- 1). Go to the website of your selected Linux distribution. Fedora, Ubuntu, and CentOS all have LiveCDs, though they are not the only distributions available. Specialty distributions such as Knoppix are designed only to be used as LiveCDs. Check the website of your preferred distribution to download their LiveCD (see References).
- 2). Download the version appropriate for your system. Many distributions have different varieties. For example, Ubuntu comes in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. If you plan on booting the LiveCD on different systems, choose the 32-bit version. 64-bit computers can run 32-bit software but not the other way around. There may also be separate CD and DVD versions. If you can not burn a DVD, get the CD version. The download will save an .iso file to your computer.
- 3). Burn the ISO image to a disc. Windows 7 and Mac OS X support burning ISOs natively by right clicking and selecting "Burn to disc". If you are using a one button Mac mouse you will need to use the menu bar at the top of the screen by highlighting the iso icon in Finder and selecting "Burn to disc" from the file menu. On Windows XP you will need software like ImgBurn (see Resources). Make sure to use the correct disc. If you downloaded a CD iso burn to a CD, for DVD isos, a blank DVD.
- 4). Leave the CD or DVD in the drive after burning if you are going to use the LiveCD on the same computer. Otherwise, remove the disc and insert it into the computer you want to boot the CD on.
- 5). Restart the computer. Set the computer to boot from the disc drive. Some computers have a key to select boot options during startup while others may require changing the boot order in the BIOS.
- 6). Confirm you want to boot from CD if prompted and wait for the operating system to load. Distribution specific prompts and graphics will appear. At the end of the process the operating system desktop or command line will appear and the computer is ready for use.
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