Thanks. Checked out the script, determined that it was checking out apm when it crashed, started noapm & it got past that point but then it froze again later on. not sure at what point this time.
I'm still confused though. I appears that the startup script (knoppix-autoconfig) is EXACTLY the same (at least in the early parts of it) for both Knoppix & Freeduc yet Freeduc will run & Knoppix won't.