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This is a list of live CDs. A live CD or live DVD is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive.

Rescue and repair live CDs

• Billix – a multiboot distribution and system administration toolkit with the ability to install any of the included Linux distributions
• Hiren's Boot CD – DOS-based computer rescue CD (partition, filesystem, and Windows tools)
• Inquisitor – Linux-based hardware diagnostics, stress testing and benchmarking Live CD
• RIP: (R)ecovery (I)s (P)ossible is a Linux-based CD with partition tool and network tools (Samba), based on the 2.6.17 kernel.
• SystemRescueCD is a Linux-based CD with tools for Windows and Linux repairs, based on the 2.6 kernel.
• System Folder of Mac OS on a CD or on a floppy disk – works on any media readable by 68k or PowerPC Macintosh computers.
• Trinity Rescue Kit – Mandriva Linux-based CD for use on a Windows or Linux-based system.
• Ultimate Boot CD^[1] – Linux/FreeDOS-based computer rescue CD (partition, filesystem, and Windows tools)
• UBCD4Win^[2] – the Windows version of Ultimate Boot CD (BartPE based)
• Parted Magic – Linux live CD with rescue and partitioning tools

BSD-based

• Anonym.OS – an OpenBSD-based disk for secure anonymous web browsing
• BSDanywhere - an OpenBSD-based live CD featuring Enlightenment
• DesktopBSD – as of 1.6RC1^[3] FreeBSD and FreeSBIE based
• DragonFly BSD
• FreeBSD – has supported use of a "fixit" CD for diagnostics since 1996
• FreeNAS – m0n0wall-based
• FreeSBIE – FreeBSD-based
• Frenzy – FreeBSD-based portable system administrator toolkit
• Ging – Debian GNU/kFreeBSD-based
• m0n0wall – FreeBSD-based
• pfSense – m0n0wall-based
• PC-BSD – FreeBSD-based - PC-BSD is a complete desktop operating system
• Jibbed – NetBSD-based

Linux-based

Debian-based

Knoppix-based

A large number of live CDs are based on Knoppix. The list of those is in the derivatives section of the Knoppix article.

Ubuntu-based

These are based at least partially on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian:

• CrunchBang Linux – installable Live CD, using Openbox as window manager
• Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu – installable Live CDs
• gNewSense – supported by the Free Software Foundation, includes GNOME
• gOS – a series of lightweight operating systems based on Ubuntu with Ajax-based applications and other Web 2.0 applications, geared to beginning users, installable Live CD
• Linux Mint – installable Live CD
• Mythbuntu – a self-contained media center suite based on Ubuntu and MythTV
• OpenGEU – installable Live CD
• Sage Lightweight LiveCD – http://sage.math.washington.edu/home/luciolastra/sagelwlcd/latest
• Super OS (formerly Super Ubuntu) – installable Live DVD, can be converted to a Live USB using the built-in cd2usb or usb-creator
• Tuquito – created in Argentina
• TurnKey Linux Virtual Appliance Library – family of installable Live CD appliances optimized for ease of use in server-type usage scenarios
• Ubuntu – installable Live CD, also known as the desktop installer^[4]

Other

• Damn Small Linux – very light and small with JWM and fluxbox, installable Live CD
• Debian Live - Official live CD version of Debian.
• DemoLinux (versions 2 and 3) – one of the very first Live CDs
• Dreamlinux – installable Live CD to hard drives or flash media
• Finnix – a small system administration Live CD. A PowerPC version is available.
• Freeduc-cd – an educational live CD using Xfce realized with the help of UNESCO
• gnuLinEx – includes GNOME
• GNUstep – works on i386, AMD64, UltraSPARC, and PowerPC
• grml – installable Live CD for sysadmins and text tool users
• Kanotix – installable Live CD
• Knoppix – the "original" Debian-based Live CD
• MEPIS – installable Live CD
• sidux^[5] based on Debian unstable (Sid), installable Live CD, DVD
• ULAnux/ULAnix – created in Mérida, Venezuela, and available on CD/DVD and USB forms

Gentoo-based

• FireballISO – VMWare virtual machine that generates a customized IPv4 and IPv6 firewall/server Live CD.
• iloog
• Incognito – includes anonymity and security tools such as Tor by default
• Kororaa
• Pentoo
• SabayonLinux
• SystemRescueCD
• VidaLinux
• Ututo

RPM-based

Mandriva-based

• MCNLive – mid-sized (300 MB) and for multimedia
• DemoLinux (version 1)
• Mandriva Linux – installable Live CD, GNOME and KDE editions available
• MagOS

openSUSE-based

• openSuSE – official Novell/SuSE-GmbH version - installable Live CD GNOME and KDE versions available
• openSUSE KDE-4.x.x - openSUSE community version updated to recent KDE4 - installable live CD - 32 and 64 bit versions available
• openSUSE KDE4 cutting edge - updated with cutting edge KDE4 version - installable live CD
• openSUSE Gnome cutting edge - updated with cutting edge Gnome version - installable live CD
• openSUSE KDE-3.5.10 openSUSE community version w/KDE-3.5.10 - installable Live CD - 32 and 64 bit versions available
• openSUE XFCE openSUSE community version w/XFCE - installable live CD
• SOAD (SuSE-On-A-Diet) uses Enlightenment desktop - installable live CD

Red Hat Linux/Fedora-based

• Berry Linux
• Fedora – installable Live CD, GNOME or KDE
• CentOS – installable Live CD
• Network Security Toolkit – installable Live CD/DVD, GNOME or Fluxbox

Other

• PCLinuxOS – installable Live CD for desktop computing use
• Granular – installable Live CD based on PCLinuxOS, featuring KDE and Enlightenment

Slackware-based

• Austrumi – 50 MB Mini distro
• BackTrack – a penetration testing toolkit (up to version 3 - Prerelease of version 4 now out, and is based in Ubuntu with KDE now)
• CDlinux
• GoblinX
• NimbleX – under 200 MB
• SCLive – Development environment dedicated to VHDL, Verilog, SystemC, C++
• SLAMPP
• SLAX – a Slackware derivative, modular and very easy to remaster
• STUX
• Vector Linux (Standard and SOHO Editions)
• Zenwalk

Other (Linux-based)

• Acronis Rescue Media – to make disk images from hard disk drives
• Arch Linux - a live CD targeted at experienced Linux users.
• Archie is a live CD version of Arch Linux.
• CHAOS – small (6 MB) and designed for creating ad hoc computer clusters
• Devil-Linux – for services such as firewall/router (and many others), no graphical interface, can run from CD or USB
• dyne:bolic – for multimedia production (especially for media activists, artists and creatives)
• EnGarde Secure Linux – a highly-secure Linux based on SE Linux
• FaunOS – a portable, fully integrated Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, which can run from a USB Flash Drive or a DVD
• GeeXboX – a self-contained media center suite based on Linux and MPlayer
• GoboLinux – an alternative Linux distribution. Its most salient feature is its reorganization of the filesystem hierarchy. Under GoboLinux, each program has its own subdirectory tree.
• Linux From Scratch Live CD – used as a starting point for a Linux From Scratch installation
• Puppy Linux – installable Live CD, very small
• SliTaz GNU/Linux – installable Live CD, one of the smallest available with good feature set
• Tiny Core Linux – based on Linux 2.6 kernel, BusyBox, Tiny X, Fltk, and Jwm, begins at 10 MB
• XBMC Live – a self-contained media center suite based on Embedded Linux and XBMC Media Center

OpenSolaris-based

• OpenSolaris – the official distribution supported by Sun Microsystems
• MilaX small opensolaris based LiveCD and LiveUSB
• Nexenta OS – combines the GNU userland with the OpenSolaris kernel.
• BeleniX – full LiveCD and LiveUSB distribution
• SchilliX – is the first OpenSolaris Live CD distribution.

GNU-based

• Superunprivileged.org Live CD - A live CD based on GNU Hurd.

Mac OS X-based

• BootCD from Charlessoft^[6] for Mac OS X up to 10.3 (including PowerPC Macintosh)
• OSx86^[7] (x86 only)

Microsoft Windows-based

• BartPE (Windows XP/2003) – allows the creation of a bootable CD from Windows-install files
• WinBuilder (Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista) – allows the creation of a bootable CD from Windows-install files
• Reatogo-X-PE – based on BartPE
• VistaPE – a Live CD version for Windows Vista
• UBCD4Win-a WinXP based Live CD with lots of recovery/system tools.
• Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment

Microsoft representatives have described third-party efforts at producing Windows-based Live CDs as “improperly licensed” uses of Windows, unless you use it solely to rescue your own, properly licensed Installation. However, Nu2 Productions believes the use of BartPE is legal provided that one Windows license is purchased for each BartPE CD, and the Windows license is used for nothing else.^[8]

The Microsoft sanctioned MS Windows Preinstallation Environment product is linked above, but only WinPE version 2.0 or newer is available freely for general use as part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit.

DOS-based

• FreeDOS - the official "Full CD" 1.0 release includes a Live CD portion
• FUZOMA – a Live CD educational software collection based on FreeDOS

Other operating systems

• BeOS – all BeOS discs can be run in Live CD mode, although PowerPC versions need to be kickstarted from Mac OS 8
• OS/2 Ecomstation Demo
• Minix
• MorphOS – installable Live CD which can be also used as independent from any existing MorphOS installations.
• AROS – offers Live CD for download on the project page
• OpenVMS – installable Live CD
• Plan 9 from Bell Labs – All Plan 9 CDs can run in Live CD mode in PC systems.
• QNX
• ReactOS
• SkyOS
• Syllable Desktop Live CD
• KolibriOS – a fork of MenuetOS

See also

• List of tools to create Live USB systems

References

External links

• FrozenTech‘s Live CD List (more than 300 live CDs)
• (French) French Live CD List (English coming soon – about 350 CD/DVD)
• Download Live CD (over 350 CD's)

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