Editing Live CD (section)

{{Short description|Complete, bootable computer installation that runs directly from a CD-ROM}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
[[File:Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster English.png|thumb|[[Ubuntu OS|Ubuntu]] 23.04 system running from a live DVD image, with the [[Gnome (desktop environment)|GNOME 40]] desktop environment]]

A '''live CD''' (also '''live DVD''', '''live disc''', or '''live operating system''') is a complete [[booting|bootable]] computer installation including [[operating system]] which runs directly from a [[CD-ROM]] or similar storage device into a computer's memory, rather than loading from a hard disk drive. A live CD allows users to run an [[computer operating system|operating system]] for any purpose without installing it or making any changes to the computer's configuration. Live CDs can run on a computer without [[Computer data storage|secondary storage]], such as a hard disk drive, or with a corrupted hard disk drive or file system, allowing [[data recovery]].

As CD and DVD drives have been steadily phased-out, live CDs have become less popular, being replaced by [[live USB]]s, which are equivalent systems written onto [[USB flash drive]]s, which have the added benefit of having writeable storage. The functionality of a live CD is also available with an [[Disk enclosure|external hard disk drive]] connected by USB. Many live CDs offer the option of [[Persistence (computer science)|persistence]] by writing files to a hard drive or USB flash drive.

Many [[Linux distribution]]s make [[ISO image]]s available for burning to CD or DVD. While open source operating systems can be used for free, some commercial software, such as [[Windows To Go]] requires a license to use. Many live CDs are used for data recovery, [[computer forensics]], [[disk imaging]], [[recovery disc|system recovery]] and [[malware]] removal. The [[Tails (operating system)|Tails operating system]] is aimed at preserving privacy and anonymity of its users, allowing them to work with sensitive documents without leaving a record on a computer's hard drive.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2014/04/help-support-little-known-privacy-tool-has-been-critical-journalists-reporting-nsa |title=Help Support the Little-Known Privacy Tool That Has Been Critical to Journalists Reporting on the NSA |last=Timm |first=Trevor |date=2 April 2014 |website=Freedom of the Press Foundation |access-date=18 April 2014 |archive-date=20 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720192050/https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2014/04/help-support-little-known-privacy-tool-has-been-critical-journalists-reporting-nsa |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/04/tails/ |title=Out in the Open: Inside the Operating System Edward Snowden Used to Evade the NSA |last=Finley |first=Klint |date=14 April 2014 |magazine=WIRED |access-date=18 April 2014 |archive-date=19 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419003312/http://www.wired.com/2014/04/tails/ |url-status=live }}</ref>