Live CDs and Install CDs - why not combined?

[Matt Zimmerman]

On Fri, Sep 24, 2004 at 12:52:56PM +0100, Andrew Yeomans wrote:

> It would be really great if a CD could combine all
> functions:-
> 
> a) live CD for demonstrating Ubuntu or running on
> another PC
> b) live CD recovery disk (in case you've broken your
> system / corrupted MBR / etc) - would let you mount
> filesystems and chroot.
> c) installation CD with base packages on CD - maybe as
> .deb, but perhaps it does a Knoppix-style file copy to
> get to the same state as if .deb packages were used.
> d) installation CD using internet package mirror
> e) installation CD with local / network configuration
> file for mass roll-out (enterprise install)

There is unfortunately not enough space on a single CD for everything we
might want to do.  The DVD format provides more flexibility, and in the
future we would like to experiment with mixed-use media this way.

Currently, our Live CD provides a) and b), and the install CD provides c)
and d).  We also provide a mini-ISO which is under 5 megabytes and has no
packages on it (full network install).

-- 
 - mdz