How many of you carry Linux live distros around with you?

[sajro]

Moderators: If you have a chance could you please correct the spelling mistake in the Poll title and then edit this line out? Thanks in advance!

I was just curious as to how many of you have a habit of carrying around a liveCD (or other media) for when using a computer without Linux on it. Please state which ones you have and your reasons.

I carry around a LiveCD of Gutsy to show my friends because it has Compiz and eye-candy is attractive to the average Winblows user. Even better when I show them it'll run on their dad's 5-year-old single-core 1.8GHZ computer with 512MB RAM and integrated graphics (they call that modest hardware).

I also carry around a USB stick (and CD) of Damn Small Linux and a CD of KNOPPIX 5.1.1.

At school I have a KNOPPIX CD and a Puppy CD (for the less powerful computers) in my locker. These are for when I use the library computers/computer lab.

I have many reasons. My main one is how I simply hate Microsoft and most computers are M$-based. Secondly, I prefer having access to certain apps (such as GIMP or Inkscape) when I need to touch something up for school or any reason.

Thirdly, and the biggest reason, is PRIVACY. My school uses a Win/MAC client-server VNC program. By using Linux, they a) can't see my screen remotely b) can't log my passwords and other keystrokes (I always check for hardware loggers too) and c) can't remotely control my computer. It's not just privacy, it's freedom. Also, I can get around the filter and play games. *whistles innocently*

So, what are your favorite distros (and reasons) to carry around?

[diesel1]

I gave my cousin a livecd I *just* happened to have in my pocket, he used it at work and found that any machine in his factory could access the internet and any of the company intranet pages!

Several copies were issued on request to employees.

Diesel1.

[sajro]

I see a lot of people are voting but not posting. Please tell us what distros you like to use live and your main reasons!

[-grubby]

sometimes. I can't always.

[Scruffynerf]

Generally a knoppix, a helix and a 0phcrack (slax based) liveCD, for forensics and data recovery work

[kagashe]

I carry the following Live CDs
Ubuntu Dapper Drake
Ubuntu Current
Damn Small Linux
Puppy Linux

In addition Ubuntu alternate CD.

kagashe

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

I have a Damn Small live miniCD in my pocket at all times.

[Majorix]

I carry one to boot Ubuntu at school.

[markp1989]

i used to carry a usb drive with knoppix live on it, i used it at college for a "look what i can do" thing. and to go on sites when they disabled the internet in our class room

[LaRoza]

On a flash at all times, Knoppix or Slax. Slax is good for this because you can add modules easily, www.slax.org

For my laptop bag, GParted, Super Grub Disk, Ubuntu and others. I have many distros and might carry others if I think I'll have use for them.

I have no specific reason for carrying them, but have used them many times. (The Circuit City people cringe when they see me...)

[Linuxratty]

I don't..I do have several distros I'm more than happy to let friends try...So far,no takers.

[awells527]

I do carry a distro on my flash drive. I honestly don't remember which one it is because I haven't needed it in so long.

I carry Ubuntu and Knoppix Live CDs with me if I have a data recovery mission.

[Nevon]

Usually I don't, but right now I'm in Japan, and a LiveCD of Linux can really come in handy when the computers are in Japanese. This country is heavily Microsoft based, add the confusing Japanese writing system to that and you've got the world's most user un-friendly computer.
I brought a LiveCD of ubuntu dapper drake here, but I've found that it's faster to go with Xubuntu feisty fawn, since the computers are generally low-end machines.

[yatt]

I carry a laptop, so if I were to go around trying to convert people, I would just us my laptop. It has Debian Lenny and it has all the eye candy and etc. My schools CS lab has Ubuntu and RedHat machines, so I use them unless I need a Windows only app in which case I use Windows.

For me, carrying a LiveCD is kinda useless. I am not going to do anything that would leave it unbootable at school, and I only use LiveCDs for repairing a broken system.

[kevdog]

I have no specific reason for carrying them, but have used them many times. (The Circuit City people cringe when they see me...)

What happens with the Circuit City people?? Just curious.

[LaRoza]

What happens with the Circuit City people?? Just curious.

Well, I they mostly know me now and know that I know more than they, so they don't treat me like a customer anymore, by "customer" I mean "noob".

They don't dislike me, it is just that I may ask questions about things that they can't understand.

I did, when shopping for a laptop, run live cd's on the showcased laptops, but they didn't mind.

In RadioShacks, I am known for being a Linux user, and for being a geek, so they sometimes tell me not to ask questions :-)

[scxtt]

What happens with the Circuit City people?? Just curious.i was "banned for life" from a circuit city when i took ~3 LiveCDs in w/ me to test them before buying a laptop ... it was ridiculous.

i have a Feather Linux USB key, it's kinda cool ... might swap it out for Gparted one or a slax one.

[LaRoza]

i was "banned for life" from a circuit city when i took ~3 LiveCDs in w/ me to test them before buying a laptop ... it was ridiculous.

i have a Feather Linux USB key, it's kinda cool ... might swap it out for Gparted one or a slax one.

That is way different from my experience, they were interested in them and even activated the ones that were not plugged so I could try them.

I had two cds and a flash drive.

[LaRoza]

Should this thread be merged with the "Are you a geek" thread?

[scxtt]

That is way different from my experience, they were interested in them and even activated the ones that were not plugged so I could try them.

I had two cds and a flash drive.i had an experience similar to yours when i was in Best Buy ... they left me be and a few of them even asked me about the OSes ...

but @ that CC, some goon in a black shirt got all huffy w/ me -started cursing, even when i said i was ready to buy a particular laptop (the one in my sig) ...

[kevdog]

I'm just very surprised you actually go to Circuit City. I found a long time ago that the high schoolers working there knew a little bit but not a lot about computers, particularly linux. Why do you go to CC or BB?? Ive found CompUSA or even Fry's to be more helpful (relatively).

[jflaker]

I used to carry 6.06LTS and 7.04. But now that 7.10 is out, this is all I carry when I do.

I used to carry my laptop in a laptop bag to and from work and had a place to carry a cd or 6, but now I don't have a company issued laptop. I will soon have a company laptop and will start keeping a few disks on had as well as an ISO on my USB drive.

I have already converted one person at my work as he had an old PC he couldn't use because it was not so fast. Now, he is running Ubuntu and plans to convert his new PC shortly.

[smartboyathome]

I carry around Xubuntu on a USB in case I need to go somewhere when I won't have Linux and for those emergencies (I am thinking of uninstalling some stuff and installing a few games on it for those moments when I get bored ;)).

[gpilkay]

I sure do. My Dell laptop does not want to install Gutsy (it can't complete it, regardless of what I try, and it rendered the hard drive unusable once already) so instead, when I need it, I just pop in the live-CD and go. No problems this way except that it cuts out the screen before final shutdown, so you have to remember to press Enter. Weird behavior. That laptop just isn't linux-ready (yet, maybe by Hardy...).

[LaRoza]

but @ that CC, some goon in a black shirt got all huffy w/ me -started cursing, even when i said i was ready to buy a particular laptop (the one in my sig) ...

Odd. What did you say?

They didn't mind and were interested in Linux because of it.

Usually laptop buyers are treated very nicely, so they can con you into buying MS Office, Norton and their warrenties.

[LaRoza]

I sure do. My Dell laptop does not want to install Gutsy (it can't complete it, regardless of what I try, and it rendered the hard drive unusable once already) so instead, when I need it, I just pop in the live-CD and go. No problems this way except that it cuts out the screen before final shutdown, so you have to remember to press Enter. Weird behavior. That laptop just isn't linux-ready (yet, maybe by Hardy...).

What laptop is it?

I have heard of Dell doing stuff to them to make it hard.

[LaRoza]

I'm just very surprised you actually go to Circuit City. I found a long time ago that the high schoolers working there knew a little bit but not a lot about computers, particularly linux. Why do you go to CC or BB?? Ive found CompUSA or even Fry's to be more helpful (relatively).

I like the online store, you can order it then pick it up in the store (CC).

Not everybody has other stores near by.

[scxtt]

I'm just very surprised you actually go to Circuit City. I found a long time ago that the high schoolers working there knew a little bit but not a lot about computers, particularly linux. Why do you go to CC or BB?? Ive found CompUSA or even Fry's to be more helpful (relatively).honestly, i could care less who is working there - it's not as tho i really need them for anything (not to sound condescending) ... i found a laptop that has the specs i wanted, played nice w/ linux (as most intel-based ones do) and the price was right, didn't really care where it was from ...

[LaRoza]

honestly, i could care less who is working there - it's not as tho i really need them for anything (not to sound condescending) ... i found a laptop that has the specs i wanted, played nice w/ linux (as most intel-based ones do) and the price was right, didn't really care where it was from ...

Same here. I was looking for Intel everything also. I also got a free printer in the deal.

[Tiekyl]

I ussually have my CD wallet in my backpack, with my Ubuntu disks, PClinuxos, puppy, slax, etc...all in there. Helpful for the random showoffs, and repairs.

I just went on an 8 hour drive without my CDs, regretted it bigtime. Turns out both of the computers could have used a live CD. I think I'll be keeping them handy from now on.

[scxtt]

Odd. What did you say?i told him exactly what i was doing and that he'd basically just flushed the cost of that laptop down the toilet - he said he didn't care (w/ a nice bit of vulgarity, which doesn't bother me or anything - i responded in kind, but that's not a great way to conduct business) ... i should have asked to talk to the store manager, but i wasn't really thinking about it at the time ... there was another CC not far from my apt so i just went there (and i think there was an addition $50 rebate, so it worked out :p)

[mikewhatever]

I took Ubuntu, Puppy, Zen Walk, Mint and Sabayon live cds to test on my parents PCs. No complains, but there is ended.:-$

[Luigi239]

Don't really bring anything around with me, but there is never an Ubuntu Live CD more than 15 ft. away from me in my house, and I plan on putting DSL on a flash drive soon. Live CD's / DSL on USB is a great tool to have with you to fix problems on a computer, whether it be Mac, Windows, or Linux based.

[akiratheoni]

I carried around a binder with about 17 different distributions in it :-P I still have it but I don't carry it around as much, I only bring it when someone asks me for a CD.

[AusIV4]

Some times I'll have an official Ubuntu Live CD in my backpack, but I haven't ordered gutsy ones (don't really plan to), so I don't carry any at the moment.

I do, however, carry an S76 laptop just about everywhere, so it's pretty rare that I have to use any other computers.

[Sorivenul]

I carry DSL and Ubuntu with me wherever I go.

[catfacts]

I give them to anyone who gawks at my compiz eye candy, i also print off simple instructions like how to boot off the cd drive and how to install compiz settings mannager :P

[Chilli Bob]

I don't carry them with me, but since getting into Linux back in March, I keep a Puppy and a Knoppix in my drawer at work for data recovery should one of the MS boxes bite the big one. If only I had one 18 months ago, it would have saved a WHOLE lot of pain.

[insane_alien]

i've got a knoppix DVD in my backpack which i have 90% of the time.my USB has DSL(heavily customised, is pretty much archlinux now) installed which is with me even more often.

[x0as]

I normally carry SystemRescueCd on a usb key.

[xpod]

My wife come in a few weeks ago with some tiny little 128MB leather usb keyring for me,so i stuck Puppy on it.Not that i carried live cd`s around with me:)
Unless i`m going to help someone out anyway.

[sandysandy]

No. But i have live Cd of Ubuntu and DSL for home computer.

regards

[xc3RnbFO8P]

I see a lot of people are voting but not posting. Please tell us what distros you like to use live and your main reasons!

Gutsy Gibbon has great hardware support.

[aidanr]

Super grub disk - 512mb usb
Gparted - 512mb usb