KNOPPIX is a bootable Live system on CD, DVD, or USB flash drives. It consists of a representative collection of GNU/Linux software and automatic hardware detection. Also, it supports many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices, and other peripherals.
You can use the KNOPPIX as a productive Linux system for the desktop, educational CD, and rescue system. Also, you can adapt and use it as a platform for commercial software product demos. It automatically detects and supports a wide range of graphics adapters, sound cards, USB devices, and other peripheral devices.
It’s not necessary to install anything on a fixed disk. Because of its transparent decompression, up to 2 GB of executable software can be present on a CD, and up to 10 GB on a single layered DVD.
A.D.R.I.A.N.E. (Audio Desktop Reference Implementation And Networking Environment) is a talking menu system, which is supposed to make work and internet access easier for computer beginners, even if they have no sight contact with the computer monitor.
A graphical environment with also talking programs and arbitrary magnification using compiz-fusion is another option.
KNOPPIX has included software:
Depending on your choice of CD or DVD, a variety of software packages from the Debian software repositories (www.debian.org) is installed.
The CD version contains at least:
- LXDE as the standard desktop,
- Open Office,
- the Firefox WWW browser,
- GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP,
- MPlayer Multimedia System,
- Internet-access software for (W)LAN, modem, isdn, umts/gprs,
- Tools for data rescue, network analysis, and system repair.
The DVD version contains additional software packages for office productivity as well as software development and engineering (various programming languages and development environments), education, and gaming.
To start from a CD, DVD, or USB flash disk, adjust the boot selection menu or your computer’s BIOS setup to start from the desired device. Everything else works (almost) automatically.
In the USB flash disk variant, it is possible to store your own settings and additionally install software permanently via “overlay”, so that the system behaves just like a “real hard disk” installation.
New: For computers that cannot start directly from USB, there is a “boot only” CD variant available. You can use it together with a previously created KNOPPIX USB flash drive. Using this boot CD, the system starts from the CD drive first, and then switches and continues to run on the USB flash drive.
System Requirements:
- Intel/AMD-compatible CPU (i486 and up),
- RAM: at least 200 MB for the graphical desktop. Recommended for working with various office applications: 500MB RAM,
- a bootable CD-ROM/DVD drive (IDE/ATAPI/SATA, Firewire, USB), or USB flash disk,
- a standard SVGA-compatible graphics chipset,
- PS/2 or USB Mouse.
