Sometimes it is just as important to have good software as it is good hardware, even in some cases, such as in maker communities, the goal now is to produce good software that is compatible with as many hardware elements as possible. so that anyone can use it when they finish building their 3D printer. A) Yes, the Clone Wars project, Spanish project that is based on the RepRap project has created a live distribution to be used on any pc, this live distribution is called Meikian Live and is based on Gnu / Linux.
Meikian Live is a Gnu / Linux distribution that is based on Debian but with a clear orientation to the maker world, so when we load the disk, we not only find the typical applications such as Abirword or Gnumeric but we also find others such as FreeCAD, Arduino IDE, PCB Designer, Blender or Scrath among others.
The basis of Meikian Live is Debian so the breadth of supported programs and hardware is almost unlimited. In addition, its live function allows us to be able to use it on any computer through a USB or a disk and not damage or alter the hard disk since everything is loaded on the recorded medium and with this we do not need to have expert knowledge to perform installations or anything for the style.
Meikian Live still does not allow an installation on a normal pc
The community that is being created around Meikian Live is growing and as proof of this since Meikian Live came out in November 2014 until now, the distribution already has two versions and quite a few corrections and changes, which indicates a living project and with great support, something necessary for an end user.
Personally, I find this project very interesting, now, I think that it lacks installation. While it is good to have a Live version, it would also be better to give Meikian the default operating system and if this means a lot, another option would be to create a Debian installation guide with a script to have the good of Meikian. Although as the project is young, it may be that what we miss is already being worked on and in a few days we will have that surprise. Still, for those looking for an operating system for their 3D printer, I think Meikian Live is what you've been looking for, and if not, you can always pop out the drive and go.