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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. "
In other words, was there any redeeming factors Debian had over any other distribution?
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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.
Why not fork?
I have been wanting a linux dist to use on an NT 4.0 box, and this one has been great. I pop the CD in and (Ta-Da) its a linux box. I then SAMBA mount my other computer and life it good. It allows me to work in linux without messing with my NT 4 environment so I can use it when needed.
Thanks.
2) There's a friendly boot disk that has all the tools to reset admin passwords on a single floppy: http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.h tml - it works well, I've used it on a box at work we could not otherwise access.
2) Not that Knoppix has this, but why would this be a dangerous addition? You can reset the admin password by editing a single file - the boot disk above just makes it a snap. If we start eliminating utilities in the name of preventing "hackers" from abusing them, then we might as well disable shell, network, and disk access as well.
Not mentioned in the Slashdot article, but most of the software in the Knoppix package is released under the GPL, and Knoppix itself is completely free. This is one of the reasons that this Linux bootdisk is such a big deal.
-Kaos
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.
[Something witty and intelligent should have appeared here.]
{Traicovn}
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!!
I think the best point is that is Debian-based... and the hardware detection and configuration is awesome! Sure the debian guys can learn a bit... Free Software does not means impossible software, Knoppix!
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
No matter where you go... there you are.
It already can serve as a Debian installation CD - and is arguably THE EASIEST Debian distro to install.
LinuxWorld has an article about this capability: here
The Knoppix-as-Debian-install-cd howto: here
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
Mark Cappel
Editor
LinuxWorld
Knoppix is excellent as a demo distro, as an easy way to install Debian, but it's also a wonderful survival kit. When you're at a relative's (or friend's) house, you can take your Knoppix CD and a floppy (for the data). You can then hack&compile your projects, write documents (w/docbook or LaTeX). No need to ask them to install Emacs or anything else in their box. :-)
And the nice part is that it's customizable! You can change the packages that go in the CD using apt-get (but you'll need 3 Gb of disk space for that!) I think I'll compile and include the PCTEL driver... It's one thing I'll really need!
But do as the article says: modify it after booting from the KNOPPIX CD. It uses a special compressed-loop module (available from knoppix.net); the problem is that its stability seems to depend on which modules were compiled into the kernel, and the kernel from the CD is known to work fine. I've tried to compile the cloop module for my kernel, but things didn't work (cp -a stalls).
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.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
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.
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Striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap, will be the leap ho
Checkout the home page. In short, its a small (~5MB) linux distribution designed to be booted from a CD, with autodetection of video and audio, and automatically plays all the media files placed in the root directory of the CD. It uses Mplayer to play the movies, so all formats supported by mplayer (pratically everything!!) are supported by movix. All u do is put your "movixed" cd in ur drive, reboot, and watch the movie...all the software for playing it is right there on the disk.
I have a laptop with a 250MHz processor, and Movix is the only way i can play Divx on it without dropping frames or loosing audio sync.
LinuxGhoul
Sigura Non Grata
"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:
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.