Table of Contents

Acknowledgments  xvii

About the Author  xix

Introduction  1

Part I: Beginning with Bootable Live Linuxes  5

Chapter 1: Starting Up with Live Linux CDs  7

Chapter 2: Playing with Live Linux CDs  37

Chapter 3: Customizing a Live CD  73

Part II: Creating a Custom Bootable Linux  105

Chapter 4: Understanding How Live Linux CDs Work  107

Chapter 5: Looking Inside Live CD Components  133

Chapter 6: Building a Custom Knoppix Live CD  165

Chapter 7: Building a Basic Fedora Live CD  193

Chapter 8: Building a Basic Gentoo Live CD  223

Part III: Making a Specialized Bootable Linux  251

Chapter 9: Customizing a Security Live Linux CD  253

Chapter 10: Customizing a Presentation Live Linux CD  285

Chapter 11: Customizing a Gaming Live Linux CD  301

Chapter 12: Customizing a Multimedia Live Linux CD  325

Chapter 13: Customizing a Firewall Live Linux CD  345

Chapter 14: Customizing a Cluster Live Linux CD  359

Part IV: Appendices  373

Appendix A: On the DVD  375

Appendix B: Building, Testing, and Burning ISOs  383

Index  401

Promotional Information

Live Linux represents the future of personal and professional computing. You can carry an entire operating system, important applications, and your data (music, documents, video, images, and spreadsheets) on a single CD, DVD, or USB flash memory drive (about the size of a pack of gum). Live Linux CDs starts you as a novice, learning tricks for running Live Linux, and takes you to guru, where you build, customize and remaster specialized Debian (KNOPPIX) and Red Hat (Fedora/Kadishi) Linux bootables. Learn to use a bootable Linux CD for rescuing data from a compromised Windows PC to customizing and remastering Live Linux. Find out how to put your entire desktop on a CD to use when you make presentations, so you don't have to worry about system compatability issues. The book starts at a level that even beginners can understand, with a gentle introduction to the idea of Live CDs. The next section shows you lots of projects that you can use Live CDs for. The final section shows power users how to build their own Live CD operating systems.

About the Author

Christopher Negus has been one of the world’s leading writers of Linux books for nearly a decade. His Red Hat Linux Bible series has sold more than a quarter-million copies worldwide. Chris also authored or coauthored the books Linux Bible (2005 and 2006 editions), Linux Toys, Linux Toys II, and Linux Troubleshooting Bible for Wiley Publishing.

Before becoming a full-time author, Chris Negus worked on UNIX operating system development teams at AT&T Bell Labs, UNIX System Labs, and Novell in the 1980s and 1990s. In particular, Chris worked in the areas of UNIX system administration and networking.

Live Linux CDs is Chris’s first book in the Negus Live Linux Series with Prentice Hall. This book reflects Chris’s dedication to getting powerful, free software up and running quickly and securely. Chris is helping Prentice Hall develop other books in the series, which you can expect to follow in the near future.

When not working on computer books, Chris likes to spend time with his family: Sheree, Seth, and Caleb. Chris also enjoys playing soccer, singing opera (when nobody can hear him), and making things out of old computers.

Reviews

"Most of all, I recommend this book to any Linux user who enjoys tinkering with the operating system and wants to build something truly their own. I know one guru who created a special distribution for his forum members. The possibilities are endless. Let Live Linux CDs be your guide to a new enjoyment of your Linux system."–Jack Carlson, Reviewer, Lockergnome.com