How risky it is to use liveCD/liveUSB?

ive never heard of such risk unless some kid comes along and chooses the install (or messes around in gparted or anything like that) option you should be fine

Last edited by ali (2010-06-12 03:08:05)

The disclaimer at the link above is a tad outdated.
Current release, Statler, is based on Debian, not Ubuntu.

With regard to your primary question, is it safe?  YES.  Absolutely.

If you have space on the hard drive, it is also PERFECTLY safe to dual boot, CrunchBang on partition 4, for example, with SWAP on partition 3, Windows 98 on partition 1, and Windows XP on partition 2.

I use Ranish to partition the disk, and XOSL to manage the boot process.

In that case, you will want to install the OS in the following sequence:
a.  boot from floppy to DOS, then to Ranish, create the four partitions;  time required, including formatting of FAT 32 on  partitions 1 & 2, about three minutes.  Assign boot capability to partition 1.   Reboot with DOS, if you intend to install Win 98.
b.  win 98
c.  win xp
d.  reboot with DOS in floppy drive.    Insert XOSL disk, install XOSL to drive C as default.  reboot with DOS in floppy, Change boot capability to partition 4 using fdisk.
e.  reboot without floppy, XOSL will appear, type ESC to assign the two choices:  WIN and Linux.  I assign CrunchBang as the default, but your relatives may be more comfortable with Win as default.  Easily changed with XOSL.
f.  reboot with CrunchBang in cdrom drive.  BE CAREFUL when asked about installing GRUB to MBR.  This is a fatal error.  Your partition will be sda4 or hda4, and must be typed as /dev/sda4 or  /dev/hda4.
g.  Unlike Lilo installation, with Slackware (by far the best distro for managing this part of the installation process) where one is able to assign (1) time to boot (zero seconds is best) and (2) choices (only Linux), with CrunchBang, or any Debian distro, we are obliged to use GRUB which provides the user with no such choice.  It is one of MANY exasperating flaws with Debian distros.

If you follow this procedure, your relatives' computers will function exactly as they always have, but now also possess the new, additional functionality of CrunchBang Linux.   Don't be put off by the name "alpha".  This is not an alpha anything.  Crunchbang Statler is the premier Linux distribution.  It is a finished product, works wonderfully, and has the same minor few glitches that EVERY KNOWN OPERATING SYSTEM ever designed has, because we humans are only ALMOST perfect.

The USB variant may be an excellent alternative to the hard drive installation, I don't know, for I have only OLD computers, and don't bother with new fangled USB.....
(haha, that's supposed to be a joke)

CAI ENG

What do you mean after 5min a virus took over? What do you do with those machines?

I surfed + checked my emails for 5 minutes.  Then the machine was flashing virus infection, wanting you to pay (and definitely  don't) - window OS was virus-ridden. 
That's how bad window security can be!!!  Linux, BSD, and Unix are so much more secure by nature because they are designed for networks.

Sheng-Chieh

It's their machine.  I let them dealt with it.  Plus it's history (last summer).   This year it's linux via liveUSB - not going to worry about their virus-buggy  window OS.

Sheng-Chieh