A. Using a Linux “Live” CD or DVD

A Linux “live” CD or DVD contains the complete Linux OS (operating system) on a single CD or DVD. This includes a Linux
“point-and-click” desktop, which is very much like the Windows desktop, and many other programs, such as application software programs, utilities, and servers. Pretty incredible, really. To use a Linux live CD or DVD, you need to boot your system with it. After a minute or so, a Linux desktop will appear on the
screen. From the desktop, you use menus to run lots of different programs and you can also go to the command line prompt to run Linux commands.

Linux Tech Tip: After booting a system from a Linux live CD or DVD, you don’t have access to any other OS on your system, such as Windows. In other words, if you boot with a live CD, you don’t have access to Windows or any Windows programs.

Most computers boot from a hard disk inside the system, if there is nothing in the CD or DVD drive. To use a Linux live CD or DVD, you need to put it in the appropriate drive and boot your system from it. That is, you need to shut your system down and then start it again with the CD or DVD in the drive.

Some systems will automatically detect the CD or DVD in the drive and boot from it, but on other systems you may need to do one or two extra steps if this doesn’t happen.

Linux Tech Tip: On many newer systems, you can get your system to boot from CD or DVD (rather than from its hard disk) by simply pressing a key, such as the letter “C”, as your system is booting up. On other systems, you may need to change a setting in your system’s BIOS (Basic Input Output System) so that it boots from CD or DVD - if in doubt, see your manual (yeah, right!) or call the place you got it from.

B. The Linux “Live” Environment

Here’s a recap: When you boot a live version of Linux, you start the Linux OS entirely from CD or DVD and get a Linux desktop, at which you can run programs and go to the prompt to run commands.

After booting a Linux “live” version, you’ll see the Linux desktop, which looks surprisingly like Windows! You can use your
mouse to select items from the menus and double-click on icons on the desktop to run Linux programs.

For example the Open Office suite of programs is automatically available on lots of Linux live distros, and is remarkably
similar to the Microsoft Office suite of programs (such as Word and Excel).

Think -> Open Office (Linux) = Microsoft Office (Windows).

The Open Office suite is used on lots of Linux systems. It has a powerful, full-featured word processor, spreadsheet, database,
and other programs.

When using a Linux live CD or DVD, you start out working at the desktop. The Linux desktop has menus that give you access to lots of other programs.

Think -> Linux Desktop Menus = Windows Desktop Menus.

The Windows desktop usually only gives you access to local programs, and not to servers on the same system. However, the
Linux desktop gives you access to local programs AND several types of F-R-E-E Linux servers.

For example, you can boot a Linux live version and easily run the Samba server (a popular “Windows compatible” file server) and the Apache server (the world’s most popular web server).

Tech Tip: A recent survey estimated that over 80% of all web sites in the world were running the Apache web server, on top of
the Linux OS! That’s a HUGE number of servers!

Linux is everywhere, but it’s usually running as a server OS rather than a desktop OS and so you don’t see it. You can easily
see web pages at a web site, but don’t know that the web site is running the Apache web server on top of Linux!

Another thing you can do from a Linux live desktop is go to the command prompt to run commands - the real power behind Linux administration.

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