flash-knoppix

flash-knoppix command usage:

$ flash-knoppix --help
Usage: /usr/bin/flash-knoppix [-a] [-f] [-m i|p|n] [-p mb] [image|dir] [target_device]
       -a            Allow fixed disks
       -f            Force overwrite, no questions (batch mode)
       -m i          Method: Create overlay image
       -m p          Method: Create overlay partition (recommended)
       -m n          Method: No overlay (read only)
       -p mb         Overlay partition or image size in MB >= 200
       image.iso     Loopmount source ISO file
       dir           Source data directory containing files
       target_device Destination block device (flash disk)

The corresponding window in the flash-knoppix GUI displays the following:

Please select installation method:
p Installation on FAT32 with additional overlay partition.
i Installation on FAT32 with (optional) overlay file [less than 4GB].
n  No Overlay (read-only like CD/DVD).

I've been going with option p, which gives me an installation of the compressed filesystem in /dev/sdb1 (FAT32) and the persistent memory in /dev/sdb2 (ReiserFS).

Here's a look at the flash drive in GParted, from Debian Jessie:




Here's what fdisk -l shows about /dev/sdb, the flash drive, when run from the live session:

Disk /dev/sdb: 7.5 GiB, 8004304896 bytes, 15633408 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xe01e57cc

Device     Boot    Start      End  Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1  *        2048 10518527 10516480    5G  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sdb2       10518528 15633407  5114880  2.4G 83 Linux


And here's a view of the contents of the /KNOPPIX-DATA directory on sdb2 of the flash drive, from SpaceFM in Debian Jessie:

knoppix live

I played around with Knoppix live CDs when I was first starting out with Linux. Knoppix sold me on Linux more than anything else did. I decided to take another look at Knoppix this week; the live session is still great for "demo" purposes, and of course it's also a great maintenance/rescue tool to have sitting around in the toolbox.

I downloaded KNOPPIX_7.7.1DVD-2016-10-22-EN.iso, the English language Knoppix 7.7.1. It's a hefty 4.3GB download.

Supposedly, you can now run flash-knoppix [iso name] from within another distro (from Debian, for example) to get Knoppix onto a flash drive. I didn't find any good documentation for this procedure, so I didn't try it. But users can also run flash-knoppix from within a running Knoppix live session, and that does a fine job of creating the bootable Knoppix flash drive.

Or you can order a flash drive from an online vendor such as OSDisc:

The default LXDE desktop in Knoppix 7.7.1:

LXDE is the default desktop, but GNOME and KDE sessions are available. The GNOME session failed to boot up for me, but I did get a KDE Plasma 5 session with the knoppix desktop=kde boot option. For some reason, there are no application icons on the default panel, but the Application Launcher works ok. Here's KDE in Knoppix 7.7.1:

Knoppix is loaded with apps -- probably more apps than I've seen shipped with any other distro. The Accessories submenu alone contains too many items to show in one screen shot:

Here's a link to the release announcement at DistroWatch: https://www.distrowatch.com/?newsid=09610

You'll want to check out the release notes, for sure: http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/knoppix771-en.html