Survey of CD "minimal" version by K. Knopper

[otropogo]

I vote for a stripped down CD version, but ask for one option not available in the DVD version, the capability to save configuration settings (at least!) without first doing a usb-flash install. I note that Klaus's note mentions the possibility of PCs that can't boot from USB. Add to that the complications of hardware settings etc. that need to be tweaked, and you need some way of saving settings for an unfamiliar. I've never understood Klaus's objection to retaining the old system, in which settings and installed apps could be saved to a hard drive or other media separate. Has he ever explained this? But if that's an absolute, then how using Puppy Linux's option of installing to CD without finalizing the disk, and allowing configuration settings to be written to a separate file on the disk (preferably more than one to be offered as options on boot up).

[philo]

I vote against a 'stripped-down' CD version.

No doubt Mr Knopper has more important things to do, and to offer us.

[utu]

how (about) using Puppy Linux's option of installing to CD without finalizing the disk, and allowing configuration settings to be written to a separate file on the disk (preferably more than one to be offered as options on boot up).

That's a clever idea. I imagine that it may be because:

1. USBs have gotten so much cheaper, r/w so much faster, and may have so much more capacity than a CD; and
2. perhaps CDRs may not have as good a reputation for (re)wriiting additional material to the same device.

Of course, that may not help much if your rig doesn't do USBs.

[ICPUG]

I have been playing with my Poor Man's Install of 7.4.1. Previously, (7.3 and earlier), a Poor Man's install would ask if you want a settings file on first boot.If you said yes it got stored on the hard drive in the same directory as the Poor Man's.

With 7.4.1 this didn't happen. A settings file was not created. However, a look at the cheatcodes file on the DVD shows that there is a new cheatcode 'mkimage'. Use this and you will be asked if you want a settings file as before. After the file is created it gets used automatically without the need to boot with a cheatcode.

I know this is still not having the ability to boot with a CD/DVD and having a settings file on the hard drive but if you have to go to the hard drive to pick up a settings file then you might as well pick up the whole system from the hard drive (the Poor Man's Install).

[ICPUG]

I should also respond to the topic of this thread. I personally prefer the DVD version because I like having all the programs available without (a) having to download and using up the image space or (b) working out how to use multilayers as mentioned by utu.

Nevertheless, I appreciate some people dislike the whole kitchen sink approach or do not have the bandwidth to download a DVD. For these people a CD version is a must.

I'm not sure what is so difficult about maintaining both options. The basic CD stuff goes in the KNOPPIX file. The additional stuff on the DVD could go in the KNOPPIX1 file on said DVD. Everybody happy with no extra development tasks.

[utu]

I'm not sure what is so difficult about maintaining both options. The basic CD stuff goes in the KNOPPIX file. The additional stuff on the DVD could go in the KNOPPIX1 file on said DVD. Everybody happy with no extra development tasks.

Everybody but Klaus K.
He makes a point that making a CD version is extra work for him, and he wants to know if it's all that useful to anyone.
Some of us think it is, but it's surely a minor issue, given the DVD.
And you're right, I'll make my little KNOPPIX1 anyway, 'cause I hate recovering from a wiped-out read/write persistence file.
Cheers.

[philo]

Everybody but Klaus K.

I rather think that the great silent majority is on his side.

[Marv]

I rather think that the great silent majority is on his side.

Here in England, and probably elsewhere to, we have a number political parties who would just love to be credited with the votes of the "silent majority". Unfortunately, for them, we only count those who are willing to take the time and effort to actually vote. I am certainly not an expert but I believe that's how democracy usually works philo.

[Harry Kuhman]

I prefer to think that Klaus just asked a sincere question. He is making DVD versions now and simply asked if anyone still wants CD versions. It is extra work to release both versions. If no one really wanted the CD version then there would be little point in making it.

But while it is extra work, it might not be much extra work, particularly if he just makes a minimal CD version with a few key things (like app-get) and then moves on to make an application rich DVD version. I'm hoping his next question will be: "rather than loading the CD version to 700 megs, what applications do users really want on the CD version for system recovery, remastering, or other uses that you see for a CD size release?"

[otropogo]

That's a clever idea. I imagine that it may be because:

1. USBs have gotten so much cheaper, r/w so much faster, and may have so much more capacity than a CD; and
2. perhaps CDRs may not have as good a reputation for (re)wriiting additional material to the same device.

Of course, that may not help much if your rig doesn't do USBs.

The requirement of Knoppix usb-flash to remain writable and mounted for the entire session has proven to be a repeat disaster for me. I've had at least four such installations corrupted beyond repair.

The Puppy Linux USB flash installation, OTOH, which allows the user to utilize the usb flash media simply to boot with the linux loader, and then choose a configuration file and applications on any other medium, has been used by me thousands of times in several computers (as opposed to a few dozen boots with the fragile Knoppix usb flash installation), and I've only had on Puppy install go bad. I'd still be using puppy for 90 % of my online activity (as I have for several years) if it weren't for having to confine myself to a AMI UEFI crippled Asus laptop, for which I haven't yet found a way to boot puppy. Unfortunately, Knoppix doesn't do so well with it either. I can't boot from the Live-DVD (the BIOS simply doesn't recognize it as a bootable device), so I have to sneaker-net over to a non-UEFI Windows 7 PC in order to make a usb-flash install that will barely work (the AMI BIOS will not retain the boot priority settings, returning Windows to the top position automatically). Booting Knoppix has become a five minute exercise, and so I barely use Linux anymore, and instead work with the worst OS I've experienced since OS/2 Warp, Windows 8.x.