“If you’re new to the Linux or open source community, you might
not have heard of live disc or USB distributions yet. They let you
run a operating system on PCs without installing anything on the
hard drive. It loads directly from the CD/DVD disc or USB flash
drive. Many full Linux desktop distros, such as Ubuntu, can be ran
in this live mode. However, there are also live distros created for
a wide-variety of other specific applications and solutions. Here
we’ll review several of these. Let’s get started! Public IP ZoneCD:
hotspot gateway“This turns a PC into a hotspot gateway, helping you offer
public wireless Internet while protecting your private network. The
PC you use can be a old, slow, machine. You just need a minimum 128
MB of RAM, bootable CD-ROM, floppy drive or USB flash drive, and
two Ethernet cards. You will also need at least one router (wired
or wireless) and a wireless access point (or another wireless
router). The Live CD machine will sit between these two
components.“You don’t need to be a Linux user to configure or manage the
system; its pretty user-friendly. The free service provides all the
basic hotspot functionality: captive portal, content filtering,
bandwidth throttling, walled garden, and firewalling. Premium
services give you even more features, such as a ticketing system,
printer support, and captive portal customization.”
8 Linux-based Live CD/DVD and USB Distros For All Occasions
By
Eric Geier
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