Bioinformatics for the Linux-Curious

If you've been intrigued by Linux but want to avoid the hassle of repartitioning your hard drive, Bioknoppix http://bioknoppix.hpcf.upr.edu may be just what you need. A bioinformatics-themed version of Knoppix, Bioknoppix, unlike most Linux distributions, does not install to the hard drive; instead it runs from a CD.

As a result, the existing operating system is untouched, says Bioknoppix codeveloper Humberto Ortiz of the University of Puerto Rico. "You just pop the CD in and reboot the computer, and up comes Bioknoppix and you do your sequence analysis or whatever," says Ortiz. "Then you pop the CD out and reboot the computer again," to restore the system. That makes Bioknoppix (currently at version 0.2.1 beta) ideal for students, demos, and workshops, he says. Users can save their work to a floppy disk, zip disk, or a USB pen.

A full-featured Linux variant, Bioknoppix includes such popular titles as the KDE ...