Klaus Knopper, Creator of Knoppix Talks to DistroWatch

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. "

Comments

Distribution...

[whiteranger99x]

If I may ask, what made you decide to base this distribution on Debian as opposed to something like Slackware, RedHat, or even a Build Your Own Linux Distribution?

In other words, was there any redeeming factors Debian had over any other distribution?

Autodetection

[CableModemSniper]

I love the way he says he designed the hardware autodetection. He just made a list of al the steps you do to setup a linux install's hardware and automated it and threw in some kudzu. Genius.

Knoppix for installfests...

[Traicovn]

Our linux users group was introduced to Knoppix by a visiting member from Germany about a year ago. Last spring we held an installfest and the knoppix cd's that we gave out were a huge hit. Best of all, it means that we were able to give out a VERY nice functional test cd that we knew had an almost zero chance of harming an individuals computer. If you have anybody who you've wanted to have try linux or has expressed an interest in linux but is nervous about putting something on the hard drive, knoppix is definitely worth burning a copy of for them.

Re:Knoppix for installfests...

[Ed Avis]

If there were a DVD version of Knoppix with *every* free program you could possibly want to use installed - essentially Debian testing on a DVD - then maybe you could do without ordinary Linux distributions altogether. I'd certainly consider it, if I had a PC that was left on 24x7 and important things like mail and CVS on a central server.

Re:Knoppix for installfests...

[Negatyfus]

I'm not sure if this would work. First of all, you *need* to write some stuff somewhere. I assume this is done on a RAM disk. So there's your opportunity for installing root kits. :) Of course, upon reboot, everything is clean again, but so is your data. So, unless you throw in your static webpages on the DVD too, a webserver is out of the question.

Any mail client would need configuration settings, too. You want to configure your IMAP server everytime you reboot? Granted, you may not reboot often, but then you won't wipe those root kits off your RAM disk often, neither, will you? :)

Bookmarking in your browser is out of the question, naturally, as is customizing your environment. You might be able to store some /home stuff on a floppy drive or another such removable storage medium, though. In that case, you better make sure you eject the medium each time you leave the keyboard, since you don't want your floppy infested with root kits. :P

I'm sure most people can live with most of the inconveniences. But in every case, you will but more limited than you will be in an environment in which you use a harddisk for storage.

Nonetheless, there are some most excellent uses for a bootable Linux distro, of course.

Hardware detection

[exhilaration]

I know someone mentionned the excellent hardware detection found in Knoppix, but I'd like to know why other distributions don't have this level of simplicity? I mean, Knoppix is literally plug and play - pop it into the CD, walk away, and BAM there's KDE on the screen.

WHY do I have to go through xf86config to get my distro up and running???? You gotta find your monitor's documentation, double-check what video card you have, look up how much memory, blah blah blah. Yet Knoppix does this AUTOMATICALLY???? (Or is that automagically?) Knoppix has been out for a while, their hardware detection should be implemented in every distribution!!

Knoppix is a great Linux Ambassador

[DoctorPepper]

I was introduced to Knoppix about a month and a half ago by a friend of mine in Texas (USA). Since then, I've burned several CD-R's and distributed them to other friends and acquaintances who are curious about Linux, but didn't want to "mess with" their Windows computers.

I think Knoppix is an excellent distro and a great way to introduce people to Linux. I'm thinking about infiltrating our local computer user's group (all Windows users) and seeing if I can hand-out some Knoppix CD's :-)

hardware auto-detection/Personal OS

[cslarson]

Hardware auto-detection is obviously a major step in bringing linux to the masses. I don't think it can be underestimated (although I understand when people like the more hands-on approach, I'm a gentoo lover, myself.) I've been hearing more and more about Knoppix recently. Gnumed, an open source medical practice management solution project that i'm following is using it as a demo cd. Since Knoppix is customizable, I was wondering how many people have tried creating their "own" OS-on-cd. Computers are everywhere, so it would seem practical to have your own customized operating system and personal desktop on cd. Forget dealing with how other people set up their computers and just throw in your own cd. hmmm, i'm getting excited now. how cool would it be to whip out one of those credit card shaped cd's from your wallet, and amaze your friends.

Knoppix is my home MP3 player

[gosand]

I have Knoppix running on an old Dell PII-233 as my MP3 player. I took out the hard drive, so it only runs on CD. I put in a 6-channal audio card hooked into the stereo and a video card w/TV-out (auto-detected, way cool). I run GNUMP3D on my Linux server, and now I can play all my MP3s through my stereo in the living room using the knoppix distro as the front end. (the wired keyboard/mouse isn't that elegant, I might get a wireless one eventually). The nice part is that it is pretty much silent when not in use.

Great use for Knoppix

[zer0vector]

I am taking a Computational Physics class, and the professor prefers to use Linux for its ease in compiling and running programs. Unfortunately the only computer lab available was filled with windows machines, so we just boot the Knoppix CDs everytime we start class. Its fast and very easy to set up.

Re:An excellent idea!

[Mandi Walls]

As far as using a cd as a secure server, it is very cool, though I would recommend you build your own and use something like bblcd where you have more control over what's going on.

A bunch of things have to go into a ramdisk to be usable on a run-from-cd distro. That stuff can be altered, and the part you lose is the logs written to harddisk, which is kinda handy to have if something happens.

anyway, it is neat to do. bblcd is easy if you read the directions. knoppix is neat and i gave it out to my students so they could keep their windows machines for their other classes, though the chance of them ever seeing debian in their future jobs is slim to none, and seeing Red Hat only slightly more likely (which is what the class was taught on).

--mandi

Re:Knoppix installs full Debian system on Harddriv

[SilverSun]

We use Knoppix here for a Linux kiosk.

It is unbelievable!

You just need one CD. plug it in the server, use a floppy with the MAC addresses of the clients and server ip. DONE! 15 PCs (with different hardware!!) here boot from a single CD in the server, no setup, no nothing, it just works. Nobody can fuck up the system, no hackers, no kiddies in the kiosk. It's amazing. Zero maintanence.