user61: Ideally would be able to make a bootable usb with a lightweight linux os which already included the bitcoin client. 

user78: LinuxCoin is such a distro (based on Debian).

user105: Since LinuxCoin doesn't seem to updated very frequently, here are instructions for creating a custom bootable USB with the MCNLive distribution on it. You add whatever programs you want and it can then create a new .iso file for you to use for your USB.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/make-your-own-portable-mandriva-flash/

user307: BitSafe is an opensource Debian based lightweight live distro designed to provide a multilanguage, easy and secure live environment for Bitcoin.
It has a lot of innovative features like: 

Onscreen keyboard to thwart keyloggers 
Encrypted storage partition for wallet and client
Tor tunneling capabilities 
Minimal number of applications and installed packages to reduce attack surface

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=46916.0
https://github.com/rb1205/BitSafe

61: <p>Ideally would be able to make a bootable usb with a lightweight linux os which already included the bitcoin client. </p>
 78: <p><a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/LinuxCoin" rel="nofollow">LinuxCoin</a> is such a distro (based on Debian).</p>
 105: <p>Since LinuxCoin doesn't seem to updated very frequently, here are instructions for creating a custom bootable USB with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCNLive" rel="nofollow">MCNLive</a> distribution on it. You add whatever programs you want and it can then create a new .iso file for you to use for your USB.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.pendrivelinux.com/make-your-own-portable-mandriva-flash/" rel="nofollow">http://www.pendrivelinux.com/make-your-own-portable-mandriva-flash/</a></p>
 307: <p>BitSafe is an opensource Debian based lightweight live distro designed to provide a multilanguage, easy and secure live environment for Bitcoin.</p>

<p>It has a lot of innovative features like: </p>

<ul>
<li>Onscreen keyboard to thwart keyloggers </li>
<li>Encrypted storage partition for wallet and client</li>
<li>Tor tunneling capabilities </li>
<li>Minimal number of applications and installed packages to reduce attack surface</li>
</ul>

<p><a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=46916.0" rel="nofollow">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=46916.0</a></p>

<p><a href="https://github.com/rb1205/BitSafe" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/rb1205/BitSafe</a></p>
