OWASP Live CD For Linux

OWASP Live CD is a free distribution of Linux that aims to deliver a powerful security-oriented operating system inspired by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). The distro includes some of the best open-source security tools and it is derived from Slax, which in turn is based on the highly acclaimed Slackware Linux.

The OWASP Live CD operating system is distributed as a dual-arch Live CD ISO image that will be bootable on old computers supporting the 32-bit architecture, as well as on modern 64-bit machines. The ISO image is hybrid, so you can write it on a CD disc or a USB flash drive.

From the Live CD boot menu, you can start the live system in graphics mode with the KDE desktop environment (using persistent mode, which allows you to save configuration files and reuse the OS (compatible only with USB sticks)), start a fresh session, start the live system by copying the contents of the ISO image to RAM, perform a memory test, as well as to start the live system in safe graphics or text modes.

The distro is built around the KDE3 desktop environment, which provides users with a traditional environment comprised of a single taskbar that is located on the bottom edge of the screen. It includes various useful applets (main menu, application launcher, desktop switcher, task manager, system tray area).

The OWASP Live CD project is a gold mine, a collection of some of the best open source security-related software projects known to man. Security professionals, web developers or testers can use this operating system to test various security issues in websites and web apps.

Keep in mind though, that, since February 2009, the OWASP Live CD distribution is no longer under active development. It contains old software projects and has been archived for historical references purposes only.