Quote Originally Posted by samsocal
Quote Originally Posted by Harry Kuhman
If you're not using the GUI, then you're not even using most of the packages included with Knoppix. Why use Knoppix when an install of a basic Debian system would be simpler, more stable, and much smaller?
Why answer a question with another question? This response did not give him the answer he was looking for. The correct answer is to start knoppix in text mode type knoppix 2 at the boot prompt. I boot my knoppix server in text mode because I also don't need the GUI 99% of the time and I don't want it hogging resources.
I gave the answer that I gave because I was trying to discourage the problem prone idea of installing the Live CD Knoppix rather than a distro that is really intended for hard disk installing like Debian. While some people report success or at least limited sucess with installing Knoppix, there are many many many reports here of people who see the same problems over and over again when installing Knoppix, while a Debian or other distro suitable for hard disk install would be simpler and much more stable. The history of installing Knoppix dates back from the dark ages of Linux when a Debian install was a very technical thing. Now the installer is much more user friendly, and there seems to be no reason to install Knoppix instead of a distro intended for hard disk install and not prone to the problems that Knoppix is.

The original post also indicated that the owner didn't feel his system was suitable for a GUI Linux. It was likely limited in disk space too. So there would be little sense in installing Knoppix (an all or nothing proposition) when he could install a non-GUI based version of Debian and pick and choose just what he wanted. No sense in answering the question, it was a bad question, I anticipated what the real question should have been and answered that one, in a way that I though made it clear what I was saying.

The newbies that come here and post questions about installing Knoppix generally seem to suffer from the baby duck syndrome. Knoppix is the first thing they saw of a Linux system and they think they should follow it no matter where it leads. They seem to be afraid to try anything else. I don't believe that this should be encouraged. Let me ask a different question. Given that Knoppix is a mix of different and somewhat incompatable versions of Debian and there are known problems with installing and using it (particularly when trying to update software or install any new software but certainly not limited to that), why encourage a new user to install Knoppix when there are perfectly suitable versions of Debian and other intended for hard disk distros available?

I would much rather have the new user install something stable and extendable and decide that they like Linux than fight with a Knoppix hard disk install, get disgusted, and go back to Windows.