DSL Embedded :: Running DSL on Windows without a trace



I’m a Linux newbie, and I was looking for a small linux distro that I could run on a Windows PC without leaving a trace, as I want to use it on my work machine when I have time to spare at work :cool:. My company monitors our machines and the applications installed on them, OS installed and it’s version, and a whole lot of other things :angry:.

DSL was a godsend, it has everything I wanted, I could run it without installing anything on my PC, and it does not show anywhere on my Windows system, but for my use it was a little too smart! It auto detected my network settings and got connected to my company’s network (a big oops!). I want to be completely invisible to my company when running DSL, nothing more than running a command line in a Command Prompt window. So I have 4 questions:

1- Is there a way to disable networking hardware detecting at boot in DSL so there is no network detecting to start with?
2- What other things do I need to watch for to be completely hidden?
3- Is there a way to start DSL in text mode (runlevel 2 or 3, I’m not sure)?
4- Is there other linux images that I can download to use with DSL?

I want to use DSL to learn the basics of Linux, and experiment with its commands, but without touching the windows system.

Please forgive my questions if they seam to be too basic, I’m a newbie after all :)

Thanks!
I dont think you will be completly hidden.  a tcpdump will show packets going to your machine from anywhere on the subnet.  

a windows network is not too bright, it wont really recognise a dsl, all you have done is broadcast a dhcp request.  if you get caught it will be because someone sees your screen.

to start in text mode i think dsl 2 will boot to runlevel 2 ie root text.

Just a thought but your IT manager has a tough enough job as it is, try not to give him anymore headaches, if he finds you he will "focus" on you.
Thanks outanet,

  Your post was very helpful, but I think you misunderstood part of my question, maybe I wasn’t clear to begin with :) I want to cripple DSL’s network detecting all together, I don’t need the network on DSL, I just need the command line to experiment with.

  By using DSL without networking, I’m hoping that it will be completely separated from my windows system as well as the network, so I can’t do any harm to my PC or the network. Is that possible?

  I honestly don’t want to affect anybody; I just want to learn linux on my lunch break. I hope you’ll understand :)
At the boot prompt:   dsl 2 nodhcp
Well, I'm using the "dsl-windows.bat" file in windows to run the embedded version of DSL, without booting the PC. Is there a way to pass these options through QEMU?
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