Clonezilla live is an open source application suitable for single machine backup and restore. (Similar to Symantec "GHOST")
Check it out at http://www.clonezilla.org/clonezilla-live/
SystemRescueCd is a Linux system rescue disk available as a bootable CD-ROM or USB stick for administrating or repairing your system and data after a crash. It aims to provide an easy way to carry out admin tasks on your computer, such as creating and editing the partitions of the hard disk.
Check it out at http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page