Knoppix 7.3 CeBIT Edition

Knoppix PXE Boot Server

You can set up Knoppix as a boot server for the local network, so that other computers, acting as clients, can boot from the server, access the Knoppix medium remotely, and run programs locally. For this task, Start KNOPPIX Terminal Server in the Knoppix menu. Setup is easy and straightforward; you basically just confirm the allowed network range and boot options for the clients. In this way, you can run an entire classroom with just one physical Knoppix medium. In version 7.3, I have changed the terminal server setup to generally provide 32-bit clients (64-bit computers still boot in 32-bit compatibility mode, of course), even if the host system was booted with the knoppix64 boot option. This setup is the most compatible for clients, and does not require clients to specify the kernel with which to boot.

Boot Problems?

Normally, Knoppix does not require any boot options to determine the correct settings for your hardware, graphics cards, and so on. However, with so many different chipsets and combinations thereof, it is sometimes necessary to disable a feature or hardware component temporarily to reach the productive desktop stage [1].

Some common boot options for hardware problems are listed in the boot help that you can reach by hitting F2 or F3 in the boot screen; others are listed in the text file knoppix-cheatcodes.txt inside the KNOPPIX directory. If the desktop gets stuck at the point that the 3D composite window manager Compiz should start, try booting with

knoppix nocomposite

or

knoppix no3d

to disable the graphics subsystem's "composite" extension, or just to avoid starting Compiz.

Contents of Knoppix 7.3

The following "table of contents" is also available online [1].

  • Based on the usual picks from Debian stable (wheezy) and newer desktop packages from Debian/testing and Debian/unstable (jessie); kernel 3.13.0 and Xorg 7.7 (core 1.15.0) support current computer hardware
  • Optional 64-bit kernel, via boot option knoppix64, supports systems with more than 4GB of RAM and chroots to 64-bit installations for system rescue tasks (DVD version only)
  • LibreOffice 4.1.4 (Figure 13)
Figure 13: LibreOffice (left) and Adobe Reader (right) running in Knoppix. Note that the proprietary Adobe Reader is not usually part of the Knoppix distribution.
  • GIMP 2.8.6
  • Chromium 31.0.1650.63 and Firefox/Iceweasel 26.0 web browsers with AdBlockPlus 2.4.1 and NoScript 2.6.8.14
  • LXDE (default) with file manager PCMANFM 1.1.2, KDE 4.8.4 (boot option knoppix desktop=kde, DVD version only), Gnome 3.8.4 (boot option knoppix desktop=gnome, DVD version only)
  • Wine version 1.5 for integration of Windows-based programs
  • VirtualBox version 4.3.2 (DVD version only) and qemu-kvm 1.7.0 for (para)virtualization
  • Linux kernel 3.13.0 with cloop and aufs
  • Optional integration of the Tor network for anonymously surfing the web (DVD version only)
  • Easy desktop export via VNC and RDP for Remote Desktop Viewing under Linux and Windows (especially interesting for teachers)
  • Samba network volume search and mount utility smbmount-knoppix
  • Possibility to update an existing flash disk installation of Knoppix via flash-knoppix
  • New version of the elinks text web browser, templates for mail configuration with mutt, automatic page orientation detection in the scanning/OCR utility adriane-ocr and keyboard mailing program KARL in ADRIANE audio desktop
  • Experimental support for UEFI Boot (DVD: 32- and 64-bit, CD: 32-bit only) after installation on USB flash disk.
  • On special request for the Medialinx CeBIT edition, Adobe's Flash player and Acrobat Reader (Figure 13), two proprietary but popular software packages not normally present on Knoppix, are also included.

Infos

  1. Boot options and distro content: http://knopper.net/knoppix/knoppix730-en.html

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