Linux live-cd for distributed computing projects?

Question

I have had this dream for years now... but sadly, even to this day, it remains just a dream.

I want to find a live-cd that I can pop into any computer I have permission to use, and it boots up and just starts running a distributed computing project.

Now, I don't mind having to edit a file in an ISO with MagicISO or something; but any more work than that is probably too much.

A few distributed computing projects of interest to me:

• distributed.net
• SETI@home
• Seventeen or Bust

But any other big-name project with a distribution like I have described above is also interesting.

Does anyone know of any live-cds out there for any distributed computing project?

Answer 1

Dotsch/UX is one.

Dotsch/UX - A USB/Diskless/Harddisk BOINC Ubuntu Linux Distribution

The purpose is to make a Linux distribution for BOINC which easily installs and boot from a USB stick, hard disk and from diskless clients and also has some interfaces to setup the diskless server and the clients automatically.

BOINC Client : The BOINC client comes pre installed and would be started as daemon and would be monitored and kept alive from this daemon. Dotsch/UX 1.0 includes the BOINC client 6.2.15. Dotsch/UX 1.1 includes the BOINC client 6.4.5 for CUDA support.

Answer 2

Probably the best solution for you is a Live-CD specifically made for what you need. Take a look at SuseStudio. It allows you to create a Linux CD with as much or as little as you want. You can install and remove packages. Change files in the file system. Even run it in the browser, make modifications, and then save those modifications to the LiveCD. Best of all, it's free.

Answer 3

Have you looked at openMosix?
It seems to have closed -- no more updates.
There is ClusterKnoppix based on the openMosix kernel (uh, also discontinued).
And, there is ParallelKnoppix (DistroWatch link).

Here is a LiveCD list for Clustering.
^{some may be discontinued as we see above.}

You may also want to look at

• Ubuntu Clustering and Easy Ubuntu Clustering pages.
• ServerFault question on Linux Clustering.