Kanotix 2005.2 released

[scarecrow]

If you like Debian and want it for desktop usage (or even better for laptop one) then you can hardly find something more suitable than this skillfull liveCD, which is i586 optimized and, unlike Knoppix, tailor made for harddisk installation.

Specifications:

* Kernel 2.6.11.7 with many patches
* Better compression due to Squashfs
* ACPI and DMA enabled by default (can be disabled with acpi=off and nodma respectively)
* i586 optimization - not for use with older CPUs!
* 128 MB RAM required, 256 MB RAM recommended
* New: Fixed GRUB to avoid GRUB Error 21
* New: Improved SCSI CDROM boot (with bootscsi cheat)
* New: Unionfs support (activate with unionfs cheat)
* New: NVIDIA and RADEON scripts work in live mode (like sudo install-nvidia|radeon-debian.sh)
* AVM Fritz!Card DSL support (PCI und USB)
* Fritz!Card PCI/USB CAPI support – Please use CAPI ISDN Conf!
* Speedtouch USB Support (for PPPoE/A)
* Eagle USB DSL Support (i. e.. AT-AR215)
* New: KDE 3.4.0
* New: Kaffeine 0.6 with DVB support
* OpenOffice 1.1.3 (Debian version)
* GRUB boot loader for CD start - ideal for rescue in command line mode
* Memtest86+ Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool in the extra menu of the boot loader
* ALSA 1.08 support -> works live and after hd installation
* AMD64/Centrino/P4 Mobile/Athlon XP Mobile detection with automated start of Powernowd
* ALPS and Synaptic touchpad detection
* Hibernate support when using swapfile with min. size of 1.5x RAM size (can be activated by get-resume-partition.sh after hd install)
* NTFS support for Poor Man Install
* fromiso=PATH/TO/KANOTIX*.iso cheatcode für PMI, good to use in combination with fromhd=/dev/hdXY (* is supported!)
* No kernel source is needed anymore to compile NVIDIA, ATI and many other kernel modules
* Captive can download the needed drivers from the net

[big_gie]

Thanx scarecrow! Will try it!
Here's the homepage
http://kanotix.com/info/index.php

[nunya]

Thaanks scarecrow. It is a very nice distro. I've been looking for something to replace Suse (kind of pricey) & I believe Kanotix will do just fine. I must admit that Yast will be surely missed! Thanks again.

[scarecrow]

Originally Posted by nunya

Thaanks scarecrow. It is a very nice distro. I've been looking for something to replace Suse (kind of pricey) & I believe Kanotix will do just fine. I must admit that Yast will be surely missed! Thanks again.

It does look great, and does work great, indeed. But just a second warning: It is Debian SID, so don't complain if you find some packages not working after some upgrade!
If you do want a system close to "bleeding edge" and you do need something similar to yast, then try PCLInuxOS... it's a Mandrake spinoff, using Mandrake's Control Center, but the base package repo is made by Texstar, ex-RPM wizard of Mandrakesoft. It could fill in most of my needs, but unfortunately Texstar is a skillfull package builder, and NOT a system builder- here I find all the custom kernels he uses on PCLInuxOS horribly cluttered, and very slow. In fact, I've managed to make PCLInuxOS running acceptably with a self-made kernel, but I guess most people will wish to omit that thing...
In contrast, kano's work on kanotix kernels is simply SUPERB- his kernels are smoking fast and all the used patches are of some functionality. If, and when Kano decides to change the Kanotix base from SID to Ubuntu Hoary, and taking care of the stupid Hoary non-GPL limitations, then we could have the PERFECT Debian-based liveCD...