On the DVD: Ultimate Distro Toolbox

This month’s Linux Magazine DVD offers a collection of small and alternative distros. The DVD boots into a custom menu that lets you select the distro of your choice. Some distros boot Live, so you can try them with no risk to your existing configuration. Linux Mint “Debian,” based on Debian’s “testing” branch, fol- lows the rolling release approach. Small and frequent updates keep your system continuously up to date, with no need to install new releases over previous versions. PCLinuxOS, in its “Gnome” 2010.12 flavor here, also follows the rolling release path. The MyLiveCD tool lets you create customized Live CDs or DVDs by taking snapshots of your existing PCLinuxOS installation. Puppy Linux is a lightweight Live system that loads entirely into RAM; it responds to user input without the lag typical in other Live distros, so you can remove the disc from the drive while it’s running.