linux

Hello I have become interested in working with Linux but only if I can do it without installing it on my hard drive. I don't have facts, just reading conclusions from browsing. I read that you can download a Linux operating system to a dvd or flashdrive. That way you either set boot order and can boot from the iso instead of Windows all the time or play the iso from Windows dvd or flash drive - I am not too sure about the latter. Before I paint mysely into a corner, is this practical until I deide if I want to instal it or not? Thank you

yes a lot of linux distro's can be run as a live cd or from a usb drive.

to be honest i think you'd be better off using ubuntu's wubi installer and installing it just like any windows program.

wubi installs into a folder on your windows operating system just like any other program and can be uninstalled just as easily using windows own add/remove programs from the control panel.

advantage of using wubi is no need to create any partitions on your hard drive like you'd need to do with puppy if you decided to install it.

here's a guide explaining all about wubi and how to install/uninstall it. :- https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide#How_to_re…ouse_are_frozen

What is Wubi?
Wubi is an officially supported installer for Windows users that allows Ubuntu to be installed and uninstalled in a safe, easy way as with any other Windows application.

being ubuntu is the most popular linx distro there's tons of help/info available on it's use also and why i think you'd be better off using it than puppy(even tho puppy is based on ubuntu). :- http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=331

here's the download link to the windows installer:- http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/windows-installer

but if you just want to try puppy then yes just download and burn it to a cd, and boot from it on start up, usually the cd drive is first boot option so you shouldn't need to do anything, but if it isn't then when your pc starts up it usually tells you to press something like the F12 key to choose boot device, no need to enter or change anything in your pc's bios.

Thank you,Terri. I am going to look into the links you sent. I like the idea about the uninstaller. It make take a while as i have some reading to do.

Hi Peter, I dont want to muddy the waters here….. as Terry has provided his ,as always, his usual excellent advice….but if you just want to have a look at Linux Puppy and try it out, without making any changes to your operating system (or even writing anything to your hard drive) then you can run Puppy entirely within RAM…you don't even need a computer with a hard drive in it! This way you can have a go with it…….see if it will connect to the Internet easily ( using an ethernet cable into your router, download emails, write documents etc. when you close down your machine it will all disappear….. you just then boot into Windows as per normal. Post back if you need any further info on how to download Puppy the version that's best for some linux first timers, how to burn the iso etc Regards paws

but if you just want to have a look at Linux Puppy and try it out, without making any changes to your operating system (or even writing anything to your hard drive) then you can run Puppy entirely within RAM…you don't even need a computer with a hard drive in it!

thanks paws, i should of made it clearer that's what happens when i mentioned running puppy at the end of my post.

here's puppy's site with all the info you may need/ download it from :- http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview%20and%…g%20Started.htm