[texhax] does TexLive mess with hard drive or any other part of computer?

[Karl Berry]

    If I use the TexLive DVD in live, noninstalled mode, is anything on the 
    computer's hard drive, or on any network that the computer might 
    connected to, modified in any way?  

Unfortunately, even in live mode, TL requires a writable directory on
local disk to store (at least) the .fmt files.  Also generated fonts
and other files, but the .fmt's are the only thing which are absolutely
necessary.

It would be theoretically possible to include fmt's in the distribution,
but so far, we never have.

As for the network, TeX and friends don't know how to make network
connections (by default, anyway).

    Is TexLive completely "isolated" 
    from the rest of the system?

I wish it was the case.

Best,
karl