Note - The instructions below are for older version of Knoppix. If you would like to install Knoppix 3.6 onto your hard disk there is now an installer (a little bit like Windows installers) for a guide on installing newer versions of knoppix go to http://www.esat.kuleuven.ac.be/~decockd/site/myHowTos/Knoppix/Installing3.4/index.html (This link is for installing Knoppix 3.4 on a hard disk, but it worked for me when I installed Knoppix 3.6 on my hard disk)

Note -Instructions relate to install where linux will be the sole operating system installed on the hardisk. If you want to have a dual boot system you will have to make sure that you have at least 3 partitions on the disk rather than 2.
Reference: Knoppix install to Hard Disk Howto by David McNab david@freenet.org.nz

System Requirements

To install and run Knoppix on your PC, you'll need:

• * Pentium-class processor, preferably 300MHz+
• * 64MB RAM
• * A spare partition on your disk, min 3GB
• * (of course) a Knoppix CD

Boot of the cd.

At the boot prompt type knoppix lang=en
Let it boot right through and load the KDE desktop
Press Ctrl+F2 to switch to a root console
Type knx-hdinstall
This will run a script to install knoppix on the computer. The instructions are in german but if you are familar with a debian install they are pretty easy to follow.
Press Enter to OK the first prompt
Using the arrow keys select the hard disk that you want to install on and press the space bar to mark your choice.
Press Enter to OK this.
Press Enter to OK your choice.
This will take you into cfdisk where you can then partition your hard drive.

• Create a partition of at least the size of your ram, choose to create it at the beginning of the free space and then select type from the bottom row of options and press Enter
• Accept the default choice which is 82 Linux swap
• Select the remain free space then select New from the bottom row and press Enter
• Select Bootable from the bottom row and press enter
• Select Write from the bottom row and then type yes and press Enter to write your changes to disk
• Select quit

Select Yes and press Enter to initialise a swap partition
Press the space bar to chose /dev/hda1 as your swap partition and then press Enter.
Press Enter at the next prompt and your swap space will be initialised.
Press the space bar to choose /dev/hda2 as your root partition and then press Enter
Press Enter at the next prompt and your root partition will be initialised.
Press Enter at the next promt to OK the copying of the files from CD to hard disk. This will take anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes depending on the speed of your cdrom drive and harddisk.
When the files have been copied the next prompt will ask you if you want to start the secure shell daemon. Press Enter to chose yes.
At the next prompt select Yes if you want to run samba or no if you don't and press Enter
Then select Yes to start the K display manager
Enter a name for your computer and press Enter
Select your network device if you have one and press Enter
Select Yes if you want to use DHCP to configure your eth0 net device or no if you want to do it manually.
If you do it manually then you can enter the IP number of your choice or just press Enter to accept the default.
The same as above for the network mask and then for the broadcast address and the default gateway and nameserver.
You will then be asked to enter a password for root.
Type in the password press enter and then retype the password and press enter.
Then type in a password for the knoppix user, press enter and retype the password and then press enter again.
You will then be asked if you want to install lilo in the master boot record.
Unless you are doing a dual boot system chose Yes and press Enter
If you want to create a bootdisk chose Yes otherwise chose No and press Enter
Thats it the installation is now complete.
Press Enter and then Alt+F5 to go back to the Knoppix Desktop and then logout and restart your computer.
At the boot prompt type knoppix lang=en and then press Enter
Thats it the installation is now complete.
Press Enter and then Alt+F5 to go back to the Knoppix Desktop and then logout and restart your computer.
At the boot prompt type knoppix lang=en and then press Enter
The boot process will then run through and you should then be greeted with the K Display manager.
Chose the the knoppix user enter the password you set during the install and then just press Enter.
The KDE3.0 desktop environment should load.
At the moment everything will be in german as will the default key mapping.
To change this

• In the Panel click on the Kontrol icon, which by default should be the 5th icon from the left.
• Within the Control Center, click on Personliche Einstellungen
• Click on Land und Sprache
• Select your country, Australia is found under Asia and Oceania
• Click on Add a Language and chose English US
• Click on Andwenden at bottom of that window
• Close and restart the Control Center
• Click on Peripherals, then Keyboard, and choose your preferred keyboard layout (which will probably be US.English. Click on Apply and close the window

Click on the K icon and chose Admelden and press Enter
The K display login manager will appear make sure that the first option is selected, which is the default and then click on OK
You will be logged of the desktop and then if you log back in as knoppix you will find that everything is in English.
If you want to try the GNOME2 desktop environment

• log out
• Chose gnome-session from the Session Type menu, you will have to scroll down the list of window managers to find it.
• Log in as knoppix
• The language by default appears to be english so you don't have to worry about changing anything.

Note metacity does not appear to work either that or it is run entirely by key commands that I don't know. Xfwm is a great window manager.