Version 4.0 was my first use of Knoppix, and everything works perfectly. I
decided to try a newer version, 5.1.1, based upon that good experience. If
v5 is "better" than v4, I'm not sure I understand the improvements:

My setup: DFI mainboard (PE-21-EL with built-in ethernet). ATI Radeon 9550
AGP, 3 hard drives, floppy, usb, firewire, 1.5gb DDR.

Booting Knoppix v4 with no cheat codes, all hardware is detected and
functional. A generic video driver is loaded, but it works. If I plug in a
usb thumb drive, it is instantly recognized. Networking is properly setup. I
use dhcp on my router.

Booting Knoppix v5.1.1 with no cheat codes, is less successful. My video
card is identified correctly, and functional drivers are loaded.
My firewire is identified as eth0, and my ethernet adapter as eth1. Dhcp
does not seem to work, as I have no network connection. Attempting to
manually config eth1 using dhcp fails, however manually setting the IP
address fixes the network.
My usb thumb drive is never recognized, whether plugged in before boot or
after. Non-scientific comment: v5 seems "sluggish" compared to 4.0.

If it is possible to correct the network issues, I would probably stick with v5, otherwise not.

I did a lspci-v for both versions: (note...I have no idea what to do with this information. I hope that someone reading this has suggestions. Thanks.)

V4.0
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8374 P4X400 Host

Controller/AGP Bridge (rev 03)
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8374 P4X400 Host Controller/AGP

Bridge
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 8
Memory at e0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 PCI Bridge (prog-if

00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
I/O behind bridge: 0000c000-0000cfff
Memory behind bridge: e8000000-e9ffffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: c0000000-dfffffff
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:0a.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB12LV26 IEEE-1394

Controller (Link) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Procomp Informatics Ltd: Unknown device 8010
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 3
Memory at ea004000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
Memory at ea000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:0e.0 Communication controller: ESS Technology ES2898 Modem (rev 02)
Subsystem: DIGICOM Systems, Inc.: Unknown device 1030
Flags: fast devsel, IRQ 3
I/O ports at d000 [size=8]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1

Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
I/O ports at d400 [size=32]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1

Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 3
I/O ports at d800 [size=32]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1

Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
I/O ports at dc00 [size=32]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 82)

(prog-if 20 [EHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
Memory at ea005000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc.

VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) (prog-if 8a

[Master SecP PriP])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc.

VT82C586/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
I/O ports at e000 [size=16]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:12.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II]

(rev 74)
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine II] Embeded Ethernet

Controller on VT8235
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
I/O ports at e400 [size=256]
Memory at ea006000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:00:13.0 Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq ES1371 [AudioPCI-97] (rev

07)
Subsystem: Ensoniq: Unknown device 8001
Flags: bus master, slow devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
I/O ports at e800 [size=64]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device

4153 (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 0402
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
I/O ports at c000 [size=256]
Memory at e9000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Capabilities: <available only to root>

0000:01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 4173
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 0403
Flags: 66MHz, medium devsel
Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [disabled] [size=256M]
Memory at e9010000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: <available only to root>


V5.1.1
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8374 P4X400 Host

Controller/AGP Bridge (rev 03)
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8374 P4X400 Host Controller/AGP

Bridge
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 8
Memory at e0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 PCI Bridge (prog-if 00

[Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
I/O behind bridge: 0000c000-0000cfff
Memory behind bridge: e8000000-e9ffffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: c0000000-dfffffff
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:0a.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB12LV26 IEEE-1394

Controller (Link) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Procomp Informatics Ltd Unknown device 8010
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 3
Memory at ea004000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
Memory at ea000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:0e.0 Communication controller: ESS Technology ES2898 Modem (rev 02)
Subsystem: DIGICOM Systems, Inc. Unknown device 1030
Flags: fast devsel, IRQ 3
I/O ports at d000 [size=8]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1

Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
I/O ports at d400 [size=32]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1

Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 3
I/O ports at d800 [size=32]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1

Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
I/O ports at dc00 [size=32]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 82) (prog-if 20

[EHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
Memory at ea005000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc.

VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) (prog-if 8a

[Master SecP PriP])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc.

VT82C586/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
I/O ports at e000 [size=16]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:12.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev

74)
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine II] Embeded Ethernet

Controller on VT8235
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
I/O ports at e400 [size=256]
Memory at ea006000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: <access denied>

00:13.0 Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq ES1371 [AudioPCI-97] (rev 07)
Subsystem: Ensoniq CT4751 board
Flags: bus master, slow devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
I/O ports at e800 [size=64]
Capabilities: <access denied>

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AS [Radeon

9550] (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Unknown device 0402
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
I/O ports at c000 [size=256]
Memory at e9000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at e8000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: <access denied>

01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 ?? [Radeon 9550]

(Secondary)
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Unknown device 0403
Flags: 66MHz, medium devsel
Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [disabled] [size=256M]
Memory at e9010000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: <access denied>