KNOPPIX 7.4.0 / ADRIANE 1.7 Release

Contents

• Version 7.4.0 of KNOPPIX is based on the usual picks from Debian stable (wheezy) and newer Desktop packages from Debian/testing and Debian/unstable (jessie). It uses kernel 3.15.6 and xorg 7.7 (core 1.16.0) for supporting current computer hardware.
  
• In addition to the 32bit standard kernel, the 64bit version of the same kernel is installed on the DVD edition, supporting systems with more than 4GB of RAM and chroot to 64-bit installations for system rescue tasks. In the DVD version, the bootloader will start the 64bit kernel automatically if a 64bit-capable CPU is detected (if not manually specified otherwise).
• New, experimental version of 3D window manager compiz 0.9.11.1
• Partly integration of system start and service manager systemd, which is apparently going to be standard in the next version of Debian, with a workaoround in order to keep the quicker, script-based KNOPPIX system start with sysvinit,
• LibreOffice 4.3.0,
• Gimp 2.8.10,
• Chromium 36.0.1985.103 and Firefox/Iceweasel 31.0 Web Browser with AdBlockPlus 2.6.4 and NoScript 2.6.8.38 security plugin,
• LXDE (Default) with filemanager PCMANFM 1.2.1, KDE 4.8.4 (boot option knoppix desktop=kde, DVD version only), GNOME 3.8.4 (boot option knoppix desktop=gnome, DVD version only),
• Wine version 1.7 (git) for integration of Windows (TM) based programs,
• Virtualbox version 4.3.14 (DVD version only) and qemu-kvm 2.0.0 for (para-)virtualization.
• Linux Kernel 3.15.6 with cloop and aufs.
• Optional integration of the Tor network for anonymously surfing the web (DVD version only).
• Easy Desktop-Export via VNC and RDP for Remote Desktop Viewing under Linux und Windows (especially interesting for teachers),
• SAMBA network volume search & mount utility smbmount-knoppix,
• Possibility to update an existing flashdisk installation of KNOPPIX via flash-knoppix,
• New version of the elinks text web browser, Templates for mail configuration with mutt, automatic page orientation detection in scanning/ocr utility adriane-ocr and keyboard mailing program KARL in ADRIANE Audio-Desktop,
• bitcoin core 0.9.2.1 for managing Bitcoin wallets (makes only sense on USB flash drives >= 32GB because of the current blockchain size),
• added a tiny "boot only" CD image inside the "KNOPPIX" directory for computers that can only boot from CD, but not from DVD or USB flash drive (please use boot option "knoppix lang=en" if it's booting in german instead of english language by default),
• Experimental support for UEFI-Boot after installation on USB flash disk.

Complete software list: -> DVD (~3500 software packages, over 9GB uncompressed, cloop-compressed to 4GB).

Known bugs in version 7.4.0

• The compiz plugin "write on screen" (Super-Alt-Mousebutton, erase with Super-Alt-k) writes invisibly. Workaround: Shortly switch on and off the magnification by Super-M.
• Some effects in compiz are not using the colors and zoom factors set in the Compiz Configuration Manager.
• The "explosion" effect and a few others known from compiz 0.8 are not yet available in compiz 0.9.
• The uml drawing program dia does not start. Repair: apt-get update; apt-get install -t testing dia
• If a GSM modem is detected, the network manager applet sometimes ceases to work and "disappears". Repair: apt-get update; apt-get install -t testing modemmanager
• The additional "bootonly" mini-CD image inside the KNOPPIX directory boots in german language when a 64bit CPU is detected (it's only used in combination with computers that cannot boot from DVD or USB flash disks). Workaround: Use the knoppix64 lang=en boot option.

ADRIANE

A.D.R.I.A.N.E. (Audio Desktop Reference Implementation And Networking Environment) is a talking menu system, which is supposed to make work and internet access easier for computer beginners, even if they have no sight contact to the computers monitor. A graphical environment with also talking programs and arbitrary magnification using compiz-fusion, is another option.

CD / DVD / USB Versions - which files do I need?

The current public beta release of KNOPPIX 7.4.0 DVD is available in different variants for download at the KNOPPIX-Mirrors.

For burning a CD or DVD, only one single .iso file matching your language and version choice, is sufficient.

Additionally, several independent vendors offer readily burned and verified CDs, DVDs and USB-memorysticks saent out via postal service.

Since there are so many different media capacities, there is no readymade image for booting off memorystick available for download. But it is easy to create a bootable USB-stick or flashcard from a running KNOPPIX system, as described in the next section.

Booting from Flash

In order to create a bootable USB-medium (memory flashdisk, SD-card, digital camera with USB connector, cellphone with microSD, ...), the program flash-knoppix can be started from a running KNOPPIX system. This program installs all needed KNOPPIX files onto the FAT-formatted flashdisk, and creates a boot record for it. If desired, the target medium can be partitioned and fornatted, or left in its inistal state, so that existing files stay intact. The KNOPPIX Live System starts and runs about factor 5 faster from USB flash disk than from CD or DVD!

After having copied the system to flash, using the persistent KNOPPIX image (overlay feature) or an additional Linux partition, it is possible to also store files permanently in live mode. That way, personal settings and additionally installed programs survive a reboot.

Boot options and controls

Overview of the most important functions. A complete description and listing of shortcuts can be found in the configurations of sbl, orca and compiz-fusion.

adriane     Start ADRIANE (32bit) with talking text desktop

knoppix     Start KNOPPIX (32bit) with graphical environment

knoppix64   Same as above, with 64-bit kernel (DVD version only)

knoppix/adriane acpi=off noapic nolapic pci=bios ...
            problem solvers, if computer doesn't start

knoppix testcd  Check CD/DVD/flashdisk for errors

knoppix tohd=/dev/sda1    Copy CD content to harddisk
            (sda1: 1st partition on 1st SATA harddisk)
	    and start from there (free CD-rom drive)

knoppix toram             Load CD content to memory and start
            from there (free CD-rom drive)

CapsLock + space              read current line
CapsLock + arrow up           read previous line
CapsLock + arrow down         read next line
CapsLock + pageup             read from beginning of page to current position
CapsLock + pagedown           read from here to end of page
CapsLock + arrow left/right   spell charwise

Super + mouse wheel                 Set/scale magnification
Super + l                           Lock or release magnification area
Super + m                           small mouse lens
mouse to upper right corner         window overview
CapsLock + space                    start orca preferences

Super = penguin- or "window"-key left

Micro-Remastering

Boot options like "adriane" can easily be preset by changing syslinux.cfg after having copied the CD to a bootable memorystick using "flash-knoppix":

for automatically starting ADRIANE on boot. This is already default in all ADRIANE iso files.