Live mode in Parrot Linux is a special boot mode, also offered by many other Linux distributions. It loads a fully working system from the USB drive or DVD without installing anything.
This is possible because the system is not copied to the computer’s disk. It runs from the boot media and from memory (RAM), so the operating system already on the machine is left untouched.
What live mode in Parrot Linux is good for
- Trying Parrot and checking that your hardware (graphics, Wi-Fi, sound) works before you install.
- Using the tools on a machine you cannot or do not want to modify.
- Repair work, such as fixing a boot loader or copying files off a system that no longer starts.
- Installing. The installer is started from inside the live session; see the installation guide.
Limits to keep in mind
- Files, settings and installed packages are lost at shutdown, unless you set up persistence on the USB drive.
- The system is slower than an installed one, because it is read from the USB drive and unpacked in memory.
- Everything you add lives in RAM, so a machine with little memory fills up quickly. See the system requirements.
How to start it
To create a live boot device read how to create a Parrot USB drive. To learn how to boot from it and what the boot menu entries do, read system boot.
Default username and password
The live session logs you in automatically. The original documentation gives the live account as user with the password toor, and some images used live. If a current image asks for a password and neither works, check the documentation of that release. After an installation you log in with the account you created in the installer.