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True Stories of Knoppix Rescues

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the and-it-fits-in-your-wallet dept.

Omniscientist writes "We've all been there: Our system is on the edge of death and we need to either fix it or retrieve important data that still remains hidden away in its dying clutches. LinuxDevCenter has a funny article on a heroic tale of a sysadmin relying on Knoppix to save the day. I for one, always make a boot disk in case of problems, but Knoppix can turn a bad day into a good one for just about anyone. Perhaps every administrator should have a Knoppix CD on reserve."

9 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. The obviousness by ZeeExSixAre · · Score: 5, Funny
    The article is well-summed-up in this gem here:

    I suppose the moral of this story is to be careful when you play around with the dd command and your MBR.

    DOY!

  2. I use it on crapped on WIndows boxes too.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    works like a charm to save data on corrupted windows boxes..

    1. Re:I use it on crapped on WIndows boxes too.. by xanadu-xtroot.com · · Score: 5, Informative
      works like a charm to save data on corrupted windows boxes..

      1. INDEED! I've saved several millions of dollars worth of info by booting NT* servers with a Knoppix CD (or Gentoo before they dropped samba support from the live CDs). I was praised as a herald. Nope. It's not me. I just used the right tool for the right job. Recovering a Windows system with Windows is near impossible.


      2. Aside, I use Linux bootables (Gentoo mostly) for checking the life of my HDs. I run a Gentoo machine (installed near 3 year ago). hda has seen a LOT (even before I put Gentoo on it - it was an MDK drive after it was a Win* drive). I've noticed SMARTd telling me latley that his life may be running short these days, but, after a e2fsck, it's fine. /me shrugs. I still need to replace him regardless.

        It's only a 10G drive (I have 4 others, much larger, in this box), but he needs to be replaced soon.

        Aside, I've saved a LOT of Win* Servers / laptops / desktops with "Live CD's".
      --
      I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
      I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
  3. what a coincedence by drunken+dash · · Score: 5, Funny

    i just burnt myself a cd of knoppix-3.8 the other day, for just this reason! although i've had no reason to use it (yet), im hoping my system starts acting up soon so i finally have an excuse to use it :P

    --
    Enjoy an e-piphany
  4. Re:Well... by AceCaseOR · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't you mean "fsck it"?

    --
    Zagreus sits inside your head, Zagreus lives among the dead, Zagreus sees you in your bed and eats you in your sleep.
  5. Damn Small Linux by tuxliner · · Score: 5, Informative

    In case you need a smaller, Knoppix based, distro : Damn Small Linux is much smaller and is very good as a system rescue tool too.

  6. I once saved the day with Knoppix by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A co-worker was trying to salvage some files from a dying Windows 98 machine. Win98 was having the damndest time accepting a USB memory drive (even with the right drivers installed). Five minutes with Knoppix and all his important files (mainly family tree stuff) was backed up to the USB memory drive.

    --
    Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
  7. INSERT by EnigmaticSource · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you're going to suggest a Knoppix-STD alternative, why not name one that's intended for data recovery and system restoration...

    The only recovery disks that I've found worth using are a custom gentoo based live-cd and INSERT

    Knoppix-STD or some other live disk is good for imaging and file recovery, but lacks real utility... like editing a windows 2000 registry, or doing vfat/ntfs hacking

    Go Ahead, try INSERT (and yes, i know it's Knoppix Based)

    --
    The Geek in Black
    I know my BCD's (when I'm Sober)
  8. Early one morning . . . by ManDude · · Score: 5, Funny

    I had always read about this happening to other guys, but never thought it would happen to me.

    I was coiming into work early Monday morning knowing I had to reinstall everything on the secondary email server that went down on Sunday. I thought I would be the only one in, but Suzie from accounting had come in early too.

    I always loved her emails when she needed some help. They were cheerful and she had clearly always researched the problem she was haveing rather than the normal "it just doesn't work".

    She came up and told me when she booted up the system it wouldn't get past the initial Windows boot screen. She was wearing a tight baby blue collared shirt with a short black skirt. No stockings and black high heals. She leaned low and as I was looking at her black bra said in a slow sexy voice - "Can you fix it?"

    That's when I pulled out my Knoppix . . .