05.25.08
Linux Live CD: Knoppix
Knoppix is one of the best Linux Live CDs I have used. The hardware detection is very good (however, I have not tried to use my USB scanner with it). It is easily mount HDDs and USB devices with different filesystem formats.
The default software seems to include everything that I have wanted to use it for. It has the utilities necessary for system recovery (which is my primary use of Knoppix), network diagnosis, internet browsing, etc.
While I think this is a great distribution, I would not recommend it for new Linux users. The user interface does not contain as much eye candy as other Linux Live CDs that I will post reviews for in the future. The great utility of this Linux Live CD makes it quite useful. I currently have a Knoppix CD in my work briefcase. You never know when you might need it!
Stats as tested on my old P4 test box.
This graph show that the bootup time is 2 min. and 17.7 sec.
[pie chart here] Runtime Statistics Go Here
Applications useful for recovering a system: [# goes here]
Size of ISO Image: 696.4 MB
Ray said,
May 26, 2008 at 1:06 AM
Let’s see something quantitative, Jeff
Heck, anything is better than nothing.
Ryan said,
May 27, 2008 at 7:57 AM
Kind of an offshoot, but are you reviewing Knoppix STD?
http://www.knoppix-std.org/
Jeff said,
May 27, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Edited: Link to official Knoppix site included.
While I have used Knoppix STD, the original Knoppix feels like a better all around Linux Live CD. But it all depends on what you are looking for in a Linux Live CD. Knoppix STD might be the best tool for a Linux expert who does a lot of network admin work.
Ryan said,
May 27, 2008 at 3:42 PM
I guess I should have asked if you were going to review Knoppix STD as a seperate entity. I hadn’t had any coffee when I posted. My bad.
Brandon said,
May 30, 2008 at 8:57 AM
Thanks for the Live CD review. I’d like to play with linux a bit, but I don’t have the time to do a fresh install. Something I could throw on whatever I am working on would be shiny. Keep up the good work.
Ray said,
June 1, 2008 at 10:41 PM
Love the placeholders
Drew said,
June 14, 2008 at 6:49 AM
Knoppix is the shiznit - we used to use it in the field at LP to help diagnose hardware problems.
Also check out the STD distro — good for security stuff.
Focker out!
Ray said,
July 23, 2008 at 7:59 PM
Has the live cd quest completed, or is it on haiatus?
Ray said,
July 23, 2008 at 8:00 PM
HIATUS?
Jeff said,
July 25, 2008 at 8:57 AM
I’m not sure what software I can use to gauge the run time specs on this live distro. Preferably I would want to run the same software on the other live distros to compare oranges to oranges. If you have any ideas, then I am all ears.
Also, I have yet to find the desire to go through and count the number of “useful” system recovery software packages. The ambiguity of “useful” might make this number difficult to compare between distros as well.