A Taste of Linux (Linux Live CD reviews)

ExtremeTech ^ | January 23, 2004 | Jim Lynch

[B Knotts]

I thought this might be interesting to people who are kinda interested in trying Linux, but don't want to hassle with installing it.

[B Knotts]

FYI PING

[TomSmedley]

thanks

[FastCoyote]

Thanks, I've been using FreeBSD but need to bang the doors on Linux and I'm out of machines.

[Mean Daddy]

You can download a verion of Knoppix on your computer for free, burn it on CD and have a full fledged OS boot up directly from your CD drive. Features include a browser, office type applications etc.

[erinjohn]

I have downloaded and used knoppix (you can download it from knoppix.org) Copy the downloaded ISO image to a CD-ROM and boot up setting the CD-rom bootable. Works great.

[erinjohn]

I was a day late and dolloar short on the post. Knoopix does work great though.

JTG

[Drango]

I'll try this on the new 'puter I just put together...All the parts from Fry's: an ECS motherboard, 1.6 Duron combo for $49 ~ LOL we're smoking here...

[B Knotts]

I use Knoppix from time to time. Recently, my 1-1/2 year old son managed to freeze up my machine (I think by clobbering it), and I had a horked xfs partition, that mount(8) could not deal with.

I grabbed my Knoppix CD out of the trunk and fixed the problem within a few minutes after remembering that I had it.

Great for laptops, too!

[B Knotts]

Hey...I have a 700 MHz Duron working as a small mail/web server. It's been quite dependable.

[dennisw]

bttt

[steve50]

I tried to install on an old AsusP2B board, no luck. Can't figure out how to force it to boot from CD. Looks like it's cheapo kit time.

[B Knotts]

BTW, here's some Knoppix links:

Knoppix download page

Official Knoppix website (knopper.net)

Knoppix news and forums

[B Knotts]

I did some Googling, and it looks like a number of people are having that same problem with that motherboard.

[PokeyJoe]

ECS motherboard?

ewwwwww? *shudder*

dats scarwy

[B Knotts]

I've never used ECS; I used to buy ABIT, but lately, I've been using MSI with good results for cheapie machines. I had to replace a number of ABIT boards that had bad capacitors. I used Tyan for those.

[steve50]

I did some Googling, and it looks like a number of people are having that same problem with that motherboard.

They don't seem to make much of anything for the old slot 1 boxes anymore. Pretty outdated anyway. Probably better off canabalizing it.

[Drango]

ECS sucks... but the price was right! The K7VTA3 v8 is Fry's hot seller. They have stacks and stacks of 'em. They combo 'em up with a Duron and splatter the ad into the local paper at a cost so low I couldn't say no. Be afraid, be very afraid.

[Agnes Heep]

I used Tyan ....

I've never had a Tyan board I didn't like.

[B Knotts]

Yep. They're decent, if a bit pricey for the budget-minded.