Those familiar with Knoppix know that it is a Debian-based Linux distribution which runs from straight from a CD without requiring installation of files to a hard-drive. Soon, a to-be-released project, LiveLAMP, “aims to do for Linux application and database servers what Knoppix has done for desktops.” Here’s a short statement of how it might work in a school setting:

“Secondary school teachers who want to deploy Linux in their IT labs often find that their IT staff “Don’t Do Linux”. With the LiveLAMP CD, we’ve made the process absolutely painless. With the CD in hand a teacher just needs to find a surplus PC. To run the LiveLAMP server, simply insert the CD-ROM into the PC and press reset. A minute later, the LiveLAMP system has created 1,000 student accounts on that PC and is now running as a server. All the programs run from the CD. Students can log in and start using the programming tools. That surplus PC then becomes a Live Linux server for the other machines in the lab. (Source)

This could be really interesting if it works well, and is as easy to figure out as Knoppix. Keep your eye out for it as the first release is expected this July, 2005.