larch – a do-it-yourself live Arch Linux CD

Features

• Built from standard Arch Linux packages

• Only minimal changes made to enable functioning as live CD, the system is essentially pure Arch Linux

• Can also build live USB-sticks

• Can also build from existing Arch installation

• Can use standard Arch kernel ('kernel26'), no kernel build necessary

• Fully customizable package selection

• Can use isolinux or GRUB bootloader

• Automatic generation of /etc/fstab based on device detection; can also detect LVM volumes (when configured to do so)

• Does not require an Arch Linux system to build it, any modern GNU/Linux system should suffice

• Can be used to install Arch Linux to hard disk - either the full live CD content or using ftp to install any desired packages in their latest versions

• Uses latest udev-based hardware detection

• Based on squashfs, aufs, initramfs (using standard Arch mkinitcpio)

• Changes made during a session can be saved back to the boot medium (assuming it is writable - USB-stick, hard-disk, etc.)

• Full graphical system possible, e.g. with KDE, OpenOffice, GIMP, ...

• Using ssh it's possible to run this CD/USB-stick on a system without monitor/keyboard - remote installation and rescue is also possible

• Copy to RAM possible, using boot parameter ('c2r')

• Optional use of existing swap partition ('swap' boot parameter)

• Simple text configuration files

• Extensive documentation