Hacking Knoppix (ExtremeTech) [Paperback]

Scott Granneman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0764597841 | ISBN-13: 978-0764597848

• Knoppix is an innovative Linux distribution that does not require installation, making it ideal to use for a rescue system, demonstration purposes, or many other applications
• Shows hack-hungry fans how to fully customize Knoppix and Knoppix-based distributions
• Readers will learn to create two different Knoppix-based live CDs, one for children and one for Windows recovery
• Teaches readers to use Knoppix to work from a strange computer, rescue a Windows computer that won't boot, repair and recover data from other machines, and more
• Includes Knoppix Light 4.0 on a ready-to-use, bootable live CD

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Knoppix is so cool. It's easy to use, ultra-portable, and doesn't care what platform you're using. It camps on your system without canceling out your regular installation or messing with your files. And it's really fun to play with. Here are all kinds of ways to customize Knoppix for your particular needs, plus the scoop on various Knoppix distros. Learn to build a Knoppix first-aid kit for repairing cranky Windows and rescuing precious data, or create your own Live CD. Sweet!

What can you do with it?

Hundreds of things including these:

• Surf the Web
• Listen to music
• Fix Linux®
• Fix Windows®
• Test system security
• Create diskless clients
• Build a Knoppix distro for kids
• Personalize your own distro

About the Author

Scott Granneman is an author, educator, and consultant. Scott’s book on the Firefox web browser, Don’t Click on the Blue E!: Switching to Firefox, has garnered wide praise. In addition, he is a monthly columnist for SecurityFocus and for Linux Magazine, and he blogs professionally on the Open Source Weblog. He is currently an adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where he teaches a variety of courses about technology, social software, and the Internet. Finally, as a co-owner of WebSanity, Scott helps nonprofits and businesses use the company’s Content Management System to take full advantage of the Web’s communication, sales, and service opportunities. He’s been using Linux for a decade, and swears by it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (January 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764597841
• ISBN-13: 978-0764597848
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #675,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great intro to Knoppix and Linux!, March 12, 2006

By 

Dennis Kibbe (Scottsdale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hacking Knoppix (ExtremeTech) (Paperback)

If your looking for a step-by-step how-to on writing your first letter in OpenOffice.org using Knoppix, you won't find it here. And that's a good thing. Scott Granneman doesn't waste your time with the obvious but instead shows you how to tweak Knoppix and get all the fiddleybits like wifi cards and fonts setup and working.

And when you get tired of playing FrozenBubble Scott shows you how to use Knoppix to do useful things like check network security and fix a broken Windoze box.

Since no one author can know it all, Scott includes lots of pointer to information on the Web. After all that's where the latest info is and it helps the newbie to get in the habit of finding answers on their own.

Even if you've worked with Knoppix for some time, you'll find this book useful and also the perfect gift to introduce a computer friend to Knoppix.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre rip-off of the O'Reilly title on the same subject, October 5, 2007

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hacking Knoppix (ExtremeTech) (Paperback)

This is the first ExtremeTech title I've ordered - and if this is an example of their overall quality, it will quite likely be the last.

"Hacking Knoppix" is a mediocre rip-off of the much better O'Reilly title Knoppix Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools.

Chapter 1, for example, is entitled "Unraveling the Knoppix Toolkit Maze" which is nothing more than an overview of using several common Linux applications such as OpenOffice. Hardly "hacking" in any true sense of the word. From covering total basics, author Granneman then immerses you in "Asessing Security with Knoppix" and "Clustering with Knoppix". Let me see if I can grasp the logic of this: the first chapter is incredibly elementary and deals with the basics of a common application suite and within 150 pages is dealing with clustering and assessing security?

No.

This is simply a rip-off. It's a collection of "wisdom" gleaned from online sources and put between sazzy covers as a guide to "hacking Knoppix".

More like simply a device to separate you from a few of your hard-earned dollars. Leave this one for the dollar remainder table. As well, I would be extremely wary of any ExtremeTech title: judging by this example, it is a series intended only to exploit the O'Reilly hacks series which are far better.

Jerry

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knoppix reloaded, June 30, 2008

By 

Erich R. Jess (Lima / Peru) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hacking Knoppix (ExtremeTech) (Paperback)

This book gives you real insight to the Knoppix workings. Be it trying to backup a windows partition or scanning it for viruses. It even teaches you how to remaster Knoppix and do it your way. If you want to get the most out of Knoppix this is the book to look for.