as my home dir. it's fairly simple. i think knoppix can now do that itself, if you can find the scripts or program they use.