Does anyone prefer an older version of Knoppix over 6.2? Why

[Clinton]

Some of you seem very happy with version 6.2 and others have complained that they don't like it.

What your favourite version and why?

What version of Knoppix have you got that you would be disappointed if you lost?

The reason I ask is because our sponsor has stopped offering older versions and I persuaded him that there's still a demand. So he's agreed to reinstate 6.0.1, 5.3.1 and 5.1.1. Does anyone still see a need for 4.x / 3.x?

Thanks for your feedback.

Clinton

[SiKing]

I have been using KNOPPIX since ~v3.2, including 6.0 and now 6.2. My current fav. is five.2:
#1. It comes in a CD edition. I never cared for KNOPPIX-DVD edition, except for KNOPPIX-games when it was made.
#2. It is the last version to boot on my two test machines (laptops, one older, one newer) without any cheatcodes. In 6.2 I have to turn off compiz to get it to work on both machines.

Just thought I'd mention:
I thought it was an excellent move to go with LXDE, but I do not get the point of all the special effects on a distro like KNOPPIX. The overhead of configuring it and the space on the CD is simply a waste IMHO.

[Screech]

I personally like having access to current plus all previous versions. While the computers I've been using 6.2 on this month, since getting 6.2DVD, have not had a problem I still like having my 3.x CD and 5.3 DVD around just in case. I read somewhere that the newer builds have purged some of the PCMCIA network drivers so those users have to run the older ones, though I've not tested that myself yet. I can test with my old 300Mhz Pentium laptop if you want to know if I can reproduce this issue.

[Harry Kuhman]

For me 6.02 is a big improvement over the other 6.x releases, and the first that I could make wireless connections work on since 4.02! I'm not sure what problem SiKing is seeing, but then again, I'm not seeing any seeing any special compiz effects at all! And this is true for both a fairly new laptop and a pretty new desktop. The desktop is an AMD 5600 64 bit dual core system with 4 gig and a decent Nvidia 8xxx series GPU, so I'm at a loss to understand why I don't see the effects unless Nvidia isn't supported at all.

You know my thoughts on high speed burns, so no need to go into that here. I certainly don't see any reason that a seller should keep around older 6.x versions. However, a lot has vanished in the 6 releases, and I'm particularly surprised on how much space was left unused on the DVD. Even as poorly as 5.x was organized (and I was so disappointed with the 5.x releases that I stopped giving away copies of Knoppix at that point), I think that it would be nice to have at least one CD and one DVD in the 5.x line, likely the last that was released of each.

What I would really like to see is an archive of the older ISO files. There were a number of things (mostly games) that were on the 3.1 releases but got stripped off one by one as bloat and the desire to have an over abundance of word processors and spread sheets pushed them out to make space. And some never made it back in, even into the DVD releases. I can understand us not making available the current and recent past releases, that is much better done by the torrents. But old ISO files should be in low enough demand to not put a bandwidth burden on the site, and disk storage should not be an issue either (or if it is, we might at least provide a link to other sites where these old ISO files might be found)

[Clinton]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Harry - or anyone else - you want to organise an archive? I'll sort out the storage space and the bandwidth and pay for it (so anyone who doesn't want to buy the disk can still get a free copy).

[Harry Kuhman]

What your favourite version and why?
Following up my previous post, if I had to pick only one version to have, it would be 4.02. This is the most useful version for me. Wifi support wasn't great, tricky to set up and lacking many wifi drivers that other distros of the same age had, but at least I could make it work on one of my wfi cards. I have not confirmed the reports that 6.2 is lacking pcmcia support, but if it is then it makes the new release less useful for many people and for a lot of troubleshooting and recovery work.

I certainly will be carrying a copy of 6.2 with me to use when accessing the Internet away from my home, such as at wifi hot spots. I don't trust Windows in such locations and would never access the Internet with Windows on a laptop directly from a public hot spot, but Knoppix should be safe enough as long as I don't visit a site that might use browser scripting to write malware to the hard disk (and that should be hard with 6.2 as well), and use other common sense security, such as not accessing password controlled sites unless using a https secure connection.. So the ease of use of 6.2 wifi and it's driver support for my newer notebook wifi (Broadcom) make it the obvious choice for a portable Live OS.

I can't give you a good reason for keeping any of the 3.x versions, but I do find them interesting and think that at the very least some of the oldest versions should be available somewhere for those few who wish to see how the disc has changed over the years.

And I'm not at all endeared to 5.x, I found it's poor menus an embarrassment, and I never could get wifi to work in any 5.x version, even for the wifi card that 4.02 supported. I understand that it has been useful for some people, but the 5.x releases are not ones that I want to use.

[SiKing]

I have been using KNOPPIX since ~v3.2, including 6.0 and now 6.2. My current fav. is five.2:
#1. It comes in a CD edition. I never cared for KNOPPIX-DVD edition, except for KNOPPIX-games when it was made.
I just realized that I make a mistake: the last Knoppix 5 that came on a CD was version 5.1.1

[sbininit]

I like 5.1, my first encounter with knoppix and 5.3. I have yet to get 6.2 to boot in anything. 5.3 is my favorite but I think I have less querks with 5.1. I never liked 6.1 much though I realize it was probably in a transition stage and incomplete.


I love the freedom to copy, paste and edit that puppy has instantly when you boot it up. I love knoppix command line though as it resembles Ubuntu more.

[Chris2222]

I had my first knoppix experience with 5.1, very nice I'd have to say. By judging what other people have to say that 5.x series was not the best then I have to say my experience can only get better.

[HelpPleas]

I've posted elsewhere about my problems with v6.2, so I'll just summarise here.

The older versions (certainly v5.1.1 and v5.3.1) booted without mounting any partitions, and then allowed you to mount each partition either read-only or read-write, as required, and via the GUI, without having to mess around with commands! That made it a brilliant Live CD for rescue or data recovery.

I was thinking about a permanent install of Knoppix in a multiboot with WinXP and Win7, since I was pretty sure it wouldn't trash my NTFS partitions. But I'm having to think again.

I wouldn't be inclined to use v6.2 at all, but for the fact that my new PC won't boot the older versions.

What I would really like would be a new variant of v5, with up-to-date hardware detection and drivers, so that I could go on using it.

[chip.ling]

To me, 5.1.1 is my stable version.

The reason is that it works great on all my wireless machines. (i.e. they are old) However, I found that 5.1.1 is not really compatible with the latest hardware especially the video and SATA support.

I still cannot find a better CD compilation since 5.1.1, most of the newer version seems to missing a great deal of important apps/components in the CD distro. (i.e. wireless connection, ssh, samba etc) I don't know the others, but these are critical to me, I use it on my daily life and cannot live without it.

Rgds,
Chip

[Capricorny]

To me, 5.1.1 is my stable version.

The reason is that it works great on all my wireless machines. (i.e. they are old) However, I found that 5.1.1 is not really compatible with the latest hardware especially the video and SATA support.

I still cannot find a better CD compilation since 5.1.1, most of the newer version seems to missing a great deal of important apps/components in the CD distro. (i.e. wireless connection, ssh, samba etc) I don't know the others, but these are critical to me, I use it on my daily life and cannot live without it.

I just wonder why you must have these programs inside the compressed image? I installed the missing parts on the persistent image with the CD version of 6.0.1 , and that works very well. Even the DVD versions of 6.2.1 will most probably miss
something you need (e.g. samba server), so by the in-compressed-principle you may never be able to go beyond 5.X. Unless you remaster, then. Which I guess may be the best option for you :)

[chip.ling]

I just wonder why you must have these programs inside the compressed image? I installed the missing parts on the persistent image with the CD version of 6.0.1 , and that works very well. Even the DVD versions of 6.2.1 will most probably miss
something you need (e.g. samba server), so by the in-compressed-principle you may never be able to go beyond 5.X. Unless you remaster, then. Which I guess may be the best option for you :)

Good question, Knoppix, to me, is a LiveCD. That means boot it up from the CD when I needed them. It will leave no trace on my harddisk at all. (That is the part I like it)

For a permanent installation, I only consider the real distro. I have a couple of machines already have Ubuntu server version or CentOS server version in place.

Rgds,
Chip

[Capricorny]

For a permanent installation, I only consider the real distro. I have a couple of machines already have Ubuntu server version or CentOS server version in place.


I run Knoppix mostly from USB stick (easy) or USB harddisk (even easier). No permanent installation on the harddisk then. And with 6.2.1, it is always possible to boot from the CD, and run from USB drives. I find that the hard disk installs of complete distros get less and less use, but I have them.

[fergus]

My must have is gcc with /libreadline and I'm incredibly disappointed that 6 doesn't have /libreadlne.
5.3.1-DVD does, along with gnuplot, gv, latex, xdvi, xpdf and a few other needs.
I think 4.2.1-DVD was almost as well resourced.
Unfortunately 5.3.1-DVD doesn't understand my wireless adapter (and I can't follow the command script to render it viable) but that is really the ONLY lack.
I just loved some of the older desktop backgrounds, particularly "LINUX IN USE" (3.something?) Hated the car speedo on 4.2, but not as much as all recent feelgood landscapes/ seascapes/ etc.
And, in ALL CASES, wish I could turn off the fiendish SYSTEM STARTUP and SYSTEM SHUTDOWN "sexy" (don't think so) hag. On 6.2 even when started at level 2 (console only) she still chimes in at shutdow, though not

[carolus]

Unfortunately 5.3.1-DVD doesn't understand my wireless adapter (and I can't follow the command script to render it viable) but that is really the ONLY lack.


I agree 100%.

For me fortran is a necessity. Since 6.2 and 6.3 contain libgfortran (for scilab?) I assume that the lack of gfortran is simply an oversight. The version of gfortran in 5.3.1 is pretty old, but since I don't use the fancy new features it doesn't matter. 5.3.1 also includes the g77 fortran compiler, which is a plus, though I have not had problems so far compiling my old g77 code with gfortran. It is only the new gfortran features that are flaky.

I expect to switch to 6.x whenever gfortran is included on the DVD. The visible advantages over 5.3.1 are 1) wireless support (I now boot Puppy Linux for wireless) and 2) inclusion of scilab. Meanwhile, it would be nice if package lists were routinely posted for new versions, to save me the trouble of downloading a DVD that lacks gfortran.

[GCMartin]

There is the, now, OLD Knoppix and there is the NEW Knoppix.

I am NOT a developer. A developer writes codes/scripts. On the other hand, I am an administrator. Someone who practices keeping usable systems in front of their users.

In the old Knoppix, supported by much documentation, the startup and management of a LiveCD/DVD system was structured. There is methods designed to allow a user/administrator to managed a LiveCD/DVD system without going thru an installation. In essence, you should have been able to go from release to release by merely changing to the latest LIveCD/DVD.

That's all changed, with the new Knoppix. (And its not reflected in the Cheatcodes.) The new Knoppix has "dropped" these facilities.

In version 6.2+, I have found that the following is either NOT SUPPORTED or not there for some other reason. There is no desktop management tools that exist to allow a user/administrator to create the facilities of home=, myconfig=, tohd=, or swapfile. Thus any customization that you do in a LiveCD/DVD environmetnt cannot be saved across reboots.

And, even though there are Cheatcodes that seem to reflect there existence, they do not appear to work.

There are some very good reason why one would want to run a LiveCD/DVD based system. The most compelling of them is the contents of a LiveCD/DVD cannot be attacked or changed by errant or malicious program activity. The "home= & config=" are personalization and the ONLY FACILITIES THAT ONE NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT. It seems that new Knoppix didn't see this as a benefit.

Lastly, WikiPedia has tremendous documentation about Knoppix and its inner workings. New Knoppix IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH WIKIPEDIA. Whose responsibility is it to update WikiPedia; and "who has courage enough to say that there are 2 entirely different Knoppix!"

Maybe its time to label the sharp departure by calling the latest Knoppix, "Knoppix2/NewKnoppix/NotKnoppix" or something else to distinguish its departure. Or add an upgrade to allow users to bring the functionality back into the New Knoppix's fold.

I am sure the developers of Knoppix have ideas and simple techniques to alleviate at least this one sticking point. As this is a show stopper for me, currently.

[carolus]

I use 5.3.1 with home= and bootfrom= cheatcodes. The comments in the forum leave me uncertain whether 6.* has functional equivalents. But until gfortran is added, I won't bother to experiment.