What Flavors of Linux Work Best for You?

Technology News introduces LiveCDs as a way to find the right Linux desktop.

“Linux … lends itself well to users with specific requirements,” said Nate Melby, an instructor at Kaplan University’s School of Information Systems and Technology. The real task is finding a distribution that suits a potential user’s needs. Live CDs that can run the newest Linux versions, running dual-boot software, let consumers use their hardware for multiple purposes, he suggested.

Tip of the Trade: Recovery Is Possible

ServerWatch brings us an introduction to the recovery LiveCD/DVD/USB/CF/PXE/* which goes by Recovery Is Possible or RIPLinuX.

Recovery is Possible (RIP) sounds like a 12-step program, or some kind of self-help regime. RIP is (yet another) specialized Linux rescue distribution. RIP comes in a number of bootable images: CD/DVD, USB key, Compact Flash, PXE netboot, and even a tiny FreeBSD-based image. You can get a version with X windows, or one without.

Tip of the Trade: TestDisk and PhotoRec

Server Watch suggests running a couple of popular data recover tools from a LiveCD or LiveUSB device to rescue data.

My personal favorite way to run TestDisk or PhotoRec is from a bootable Linux CD. They are included on Knoppix, Trinity Rescue Kit and RIPLinux. Virtually all filesystems and partition types are supported as well.