Free php web host - 333Chapter 11Running KNOPPIXSee Chapter 17 for information on
333Chapter 11Running KNOPPIXSee Chapter 17 for information on using a bootable Linux as a firewall/router andChapter 18 for descriptions of many other bootable Linux distributions. Examining Challenges with KNOPPIXFor most people, KNOPPIX is a special-use Linux system. It s a great way to try Linuxor to access a computer that isn t set up the way you like. However, there are a fewchallenges with using KNOPPIX that you should keep in mind: .Reboot clears out KNOPPIX Unless you save your data to some other media(which you can do, as I describe later in this chapter), the entire KNOPPIXsystem goes away when you reboot. That means files on the desktop, installedsoftware, system configuration, and anything else you do during your KNOPPIXsession will be gone unless you explicitly save that information to a hard diskor some removable medium (floppy, CD, and so on). .Memory limitations KNOPPIX is made to be able to run without touchingyour hard disk, so when you save files to KNOPPIX, they are (by default) storedin your computer s memory (RAM). On my desktop system, which has 512MBof RAM, KNOPPIX assigned about 3MB to the root (/) partition and 396MB toramdisk (to provide space in the /var and /homedirectories, where data isnormally stored). So there is only about 100MB left to hold all the runningapplications. .Performance hits Even with today s faster CD and DVD drives, it s stillslower getting data from CDs and DVDs than it is getting them from a localhard disk. Almost every component needed to run KNOPPIX (commands, libraries, and so on) is grabbed from the CD or DVD and decompressed on- the-fly. So it can take a bit longer to run commands with KNOPPIX than itwould to run them from hard disk. (Watch the blinking light on your CD orDVD drive to see how often KNOPPIX goes there to get data.) .Uses your CD/DVD drive Because KNOPPIX relies so heavily on data fromthe CD or DVD, you can t remove it while you are using the system. So, if youhave only one drive for removable media, you can t use it to access a musicCD, install from another software disk, or burn data while you are using KNOPPIX. Tiny multimedia players such as GeeXboX and MoviX can run totally from memorybecause they have very limited, specific functions. So you can put in a music CD orvideo CD or DVD to play content after the bootable Linux is loaded. I must admit that the challenges described here are more of an explanation of howKNOPPIX works than they are problems with KNOPPIX itself. The idea that you canrun a full-blown desktop and server operating system from a single CD (with nearly2GB of available applications) is an awesome concept for someone who still remem- bers DOS and character terminals. NoteCross- Reference18_