[TriLUG] help! looking for alt. ways to load Linux

[Greg]

All:

I have two laptops: work's Compaq Armada running W2K and my massive,
heavy, beastly Toshiba running RH 8.0.

I am looking for a way NOT to drag my Toshiba halfway around the world
on this trip.  The only real reason I am taking it is so I can practice
C programming while stuck overseas.  

Is there any way I can build a CD to boot from with a minimal
distribution so I can pop that into my Compaq, boot up Linux and just
have enough stuff on there to write some C programs from the command
line?  Or what are my other options?  Being on-line in the hotel costs
money so I can't do a linux terminal server whenever I want which is a
bummer.

Any ideas or suggestions are very welcome at this point.

Thanks!

Greg