| Name |
Creator |
 00 * Last update: 10-June-2013
*** No content here *** / "Live" discs provide a useable operating system environment from a bootable CD, DVD, or (in most cases) a bootable USB flash drive option. The .ISO disc image download links listed here can be used to create tool discs for a variety of purposes; all are free. There is some overlap in functionality, but the more tools the better when it comes to repairing operating systems, be it Windows, Linux, or MacOS.
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01 * Articles & Miscellany
Links to my relevant blog articles and useful tutorials on the use of these discs.
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00 * Other live discs and lists
My other "Links" page listing live CDs and DVDs, including lists of external links. Includes regular Linux distros and other specialized discs not listed here.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/opcc/links/01___Software_related_information_001198934133/Other_operating_syst_001068158069/_Live__Linux_CDs_001118686432 |
m_p_rudas
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00 * ~~ Disc creation/repair/maintenance utilities ~~
(just a divider)
http://www.protopage.com/mprudas#Main/Front_Page |
m_p_rudas
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00a * Bart PE builder ~ Creates a customizable, live Windows XP-based tool disc
Not a disc (and not Linux), but a program that CREATES a customized, bootable live Windows tool disc from a Windows XP installation CD.
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder |
m_p_rudas
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00b * ImgBurn ~ Freeware CD/DVD burning software for Windows
Listed here because it's free software (though not open source) that does an EXCELLENT job of writing CDs & DVDs under Microsoft Windows—and most of these tool discs are provided as downloadable ISO image files. Current: v2.5.7.0
http://www.imgburn.com |
m_p_rudas
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00c * Universal USB Installer (software for Windows)
This is listed here for use with those Linux images that don't have a native USB flash drive installer. "Universal USB Installer is a live-Linux USB creator that allows users to choose from a selection of Linux distributions to put on their USB flash drive. The Universal USB Installer is easy to use; simply choose a live Linux distribution, the ISO image file, your USB flash drive, and click "Install". Other features include "Persistence" (if available), and the ability to format the flash drive (recommended) to ensure a clean install. Upon completion, you should have a ready-to-run bootable USB flash drive with your selected Linux version installed." Current: v1.9.3.5
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3 |
m_p_rudas
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00d * MBRWizard ~ Toolkits for the Master Boot Record
A Windows program (not a disc), but an important addition to any toolkit dealing with hard drive issues. "MBRWizard has been a trusted solution to manage, protect, repair, and recover the Master Boot Record (MBR) on both PCs and server class computers." Two versions, one is commercial, the other is freeware, which is why this is listed here. Current: v4.1 (GUI, paid version). The CLI version 3.0 is free and VERY useful.
http://firesage.com/mbrwizard.php |
m_p_rudas
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00e * TestDisk ~ Free/open source hard drive repair and data-recovery software
A program (not a disc) with Linux and Windows versions. "(P)owerful free data recovery software! It was primarily designed to help recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again when these symptoms are caused by faulty software, certain types of viruses or human error (such as accidentally deleting a Partition Table). Partition table recovery using TestDisk is really easy." I have used this software repeatedly to recover broken partition tables, saving a LOT of data. Works with nearly all file systems and partitioning schemes. Also included on the live, Linux-based "Parted Magic" CDs. Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X versions. Current: v6.13, beta v6.14 (Linux v6.14 is compatible with the newest kernel versions). Preinstalled on the "Parted Magic" CD.
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk |
m_p_rudas
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00x ~~ System, backup, recovery, & anti-virus discs ~~
(Just a divider)
http://FaveSoft.blogspot.com |
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01 * Clonezilla ~ Bootable backup/restore utility CD
This live CD "allows you to do bare metal backup and recovery. Two types of Clonezilla are available, Clonezilla live and Clonezilla SE (server edition). Clonezilla live is suitable for single machine backup and restore, while Clonezilla SE is for massive deployment. It can clone many (40 plus!) computers simultaneously." Versions are available as Debian-based (stable) and Ubuntu-based (alternative) variants. The alternative version includes some useful non-free software. Current as of 29-April-2013
http://Clonezilla.org |
m_p_rudas
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02a * Parted Magic ~ Bootable live partition management and backup CD
This live CD "employs core programs of GParted and Parted to handle partitioning tasks with ease, while featuring other useful programs (e.g. Partimage, TestDisk, Truecrypt, G4L, SuperGrubDisk, ddrescue, etc...) and an excellent set of documentation to benefit the user. An extensive collection of file system tools are also included, as Parted Magic supports the following: ext2, ext3, ext4, fat16, fat32, hfs, hfs+, jfs, linux-swap, ntfs, reiserfs, reiser4, and xfs." Clonezilla has been removed, but ClamAV anti-virus and media software has been added, making this disc more general-purpose. Runs from RAM by default and also includes Internet access via Firefox. Current: v5_01_2013. i586 (non-PAE), i686, and x86-64 versions available.
http://partedmagic.com |
m_p_rudas
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02b * GParted Live ~ GTK-based live-CD partition editor
Live CD. A bit more minimalist then "Parted Magic", but sometimes updated sooner. "GNOME Partition Editor is used for creating, reorganizing, and deleting disk partitions. It uses libparted from the parted project to detect and manipulate partition tables. Optional file system tools permit managing file systems not included in libparted." Current: GParted v0.12.1-1, Live CD v0.16.1-1-i486
http://gparted.org |
m_p_rudas
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04a * Avira AntiVir Rescue System (free & my preferred anti-virus tool CD)
This live CD "is a Linux-based application that allows accessing computers that cannot be booted anymore. Thus it is possible to repair a damaged system, to rescue data or to scan the system for virus infections. Just double-click on the rescue system package to burn it to a CD/DVD or use your favorite CD-burning application to create a CD from the alternate ISO image. You can then use this CD/DVD to boot your computer. The Avira AntiVir Rescue System is sometimes UPDATED SEVERAL TIMES A DAY so that the most recent security updates are always available."
http://www.avira.com/en/support-download-avira-antivir-rescue-system |
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04b * The AVG Rescue CD ~ Live anti-virus disc (free)
Live CD. "You've installed AVG protection to help ensure you don't get infected servers or workstations. However, if the unthinkable has already occurred, you need the AVG Rescue CD; a powerful must-have toolkit to assist with the rescue and repair of infected machines. This software provides essential utilities for system administrators and other IT professionals."
http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd |
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04c * Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 ~ anti-virus CD (free)
This live CD "loads Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 in a Linux environment to perform virus scanning and remove virus threats without booting the Windows operating system first. Any computer equipped with CD-ROM can boot the Kaspersky Rescue Disk to scan their computer hard disk. The environment is totally independent of the installed operating system."
http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/rescuedisk |
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05 * System Rescue CD ~ Tools for Windows & Linux
Live CD. "A Linux system rescue disk available as a bootable CD-ROM or USB stick for administering or repairing your system and data after a crash. It aims to provide an easy way to carry out admin tasks on your computer, such as creating and editing the hard disk partitions. It comes with a lot of linux software such as system tools (parted, partimage, fstools, ...) and basic tools (editors, midnight commander, network tools). It requires no installation. It can be used on linux servers, linux desktops or windows boxes. The kernel supports the important file systems (ext2/ext3/ext4, reiserfs, reiser4, btrfs, xfs, jfs, vfat, ntfs, iso9660), as well as network filesystems (samba and nfs)." Current: v3.7.0
http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page |
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06 * Offline NT Password & Registry Editor
Live CD. Reset passwords or edit the Registry on Windows systems. Supports all Windows from NT 3.5 to Windows 7, also 64-bit and the server versions (like 2003 and 2008). Also available on the "Ultimate Boot CD". Current: v110511
http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd |
m_p_rudas
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07 * The Ultimate Boot CD ~ Windows & Linux rescue
A menu-driven live CD that combines many tools and utilities that were once available on bootable floppy disks, such as BIOS management, password management, boot management, and networking tools. This is especially useful since many PCs no longer ship with floppy drives—but it also means greater convenience and faster boot times. The CD also contains a recent version of "Parted Magic", excellent partition management software that includes backup capabilities. Current: v5.2.4
http://www.UltimateBootCD.com |
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08 * Boot-Repair-Disk
Live CD, useful for single- or dual-boot systems (Windows/Linux/MacOS) with problems booting. Runs Boot-Repair rescue tool automatically at start-up with a lightweight Debian+LXDE environment in order to repair even old PCs with little RAM. The 32 and 64 bit versions are now separate. Current as of 2013-05-08
https://sourceforge.net/projects/boot-repair-cd/files |
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09 * RIPLinuX CD ~ (R)ecovery (I)s (P)ossible
Live CD . A Linux distribution specifically oriented toward Windows and Linux system repair and recovery. Current: v13.7 (multiple versions)
http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip |
m_p_rudas
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10 * Ubuntu-Rescue-Remix ~ Ubuntu-based rescue toolkit CD
This live CD is "a GNULinux live system which runs from CD or USB flash device. It provides the data recovery specialist with a command-line interface environment equipped with the best free-libre, open source data recovery and forensics tools available." Current: v12.04
http://ubuntu-rescue-remix.org |
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11 * DBAN ~ Darik's Boot And Nuke
"DBAN is a self-contained boot disk that automatically deletes the contents of any hard disk that it can detect. This method can help prevent identity theft before recycling a computer. It is also a solution commonly used to remove viruses and spyware from Microsoft Windows installations. DBAN prevents all known techniques of hard disk forensic analysis. It does not provide users with a proof of erasure, such as an audit-ready erasure report." This functionality is also provided by "Parted Magic"—but this CD is dedicated to this one function, which may be useful.
http://www.dban.org |
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11x ~~~ Penetration Testing & Forensic Discs ~~~
(Just a divider)
http://FaveSoft.blogspot.com |
m_p_rudas
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12 * BackBox Linux ~ Pro-actively protect your IT infrastructure
Live DVD. "It is the perfect security solution; providing pen-testing, incident response, computer forensics, and intelligence gathering tools. The most current release of BackBox Linux includes the latest software solutions for vulnerability analysis/assessment and pen-testing. It is one of the lightest/fastest Linux distros available on the Internet." 32-bit (i386) and 64-bit versions available. Current: v3.05
http://www.backbox.org |
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13 * Network Security Toolkit (NST)
Live Linux DVD. "The main intent of developing this toolkit was to provide the network security administrator with a comprehensive set of Open Source Network Security Tools. The majority of tools published in the article: Top 125 Security Tools by INSECURE.ORG are available in the toolkit. An advanced Web User Interface (WUI) is provided for system/network administration, navigation, automation, geolocation and configuration of many network and security applications found within the NST distribution. In the virtual world, NST can be used as a network security analysis, validation and monitoring tool on enterprise virtual servers hosting virtual machines." Based on Fedora 18. Current: vNST-18-4509.i686
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nst |
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14 * Kali Linux ~ Penetration testing distribution
Formerly BackTrack Linux. A live DVD that's "the highest rated and acclaimed Linux security distribution to date. BackTrack is a Linux-based penetration testing arsenal that aids security professionals in the ability to perform assessments in a purely native environment dedicated to hacking. Regardless if you're making BackTrack your primary operating system, booting from a LiveDVD, or using your favorite thumbdrive, BackTrack has been customized down to every package, kernel configuration, script and patch solely for the purpose of the penetration tester." Now based on Debian. Customizable, too. Current version: v1.0.3 (multiple versions)
http://www.kali.org |
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15 * Secmic ~ Security tools, Kubuntu Linux-based
A live DVD "Linux security distribution that may be used by security professionals or for educational purposes. It is free to download, and always will be. It comprises over 200 security oriented open source applications and maintains Ubuntu/Kubuntu update compatibility; meaning you will be able to receive security updates directly from the Ubuntu/Kubuntu repositories. Our mission is to provide the most up-to-date Ubuntu/Kubuntu base possible, while also providing a tool set of security applications that enable security professionals and educators to test for security related issues on networks, servers and workstations." Current versions: secmic-4.04-kubuntu-i386 (10.04 base) & secmic-4.10-beta_2-kubuntu-i386 (10.10 Base)
http://sourceforge.net/p/secmic/home |
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16 * Trinity Rescue Kit CD ~ "CPR for your computer"
"TRK is a free live Linux distribution that aims specifically at recovery and repair operations on Windows machines, but is equally usable for Linux recovery issues. Since version 3.4 it has an easy to use scrollable text menu that allows anyone who masters a keyboard and some English to perform maintenance and repair on a computer, ranging from password resetting over disk cleanup to virus scanning." Current: v3.4 build 372
http://trinityhome.org/Home/index.php?wpid=1&front_id=12 |
m_p_rudas
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17 * Grml ~ Live (mostly) text-based distribution CD
A Live CD that "provides more than 2500 software packages. [...]You'll get sysadmin's favorite tools, security- and network-related software, data recovery- and forensic-tools, many editors, shells, and of course many text tools. Choose between different flavors (grml, grml-medium, and grml-small) and an x86 and an amd64 version depending on your needs." Current version: 2013.02 / Codename "Grumpy Grinch"
http://grml.org |
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18 * CAINE ~ Computer Aided INvestigative Environment
"CAINE offers a complete forensic environment that is organized to integrate existing software tools as software modules and to provide a friendly graphical interface." Award winning. Current: v4.0, Codename: Pulsar
http://www.caine-live.net |
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19 * DEFT Linux —~ Computer Forensics live CD
"DEFT (acronym for 'Digital Evidence & Forensic Toolkit') is a customized distribution of the Kubuntu live Linux CD. It is a very easy-to-use system that includes excellent hardware detection and the best open source applications dedicated to incident response and computer forensics." Current: v7.2
http://www.deftlinux.net |
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20 * VAST ~ VIPER Assessment Security Tools
"VAST is a Linux-based security distribution specifically designed for pentesting VoIP and UC networks. It enables security professionals and UC administrators to rapidly perform VoIP security assessments and enumerate vulnerabilities in IP Phones or IP PBX servers in a lab environment. With VAST, a security consultant has every tool necessary to carry out a successful onsite or remote penetration test or vulnerability assessment against a UC network. VAST is built on Mint Linux 13 and includes all of the open source VIPER Lab tools, in addition to some other network pentest tools." Current: v3.1
http://vipervast.sourceforge.net |
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21 * FCCU/4n6 ~ GNU/Linux Forensic Boot CD
This GNU/Linux bootable CD-ROM is made by the Belgian Federal Computer Crime Unit (FCCU). It's currently based on a version of the Debian Live CD and uses Xfce as the graphical user interface. The main purpose of the CD is to help in the forensic analysis of computers. Current: v12.1 (07-October-2008)
http://www.lnx4n6.be/index.php |
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22 * Helix ~ Knoppix-based forensic live CD
"Helix is a customized distribution of the Knoppix Live Linux CD. Helix is more than just a bootable live CD. You can still boot into a customized Linux environment that includes customized linux kernels, excellent hardware detection and many applications dedicated to Incident Response and Forensics." This version is over three years old, but may still be useful. Newer versions appear to be available on a paid-subscription basis.
http://mirrors.cmich.edu/helix |
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