AFU Knoppix For Linux

AFU Knoppix is an open source, free and community-derived distribution of Linux derived from the Debian-based Knoppix Linux operating system and designed for Ham radio enthusiasts. The idea for AFU Knoppix came in 2003 at the Ulmer Linux Expo event, after a lecture by Klaus Knopper, the developer of Knoppix.

The AFU edition of Knoppix is available for download as dual-arch Live CD ISO images, supporting English and German languages, that allow you to try the distribution without affecting your current operating system. The ISOs fit perfectly on CD discs, but they can also run from USB flash drives.

Both ISO images come with a minimal boot menu, which appear when booting them from the BIOS of a computer, from where the user can only run the operating system in live mode. There are no other options on the boot prompt.

Just like Knoppix, this distro uses KDE (K Desktop Environment) as its graphical session. The old-school KDE3 desktop is used in AFU Knoppix. It features a traditional layout comprised of a single taskbar located on the bottom edge of the screen.

The AFU Knoppix distro contains various Ham radio related software, compatible with the PSK31, SSTV, packet radio, RTTY, FAX and APRS operating modes. It includes applications for Sat tracking, locator referencing, antenna computation and logging.

Besides KDE-specific applications and utilities, AFU Knoppix includes various other popular programs, such as the Mozilla Firefox web browser and OpenOffice.org office suite. Keep in mind though, that since May 2009, the distribution is no longer under active development and has been archived for historical references purposes only.