the endless possibilities of the knoppix live cd

[batigolix]

using it to watch the eclipse (barcelona, Oct 3, 2005)

[chris-harry]

i use me old knoppix cd (the one which me bro thought funny to wipe on his shirt which was covered in food and had a logo on it that scratched the C*** out of the cd), as a frizbie... it really hurts when you try catching it...

[Cuddles]

chris-harry,

Hmmmm, and I am quite sure, even trying to catch it would hurt, but, imagine the inflicted pain, if someone DOESNT catch it... those little buggers can hurt, if they hit a part of your body... Frizbees can even hurt if they hit you in the head, those small CD's could be even more painful. Only thing I could think of being more painful, is the OLD "lazer movie discs" - those large DVD media "records" they used to sell, before the DVD came along - a nice, metal, disc, about 8 inches in diameter, hurled at someone... OUCH!

batigolix,

Not sure if you are joking here, or, literally... But, considering the numerous attempts of people trying to burn the ISO images to media, and the failed attempts... Wallpaper... Door Framers... Mobiles... Clock Faces... IT Related Coffee Coasters... String them together to make clothing... Broady Coasters... (if you bicycle, you know what I mean, you place them on the ground, come up on them quickly on your bike, and brake on top of them, it makes the bike skid, uncontrolably)... Mental Patient Frisbies... If you are good at melting the plastic, you can form them, into, say; ashtrays... Keep-Sake Boxes... Furniture... Door Stops... the list is infinite, as your imaginination can go.......

I have even found that the "little ones" are fascinated with the "shinny" surfaces of the discs, so, you can even add into this, bady toys

Always, willing, to help others, find as many uses for cheap media,
Ms. Cuddles

EDIT:
Lets not forget the "usual" uses for your Knoppix Live CD's; to save a crashed OS, or, to run a secure, safe, viri free, computer
END EDIT

[ckamin]

I found a great use for those cheap CDs that are not even worth writing to. I have modified a target thrower to send them downrange at incredible speeds. We now use those AO-H..l discs and whatever miscellaneous ones we collect for informal target practice. A small chip or bend on the edge, or a peice of duct tape make them wobble and as a result are more of a challenge to hit. Don't even think about how it would feel to get hit by one. They travel about 80 or more yards before they start to fall. or sometimes sooner if we actually hit one. We need lots of disks so we can get lots more practice. Never said we were any good at it, that's why we need to practice. Like a doctor practicing medicine, someone practicing religion, or a lawyer practicing law. Can they become politicians when they don't need to practice anymore? Sure beats the heck out of hanging them from your rear-view mirror (the discs, not the lawyers), unless you are good at reflecting sunlight to annoy (temporarily blind) other drivers. It's just a little noisier and probably less dangerous than being near/in a vehicle (or near a lawyer), especially around all those "Sun-Blinded" drivers. (AND yes we certainly DO clean up after ourselves.)

Might sell some to a paper shredder salesman to use for demos of his best Paper, CD/DVD. Credit Card shredders.

Some that are not quite burned properly or have corrupted files are great if they partially boot/work. I give them to someone so they can have fun trying to get something to work. It's a new use for all of those "I only burned the disc at 52X and I don't understand why it doesn't work" discs. Do it where you can watch them. No fun unless you get to see the reactions. When they have trouble, do like a true support person would do. Tell them it worked fine in your system and they just don't know how to use it and can't/aren't following the directions to the letter. That if it isn't working, they must be at fault and are dumb as a box of rocks. Tell them they must have a Virus. Just tell them to re-install Windows. Ask them if it's better or worse if they turn the disk over. Continue to invent new things for them to try. Good training to become a support person AND You can have fun for hours. Just do NOT let them EVER get the idea that they can modify a target thrower and send them back at you at incredible speeds.

Sorry for the hit on support people. I just went through an issue with a friend's system being rather slow on the Net. He is 71 years old, new to computers, and has had a dial-up connection with the same ISP for almost ten years. OK so ten years is not really new to computers, but you know how those seniors lose their perception of time. He said they USED to be good and I said I can also remember when you could get a gallon of hi-test for under 15 cents. THAT started a discussion longer than this post! They just aren't good anymore I told him! His ISP is notorious for slow connections and poor service. They told him he must have a virus. Then they told him it was his phone lines. Then they told him that they had this Net Accelerator program that he can get for an extra five dollars a month. They got it installed it for him and didn't get it set up correctly. Made things even worse. He asked me to call them and see if I could get it working better. I called them and told them what I thought about their support after getting the same run-around as he did. He just signed up for DSL. He also told his ISP he was not born yesterday, and somehow, I think he's got that right right! His net SAVINGS after he cancels his Dial-up and gets DSL is about $12 a month, without considering the Accelerator Program yet, since he can cancel his dedicated phone line as well. Now for the adventure of getting his DSL service provider to get it right. They are notorious for poor service too, but once it is up and running, he'll be in clover. Their tech support just got shaken up by a horrific earthquake. India or Pakistan, or somewhere around there. Couldn't understand the guy too well even though he listened perfect english. Didn't know what it was that he spoke though. It's like the local fast-food drive through. Just can't buy a Burger in English anymore around here. I just hate being a disadvantaged minority! Now if I could only get my friend to stay off those P2P services, Game, and Porn sites so he doesn't get any more bugs to break his dial-up connection. You know how bad those seniors can get with that stuff. (His system is squeeky clean, BTW) His 70 year old wife will just love the DSL for the performace boost for on-line gaming due to the lower latency. I am now resonsible for over 100 people leaving that P...Poor ISP in just this year alone. I need to work a deal with the DSL and Cable guys to get a piece of the action.

Darn it! I TOLD that dude not to put Mayo on my chocolate burger burrito! Chocolate? Burrito? HEY! What the.....? It's just NOT what I ordered! At least they gave me some barbecue sauce with it. The guy must have worked as a support person in a previous life.

It just MUST be all my fault that I have trouble hearing. Must be all that target practice damaging whatever I have left of my hearing ability. Now if I could only find a program that can read lips over a phone line..........

You can donate the discs to a local school or Old Folks home to use in art projects. They can have people paint them, make them into Hats, Christmas ornaments, wall decorations, or clocks.

You can try to get a Greek restaurant to have their patrons break them instead of plates while celebrating whatever it is that they break plates for. They sparkle more and are easier to throw. Just don't break quite as well.

They are also good for testing Microwave ovens. Do it on the 4th of July in the US. It's the only fireworks they might still let us have. Just don't tell anyone, since they will make it illegal if they think you are having fun doing it. Just be sure to heat up your chocolate burger burrito thinghy before you start testing.

If you haven't figured it out, I'm in the USA since I mentioned the 4th of July (Holiday in the US) and firearms. We are still allowed to have them if we get a note from our mother and promise not to hurt anyone with them, especially the guy that gave you that chocolate burger burrito thinghy.

Now I'm off to the local 7-11 for a hot dog and a Slurpy. I'll bet they can mess that up too.

Sigh,

Archie Bunker