de lots of application software. They include everything from high-end Internet database servers to common games. Because of the quantity of applications available for Linux, a complete distribution often takes four or more CDs.
While having lots of options available in a distribution is great for Linux geeks, it can become a nightmare for beginning Linux users. Most distributions ask a series of questions during the installation process to determine which applications to load by default, what hardware is connected to the PC, and how to configure the hardware. Beginners often find these questions confusing. As a result, they often either load way too many programs on their computer or don’t load enough and later discover that their computer won’t do what they want it to. Fortunately for beginners, there’s a much simpler way to install Linux.
Specialized Linux distributions
A new subgroup of Linux distributions has started to appear. These are typically based on one of the main distributions but contain only a subset of applications that would make sense for a specific area of use.
Besides providing specialized software (such as only office products for business users), customized Linux distributions also attempt to help beginning Linux users by autodetecting and autoconfiguring common hardware devices. This makes installing Linux a much more enjoyable process
Table below shows some of the specialized Linux distributions available and what they specialize in.
That’s just a small sampling of specialized Linux distributions. There are literally hundreds of specialized Linux distributions, and more are popping up all the time on the Internet. No matter what your specialty, you’ll probably find a Linux distribution made for you.
Many of the specialized Linux distributions are based on the Debian Linux distribution. They use the same installation files as Debian but package only a small fraction of a full-blown Debian system.
The Linux LiveCD
A relatively new phenomenon in the Linux world is the bootable Linux CD distribution. This lets you see what a Linux system is like without actually installing it. Most modern PCs can boot from a CD instead of the standard hard drive. To take advantage of this, some Linux distributions create a bootable CD that contains a sample Linux system (called a Linux LiveCD). Because of the limitations of the single CD size, the sample can’t contain a complete Linux system, but you’d be surprised at all the software they can cram in there. The result is that you can boot your PC from the CD and run a Linux distribution without having to install anything on your hard drive!
This is an excellent way to test various Linux distributions without having to mess with your PC.Just pop in a CD and boot! All of the Linux software will run directly off the CD. There are lots of Linux LiveCDs that you can download from the Internet and burn onto a CD to test drive.
Table below shows some popular Linux LiveCDs that are available.
You may notice a familiarity in this table. Many specialized Linux distributions also have a Linux LiveCD version. Some Linux LiveCD distributions, such as Ubuntu, allow you to install the Linux distribution directly from the LiveCD. This enables you to boot with the CD, test drive the Linux distribution, and then if you like it, install it on your hard drive. This feature is extremely handy and user-friendly.
As with all good things, Linux LiveCDs have a few drawbacks. Since you access everything from the CD, applications run more slowly, especially if you’re using older, slower computers and CD drives. Also, since you can’t write to the CD, any changes you make to the Linux system will be gone the next time you reboot.
But there are advances being made in the Linux LiveCD world that help to solve some of these problems. These advances include the ability to:
Some Linux LiveCDs, such as Puppy Linux, are designed with a minimum number of Linux system files and copy them directly into memory when the CD boots. This allows you to remove the CD from the computer as soon as Linux boots. No