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Klaus Knopper, Creator of Knoppix Talks to DistroWatch

Posted by Hemos on from the good-things-small-packages dept.

An anonymous reader wrote to us about an interview with Klaus Knopper the author/creator of Knoppix. Knoppix is "a bootable CD with a collection of GNU/Linux software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices and other peripherals. KNOPPIX can be used as a Linux demo, educational CD, rescue system, or adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demos. It is not necessary to install anything on a hard disk. "

4 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Slashdot's new motto: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    News for nerds. Stuff that OSNews has already mentioned.

  2. but I thought . . . by r_barchetta · · Score: 2, Funny


    . . . Linux had been bootable for years!

    $ /usr/bin/duckrun

    -r

    --
    Just because something is free does not mean you have to take it.
  3. not really linux by mgkimsal2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Obviously, Knoppix isn't really Linux if it does stuff for you automatically. As we all know, the only reason to use Linux is to have something to kill hours or days with while configuring arcane text files with no *understandable* documentation. By having this system just boot up and work, they've taken away the "Linuxness" of Linux itself. This is just a pale imitation of the Real Thing(tm).

    --
    creation science book
  4. Guerilla Linux Warfare by BigBlockMopar · · Score: 3, Funny

    "KNOPPIX can be used as a Linux demo, educational CD, rescue system, or adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demos. It is not necessary to install anything on a hard disk."

    Okay. But the Knoppix install option which is really lacking is for use on the display machines at the local computer store:

    • Insert CD ROM into machine on display at local computer store.
    • Reboot machine. When Knoppix boot menu appears, hit a specific key - maybe Alt-L or something similar.
    • Ctrl-Alt-Delete is ignored. A Windows XP desktop, complete with a moving cursor and a Windows error message "Internet Explorer is organizing your shortcuts" or some other nonsense, is drawn and remains on the screen for the rest of the operation.
    • The hard disk is formatted and partitioned. Knoppix is installed using a conservative and good-looking color scheme. Again, during this entire process, a reproduction of a Windows XP desktop remains on the screen. As with Knoppix from CD, there is no prompt for a username or password
    • The computer reboots. The process is completely automatic. If the Knoppix CD happens to still be in the drive, the machine simply starts up off that.

    If Knoppix were to add that feature, I guarantee you I'd be buying a lot of cheap blank CDs to get the local Best Buy, Future Shop, Radio Shack, Staples, etc.

    "What do you mean, someone installed Linux on all the machines in our showroom? Where were you guys?"

    --
    Fire and Meat. Yummy.