This weekend I gave Knoppix 3.1 a spin on my workstation. Knoppix is a complete Debian-based Linux distribution that runs directly from the CD. It’s a simple question of downloading the ISO, burning it and booting from it: a minute or so later you’re staring at a KDE 3.0 desktop and everything Just Works(tm).
Knoppix is an impressive feat. There is an amazing selection of ready-to-run software on the CD, including Open Office 1.0.1, as much of KDE 3.0 as you can handle (including KDevelop) and much more. This is definitely my new rescue CD: hardcore system repare in GUI style.
Version 3.2 will be released at CeBit this year.