Knoppix Boot CD

[joecass]

What exactly is a Knoppix Boot CD, what does it do ? Can it be used to examine or copy files from a hard drive that uses some form of Linux software ? Specifically a HD DVR. I know nothing at all about Linux, someone told me if I remove a Windows hard drive from a computer, I can clone the Linux DVR hard drive using this software.... is this correct ?
Trying to understand or learn something about what people do with machines like Tivo's, as far as drive upgrades, altering
the software or whatever is done outside of the Windows world.

[aedipuss]

a linux boot cd is a disc that can start the linux operating system on a machine with the first boot device set to the cd drive it's in. so rather than windows or whatever is normally booted from the hard drive you get linux and it can access the hardware for what ever you want to do.

whether or not it can clone specific hard drive, it would depend on the format type used on the dvr.

[freebird73717]

If what you have is a TiVoHD or series 3 tivo they can be upgraded very easily with winmfs on a windows machine. If it's a newer TiVo premier it can be done but you need a JMFS Live CD.

Plenty of info at tivocommunity.com or dvrplayground.com

[jman98]

What exactly is a Knoppix Boot CD, what does it do ? Can it be used to examine or copy files from a hard drive that uses some form of Linux software ? Specifically a HD DVR.

It can BUT...
You said you know nothing about Linux. I'm not trying to be rude, but if you ask questions like these you won't know how to use it to examine the drive. And although it's not rocket science to get the drive mounted and you could find a way to do that without a lot of effort, you probably wouldn't really be able to do anything once you got it mounted as you wouldn't know any Linux commands. I'd strongly advise trying to do this with Windows tools such as freebird73717 suggested.