WHAT IF YOUR PC hardware were to suddenly start acting up? Would it not help to have a fully featured operating system running from a DVD without the hassle of settings, that gave you access to data on your hard disk? This would work even when the HDD was not usable giving you access to an office suite and the Internet. Now what if all this came for free?

The Knoppix LiveDVD is an amazing concept for a num¬ber of purposes. A prime example is that of a computer lab where the teacher needs to have working PCs for students to learn and experiment upon. There is no fear of any residual viruses or set-tings that spoil the PC's operation, since he or she can just restart the lab machine after a session, and all settings are back to defaults!

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To use Knoppix, pop in the PC World DVD, go to the folder Data» Linux, write the ISO image file to a blank DVD and then boot from it. If you want to install it to hard disk, then boot from the DVD, open a 'Konsole' (command prompt) from the icons on taskbar, and type: sudo knoppix-installer Follow the prompts of the wizard from there, to complete installation. Knoppix is a veteran (in existence since 2002) of the oS-from-CD trend and has been the first to implement many new features. You can retain files, settings and new application installs between reboots, using UnionFS.

Show-off 3D effects to your friends on the desktop using the Compiz Fusion window manager. You could also modify the Knoppix disc to include extra packages or remove stuff that you don't want. With hundreds of packages (including kernel sources), this new version of Knoppix is a definite addition to your arsenal of tools.