Another cool thing about Knoppix

**Bobmeister** · 05-20-2003, 11:06 PM

Hello again....

Another really cool think about Knoppix, for me at least is that if you are just using the CD and NOT installing on the HDD, it's great for practicing your Linux skills. There are no consequences of messing up. I have practiced installing software, changing configuration files and all kinds of stuff. Then at next re-boot, you have all of your mistakes erased!

I am totally incompetent, being a NEWBIE, but I can practice in vi and emacs before I ever change a script in the "real" system. Knoppix is great for that. I can "be bold" and just do stuff that I'd be afraid to do the first time on a hard drive installation, especially on a system that has important stuff on it.

Does anyone else do the same thing?

Just wondering....

**rickenbacherus** · 05-21-2003, 10:12 PM

Hi Bobmeister- how ya been?

I have booted Knoppix for non-Linux users many times so that they could do just that. It is a good way to practice and show off how cool Linux really is.

I just wish I could show my wife how nicely her laptop boots Knoppix but I think she'd skin me fer sure this time.

**Bobmeister** · 05-22-2003, 02:28 AM

Hi Rickenbacherus!

Well, I'm in the Dominican Republic now and just showed my partner Knoppix and how the KDE desktop works. I have come a long way since before and sorry about the "drop-out" for a while...been busy.

First, I have found that the Knoppix is GREAT for demo work. I am really pushing the Linux thing now that I have more experience (although still just a baby). I never got the network card or sound working on my big machine at home but found out that drivers just "don't exist" yet for the hardware I am running....

But Knoppix works great on my wifes laptop too! But what is really fun is that I put Red Hat 9 on her old hard drive (it's PURE...no Microsoft at all...and no dual boot) and have gotten into it bigger time now. I am teaching myself a lot of the shell commands, working the vi editor, and configuring the system with software and stuff like that. Haven't had the courage to recompile the kernel yet, but really don't have to right now for any real reasons.

I wanted to say, that if it weren't for Knoppix, I would still be totally brain-damaged (in the Microsoft way). So, I'm hooked for sure.

Anyway, in some respects, Linux has a little ways to go. It is an "almost" there thing for the "normal guy." Which is really the exciting part. With so much change so fast, I would say that in two year's time, it has a chance to really "break out" as it already is in the server market. I might be even too pessimistic.

Linux is BY FAR, at least in basic structure (like UNIX) a SUPERIOR operating system in so many ways I can't even count them. OK...so some software and hardware issues are a little more difficult at times...but it's getting easier all the time.

My friends can't believe it when I mention to them that my Red Hat machine has not crashed ONCE! I got ONE ERROR message and that was because I, and that means ME...not the machine...interupted something prematurely and it didn't like that. But I exited back to normal and everything was fine. I remember when my wife's laptop came out of the box with Windows ME installed. My wife was gone....I thought I would turn it on and start configuring it for her. It locked up and crashed in two minutes! Finally got rid of that and gave her a clean install of WinXP...admittedly a much finer operating system, but so top-heavy you need a Mac Truck to run it.

Anyway, I babble...I will be cruising the Knoppix forums in and out...but have gotten so busy that it's hard to keep up.

I want to thank you, personally again, for all of YOUR help, and of course, the community. They caught another one....but still so much to learn.

I remember you saying "type this and that" in and I didn't have a clue what you were talking about! No at least I can work my way around in the shell, vi editor, and set symbolic links, and paths and all of that stuff! Not rocket science, but I'm getting there!

I'm looking forward to some day working in the GCC and learning to manipulate source code, or at least compiling the software myself, but for now, just learning the system is the goal.....

Bob

**Bobmeister** · 05-22-2003, 02:11 PM

I might also add that if it weren't for my brother telling me about Knoppix, I probably wouldn't be messing with Linux at all. Now I'm terminal (Ha-Ha).

**rickenbacherus** · 05-22-2003, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by Bobmeister

Hi Rickenbacherus!

Well, I'm in the Dominican Republic now

I am completely green with envy. In 1987 or was it 89?- I was in Honduras (remember when we weren't there for the Iran/Contra thing?). I have never seen a more beutiful ocean than the Carribean.

I'm looking forward to some day working in the GCC and learning to manipulate source code, or at least compiling the software myself, but for now, just learning the system is the goal.....

Bob

You are indeed hooked Bob. Have fun.

**Bobmeister** · 05-23-2003, 01:23 PM

I sure will have fun. Like I think either you or somebody else said recently on one of the posts....Computers are FUN again! Well, I never really had the chance to have fun in the early days because I came too late. This is my chance.

I'm back now in Illinois and the Ocean was beautiful. That DEEP BLUE color is something that I can't get used to. The people are really wonderful in the Dominican. I look forward do going back.

Anyway, back to playing with stuff!