← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Texas Dissident
Thread ID: 17119 | Posts: 15 | Started: 2005-03-05
2005-03-05 13:54 | User Profile
[url]http://www.knoppix.org/[/url]
Wondering if anyone has tried this distro...
2005-03-05 14:20 | User Profile
TD,
No for me. Instead, I find this mess about patents to be of interest. I wonder how long we will see something like this here?
2005-03-05 15:11 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Sertorius]No for me. Instead, I find this mess about patents to be of interest. I wonder how long we will see something like this here?[/QUOTE]
I'm sure gates' crew is working on it right now.
I just came across this and it seems like Knoppix is a pretty novel approach to getting up and running with Linux. I've worked with Mandrake in the past numerous times and the hard drive partitioning stuff can be a real challenge to the layman. That was on an old computer using windows 98, which I have now turned over to the kids.
Anyway, when I purchased my current system that had XP pre-installed, the man said that XP would not allow a hard-drive partition and there was no windows installation CD, but rather once booted up you had to create a 'backup' CD in case of fatal crashes and such. Sucks, right? I've been scared to run partition magic ever since.
To compound the problem, XP runs my computer but they've removed all the key programs like Word, where if you want to use Word you have to go on-line and buy it! This is after dropping over a grand on the system in the first place. Unbelievable.
So, I wanted to get back into Linux to do basic word processing, power points, etc. This Knoppix looks like it will do that without having to do anything to the hard drive, which at first glance seems pretty cool.
I'm downloading the latest ISO right now.
2005-03-05 16:44 | User Profile
TD
Knoppix is fine but runs quite slow off CD-ROM. A solution to your problem with M$ Wind :bash: can be adding second hard disk to your PC and then installing a full Linux distro on it.
Btw, Knoppix is not the only live CD distro but there are others, e.g. Gnoppix and Mandrake Move. More on Linux distros at [url="http://www.distrowatch.com/"]http://www.distrowatch.com/[/url]
2005-03-05 19:34 | User Profile
[QUOTE=DonJorge]TD
Knoppix is fine but runs quite slow off CD-ROM. A solution to your problem with M$ Wind :bash: can be adding second hard disk to your PC and then installing a full Linux distro on it.
[url=http://www.mepis.org/]MEPIS[/url]: Runs off the CD or you can install to HD
2005-03-05 19:54 | User Profile
Texas Dissident,
Tell us how it goes. I hate to pay that marxist Gates for bad software. I would love to go to some form of UNIX.
2005-03-05 20:19 | User Profile
Well, I'm making this post from Konqueror, so that should give you an idea how simple it was. Everything configured great and it actually runs pretty good. I guess you can't save anything, but all in all it seems like a pretty painless way to gain exposure to Linux.
2005-03-05 20:50 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Texas Dissident]I guess you can't save anything
USB memory sticks can be used to save configuration files and for storing other stuff. A run-from-CD Linux distro like Knoppix or MEPIS and a stick is all you need to have a secure, private computing session anywhere with Internet access. No trace of your activities is left on the borrowed PC's hard drive. Good for cybercafes and other people on the go....or for personal Internet use at the workplace you don't want the company snooping on.
2005-03-06 00:16 | User Profile
I should give it a try. I mean, the CD thing. Installing Linux on the hard drive makes sense if you want to go Linux all the way, otherwise it's a considerable investment of time, probably wasted as switching back and forth gets tedious quite quickly.
And if you have a lot of memory, the CD route should be OK once enough of CD gets loaded into memory disk cache.
2005-03-06 05:03 | User Profile
[QUOTE=madrussian]And if you have a lot of memory, the CD route should be OK once enough of CD gets loaded into memory disk cache.[/QUOTE]
Good point, mr. I have to say I'm rather impressed with this. Linux has come a long way in device configuration. In the past I've had all kinds of problems configuring my dsl modem, but this thing breezed through it on start-up without a hitch. This distro utilizes some kind of disk compression that allows it to have over 1500 mbs of programs packed into it. Having a bit of a problem with my HP printer and can't get any sound, but those aren't things I really go to Linux for. I'm mainly there for OpenOffice and Gimp.
2005-03-06 11:36 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Texas Dissident] Having a bit of a problem with my HP printer and can't get any sound, but those aren't things I really go to Linux for. I'm mainly there for OpenOffice and Gimp.[/QUOTE]
Pardon me for asking, but why don't you use the XP version of OpenOffice? I use it mostly for spreadsheet stuff and some word processing and it runs like a dream. I'm pretty sure there's also a Windows version of the GIMP.
I was into Linux a couple of years ago, but I decided to move back to Windows because most of my old anti-Windows pet peeves were no longer true - XP is very stable, blue-screens are a thing of the past, installation of hardware couldn't be easier and security is perhaps flawed but easily manageable if you install the latest updates fairly regularly and get some decent anti-virus and anti-spyware software. All the best Linux software is available on Windows too, and if it's not and there's something I want, I just download the source and compile it under cygwin.
2005-03-07 03:35 | User Profile
[QUOTE=RowdyRoddyPiper]Pardon me for asking, but why don't you use the XP version of OpenOffice?[/QUOTE]
Uhhh, mainly because I didn't know they had one. :nerd:
Thanks double-are-pee, I'll check it out.
2005-03-07 16:10 | User Profile
Tex, Knoppix (and other LiveCDs) are excellent as restore disks, and they can be installed to the hard drive if you prefer. Since they run off the CD, however, they are a little slow for full-time use, unless you have enough RAM to cache the whole system in memory. One great use of them is to test out hardware compatibility for a computer on which you would like to install Linux permanently. If Knoppix can detect and get all your hardware up and running, then you know there are Linux drivers available. I am a great proponent of Linux, and I think anyone who hasn't tried it in a while will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it has gotten. If you're a gamer, of course, then Windows is your only real option, but for web browsing, email, office apps, etc. Linux is really nice.
2005-03-08 04:33 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Faust]Texas Dissident,
Tell us how it goes. I hate to pay that marxist Gates for bad software. I would love to go to some form of UNIX.[/QUOTE]
A really good alternative to Bill Gate's and his defective and worm ridden software ie O/S windoz, is Linus Xandros...you dont even need an anti virus program running just a firewall that comes with the O/S....real easy to use and set up is a snap. :thumbsup:
2005-03-08 18:09 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Osceola]A really good alternative to Bill Gate's and his defective and worm ridden software ie O/S windoz, is Linus Xandros...you dont even need an anti virus program running just a firewall that comes with the O/S....real easy to use and set up is a snap. :thumbsup:[/QUOTE]
Thanks, Osceola. I'll definitely take a look at that.