Quickstart guide to the Moka5 Engine and LivePCs

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This quick start guide will get you started using the Moka5 Engine and LivePCs (virtual computers) on a Windows or Mac computer. Whether you want to play old games under DOS, try out Linux, or simply browse safely on the web without fear of viruses you can do it with a LivePC virtual computer. Our Moka5 Engine lets you manage and launch as many LivePCs as you wish. We provide more information on running and creating LivePCs in our manual. You can print this guide for handy reference.

Windows requirements

Windows XP (Home, Pro, or Media Center) with Service Pack 2
Hard drive with at least 2 GB of free space (4GB Recommended)
1 GHz Pentium III processor or better
1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended for creating LivePCs)
Account with local administrator privileges unless the Moka5 Engine has been previously installed
Network connection to the Internet (during installation and for updates)
Video display that supports a resolution of 1024x768 or higher
You can also run LivePCs from a portable USB drive, iPod, or SD card

Mac requirements

Intel Mac with OS X 10.4 or 10.5 and 2GB of free disk space
1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended for creating LivePCs)
VMware Fusion 1.1 pre-installed
Account with administrator privileges unless the Moka5 Engine and VMware Fusion have been previously installed
Network connection to the Internet (during installation and for updates)
Video display that supports a resolution of 1024x768 or higher
You can also run LivePCs from a portable USB drive, iPod, or SD card (FAT formatted, not HFS formatted)

Installation

Download and run the Moka5 Engine Windows or Mac installer. This Windows file is about 47 MB and will take about 8 minutes to install on a broadband Internet connection. The Mac desktop file is about 19 MB while the removable version is about 140 MB, neither includes VMware Fusion. You can install onto the hard drive of your computer (for a faster experience) or a removable drive for portable use. When the portable version is installed on a Mac computer you can then use it on other Macs and also on Windows machines.

Launch the Moka5 Engine

You can launch the Moka5 Engine on your PC by double clicking on the Moka5 Engine icon on your desktop or portable device.

Windows: If the icon is not on your desktop select 'Start > All Programs > Moka5'. A portable drive may auto launch when inserted in the host computer. If it doesn't select 'Start > My Computer > Moka5'. The Engine will download the Fearless Browser demonstration LivePC to your machine.

Running a LivePC

For the best experience wait for the download bar to disappear before clicking on the green start button with three arrows. You can start a LivePC at any time, but the more arrows on the start button the more responsive the LivePC will be.

LivePC updates & security

LivePCs are Live. They are maintained by their creator distributed through Moka5. Each time you start a LivePC it is compared to the one in the LivePC Library. Any updates are automatically downloaded. Any changes to your system caused by a virus or other malware will be removed. Your personal data is kept separate from the system data so that updates will not affect any personal data you have saved.

LivePC backups (for removable devices)

You can backup your portable LivePC to a Windows XP computer. Click on the 'Settings' button in the bottom right corner of the Moka5 Engine. Then click on 'Configure backup' at the bottom of the settings window. If you lose or change your portable device you can easily restore the data onto a new device.

Quitting LivePCs

Use the standard shutdown method for the operating system of the LivePC you are running. LivePCs can either be shutdown or suspended. There is more information on quitting and restarting in the manual.

Shutdown: Use the standard shutdown option for the operating system of the LivePC or switch to the Moka5 Engine and click on the stop button for the LivePC. Click 'Yes' to abort this operation.

Closes all the applications in use.
Saves changes if you have set 'Keep my changes' for the LivePC.
If you are concerned you have picked up a virus you should shutdown to get a refreshed clean virus free copy of your LivePC.

Suspend: Click on the 'x' in the top right corner of the window containing the LivePC.

Remembers the state the LivePC was left in.
Will re-open the applications you were using on resuming.
Does not update the LivePC to the latest version.

Quitting the Moka5 Engine

Click the 'x' in the top right corner of the Moka5 Engine to quit. This is especially important before unplugging a removable storage device using the Moka5 Engine.

Safely removing a portable drive

Click the 'x' in the top right corner of the moka5 Engine to quit. This is especially important before unplugging the a removable storage device using the moka5 Engine.

If you unplug the device while the moka5 Engine is still running a reminder to reinsert the device will open. Please plug the removable drive back in and close the moka5 Engine before removing the device safely. To ensure that the unplug is clean and your LivePCs are not adversely affected we recommend:

Windows: Go to the “Safely Remove Hardware” system tray icon in the lower right hand of the Windows desktop, left click on it and select the USB drive you want to unplug. You will then be informed it is safe to remove the removable device. Alternatively you can select 'Start > My Computer', then click on the moka5 drive icon. After clicking on the icon there will be an option to 'Eject' the device. Windows XP should notify you that it is safe to unplug the device.

Mac: In the finder window click the eject symbol beside the drive or drag the drive from your desktop to the trash can.

Using other LivePCs

You can download dozens of other LivePCs from the LivePC Library on Moka5.com. LivePCs offer a variety of operating systems and applications. To add a new LivePC to your Moka5 Engine, click on '+ Add New LivePC ' in the middle of the bottom bar of the Engine. Then click on the arrow for 'Browse the LivePC Library' to open the the library listing of publicly available LivePCs (http://www.moka5.com/livepc) in your browser. Alternatively you can create your own LivePC.

After you choose a LivePC the Windows Engine starts downloading it to the Moka5 Engine on your local drive. On a Mac you will need to double click the '.lpc' file that is downloaded to your desktop, after it starts loading in your Engine you can drag the '.lpc' file to the trash. Downloading large LivePCs can take some time. You might like to do other work or take a coffee break. When you come back, you'll have a great new computing environment to play with. You can add as many LivePCs as you'd like to the Engine on your host machine. The number you use on a removable device will depend on the size of the LivePCs and the space on the device.

Creating your own LivePCs

If you don't find the perfect LivePC for your needs in our LivePC Library you can create your own. Choose the operating system and applications for your perfect environment. You can even publish your own LivePCs so that they can be used by others. Refer to the LivePC Creator Guide.

Learn more about LivePCs and the Moka5 Engine

For more detailed information on using the Moka5 Engine, and LivePCs see the LivePC User Guide.