Knoppix is a portable Linux distribution replete with hundreds of valuable programs and utilities -- a veritable Swiss Army knife in bootable CD form. It includes Linux software and desktop environments, automatic hardware detection and hundreds of other quality open source programs.

Whether you're a system administrator or power user, you can use Knoppix for many different purposes. Knoppix boots and runs completely from a single CD so you don't need to install anything to your hard drive. Due to on-the-fly decompression, the CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed on it.

What you do need, however, is a comprehensive reference guide so you can benefit from all that Knoppix has to offer. The "Knoppix Pocket Reference" from O'Reilly fits the bill. This handy book shows you how to use Knoppix to troubleshoot and repair your computer, how to customize the Knoppix CD, running RAM memory checks, recovering data from a damaged hard drive, cloning hard drives, using Knoppix as a Terminal Server, using Knoppix as a kiosk OS, scanning for viruses on a Windows system, editing the Registry of a Windows system, and much more.

If you want more information than the average Knoppix user, "Knoppix Pocket Reference" is an absolutely essential addition to your personal library.