Knoppix Hacks [With CDROM]

by Kyle Rankin

Book Overview

Knoppix is a portable Linux distribution with a collection of hundreds of programs and utilities--a veritable Swiss Army knife in CD form. This practical and flexible Linux distribution runs on the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596007876
• ISBN13: 9780596007874
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great book, - dogeared already

When it comes to Live CDs Knoppix is by far one of the most popular. So much so that many of the other Live CDs are remasters of the basic Knoppix system. This book contains a lot of hacks that can better be described as how to do all the things you were wonder if Knoppix could do. This includes booting Knoppix with cheat codes, working with the Knoppix desktop, installing Knoppix onto your desktop computer, repairing a Linux installation, repairing a Windows installation, creating your own remastered Live CD, copying the system to RAM so the CD player becomes available, using it as an emergency router, file server, or web server, using it for forensics, and scanning a Windows file system for viruses. An excellent resource and useful guide for the person who wants to go beyond the basics, Knoppix Hacks is highly recommended.

Must Have Book For Any Administrator

Any network or security administrator that has been around for awhile has their personal "toolbox" of go-to utilities and applications that they use for isolating and troubleshooting problems or just for maintenance and upkeep. Knoppix should definitely be in every administrator's bag of tricks. The compact disc that comes with the book includes a bootable version of Knoppix along with useful tools and utilities to help you perform an array of tasks. Knoppix is as versatile as it is powerful and the "100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools" in this book will help you to understand and apply both the versatility and power of this great tool. Just by booting a computer using the Knoppix CD you can perform a diverse range of tasks including setting up an emergency router, auditing network security, checking the system for root kits, resizing hard drive partitions, restoring deleted or corruped data and more. For Windows systems in particular, there is a tip to use Knoppix to safely download patches on a vulnerable machine and then reboot into Windows to apply the patch offline. In the limited space I have, I can't really do the book justice. if you are an administrator, you need this book. Go get it. (...)

This dude is no "hack"....

I picked this title up after playing with DamnSmallLinux a bit, (one of the hacks covered in this book) as I was intrigued with Knoppix, the "live" CD Linux Distribution on which DamnSmallLinux is based. The OS can run on most machines one would normally encounter at homes or in a work place. So what? What can you do with it? Well... that is what the book covers, and the author, Kyle Rankin, covers it extremely well. There is material here for a novice absolutely unfamiliar with Linux or Unix as well as instructions for the use of advanced tools for IT professionals of every stripe. You want a secure carry along filesystem? Well, you could go out and get a laptop... spending hundreds if not thousands, and get a good padded case to prevent damage to it in your travels. Or... you could buy this book (which includes a Knoppix CD) and a USB storage device, throw them both into a coat pocket or a back pack and head off to where the computers are kept. Once you arrive you can write a novel, encrypt an email to your girl-friend, and as long as you are there, fix a broken Windows operating system. The book and the CD gives you the ability to do all these things and more. Maybe you just want to experiment with Linux. This is perfect! You don't have to abandon your Windows or your BeOS installation, just run Knoppix from the CD and any errors you make will be gone as soon as you reboot... unless you create a persistent file system on writable media (also covered!) Buy this book. Start learning about Knoppix, the most exciting Linux distribution currently out there!

Great book for sysadmins

The publishers' blurb on the back cover describes Knoppix as "a veritable Swiss Army knife in CD form". Knoppix Hacks by Kyle Rankin is no less astounding in revealing the hidden versatility and power inherent in this unassuming tool. Most Linux players will recognize Knoppix even if they've never given it a whirl but this book goes beyond the simple "how to create and boot from a Knoppix Linux Live CD". Rankin displays the raw power that lies beneath the surface of simply running a clean distro of GNU/Linux free from fear of installation issues. Proper Knoppix volumes are lacking in the wild, with mere chapters in general Linux books dedicated to larger issues for both the novice and the intermediate user. One or two Knoppix books are out there and one by Samuel Hart is in press (Knoppix Komplete) but what sets Knoppix Hacks apart is not the sheer dearth of books available on the subject but Rankin's skill in exposing the underutilized potential in the Knoppix tool set. This book begins with a forward by Klaus Knopper, creator of Knoppix. It's always entertaining and enlightening to read a first hand account of some clever soul's chance involvement with an "experiment" that turned out so wildly successful and this is no exception. The "Knoppix Story" is engaging and leaves the reader with a sense of awe at the ingenuity of this dedicated and resourceful individual. Rankin has collected a "who's who" of Linux hackers to contribute to this book: John Andrews, creator of Damn Small Linux; Fabian Franz, creator of FreeNX server; Alex de Landgraaf, creator of Morphix; Simon Peter, developer of klik; Wim Vandersmissen, creator of ClusterKnoppix and many others no less accomplished, all of whom have contributed to the future of free software/open source development. As is expected with the O'Reilly Hacks series of books, the chapters are structured with clean typographical conventions identifying URLs, directory/folder/file names, code examples and excerpts, sample text delineation and cross-references. Tips and warnings are clearly identified with pushpin and screw graphics, respectively, and indented. There are a helpful number of tips without getting too overwhelming or annoying by breaking the flow of the text. The thermometer icons next to each hack indicate the level of expertise required: beginner, moderate and expert. Screen shots are placed where needed but again, the reader isn't left distracted by unnecessary filler. The nine chapters cover hacks ranging from beginner to expert: Boot Knoppix, Use your Knoppix Desktop, Tweak Your Desktop, Install Linux with Knoppix, Put Knoppix in Your Toolbox, Repair Linux, Rescue Windows, Knoppix Reloaded and Knoppix Remastered. The book includes a CD with v.3.4 of Knoppix (3.6 having just been released but the author wisely chooses to stay with the tried, true and debugged version). The first two chapters are pitched to beginners, with Chapter 1, Boot Knoppix, leaping directly into downloading Knoppix and

Wow... this book blew me away...

OK... I'm impressed! I just finished reading Knoppix Hacks by Kyle Rankin (O'Reilly), and I really didn't have a clue as to the power of Knoppix... Chapter List: Boot Knoppix; Use Your Knoppix Desktop; Tweak Your Desktop; Install Linux With Knoppix; Put Knoppix In Your Toolbox; Repair Linux; Rescue Windows; Knoppix Reloaded; Knoppix Remastered; Index I'm going to guess I'm like most non-Linux junkies when I say that I had heard of Knoppix and thought I knew what it was. It's a distribution of Linux that runs from a CD, and allows you to load Linux on a computer without installing anything. Just boot from the CD and five minutes later you're running Linux. Remove the CD and reboot, and you're back to your original configuration. A nice safe way to play with Linux and decide if you want to go any further. End of story. Wrong... In Knoppix Hacks, Rankin covers 100 "hacks" that you can do with the Knoppix distribution. Beyond just trying out Linux, I quickly learned that a Knoppix CD is like a Swiss Army knife of tools that you can use to do all sorts of cool things. You learn in the first chapter how you can launch Knoppix to load up in a number of different configurations. Using Hack #8, you can use Knoppix to find out if your laptop is going to work well with Linux before loading it for good. But the further you get into the book, the more Knoppix becomes a safety net the likes of which you may never have realized. Hack #41 covers using Knoppix to build an emergency file server, and #42 is how to build an emergency web server. Chapter 6 goes into how Knoppix can be used to repair existing Linux installs, like #59 where you rescue files from damaged hard drives. Even if you're a Windows person, you can use Knoppix to repair Windows installations, like with hack #79 which shows you how to download Window patches securely. He even covers how to build your own custom version of Knoppix with Linux software selections that are important to you. The book comes with a Knoppix CD, so you can try out many of the hacks without having to go hunting for a Knoppix download. This is probably the first Hacks title that transcends the Hacks philosophy and becomes a "user manual" on Knoppix. There just isn't anything out on the market like this book, and once you read the material you quickly realize how much you've been missing by not having a Knoppix CD in your CD case. This is an incredible book on an incredible tool that is much more than what meets the eye. Highly recommended.