There are a variety of different versions of Linux available free to download from various website. Linux is an open source operating system which is seen as a competitor to Windows. There are many distributions of Linux tailored to suit your demands as it is open source unlike Windows. The most common versions of Linux available today are Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Fedora. Today we will focus on Ubuntu as i believe its the most used and most user friendly. What is a live CD? A live CD is basically an operating system which can be booted and run directly from your CD/DVD or recently USB memory stick. So what is the benefits of booting from a live cd? There are many benefit of booting from a live CD, the biggest benefit being is that your the live CD does not require a hard drive installed in your computer in order for you to use the GUI enriched operating system. Another good reason you may use the live CD for, would be that you can easily back up data from your hard drive if your previous operating system has failed.

How do I get the live CD running?

Step 1: First you have to download the Ubuntu operating system, this comes in ISO format so you need the appropriate software in order to burn this such as Nero burning ROM or CloneCD. Now download the Ubuntu ISO from here and burn.

Step 2: You will need setup your computer in order for it to boot from the CD. To find out how click here. Once your computer has booted from it you will be displayed with a screen which look like this:

Step 3: Press enter on “try ubuntu without any changes to your computer”

Step 4: Wait for the CD to load and you will shortly be introduced to the Ubuntu GUI and the operating system should be usable. Now enjoy! Your done.