A ZDNet review of Gnoppix version 25, a Debian-based Linux distribution, praises its user-friendliness and software selection but encounters problems with its promised built-in AI features. The free core version lacks AI tools out of the box, and the installation process fails due to dependency errors. Despite this, alternative AI setups like Ollama work smoothly.
Gnoppix is a Debian-based Linux distribution targeted at average users, with its latest release, version 25, offering options for KDE Plasma or Xfce desktop environments. The developers promote built-in AI capabilities, but reviewer Jack Wallen found these secondary to its general-purpose strengths during his virtual machine test on Pop!_OS.
Installation of AI features requires the command 'sudo apt-get install gnoppix-ai -y', which downloads about 30GB and demands at least a 4-core CPU at 2+GHz, 8GB RAM, and 30GB free SSD space. However, Wallen reported that the package failed to install completely due to a 'gnoppix-gpt dependency issue', despite gnoppix-gpt being part of the gnoppix-ai package. The Gnoppix AI Installer GUI appeared but performed no actions.
Ollama, an open-source AI tool, installed successfully via the command and allowed pulling a large language model (LLM) for use. Wallen tested it with the Alpaca GUI, querying 'What is Linux?' The response was 'fairly accurate' and quick but included misleading drawbacks like a 'steep learning curve' and 'limited support', which the reviewer disputed.
Beyond AI, Gnoppix impressed with its extensive pre-installed software, including LibreOffice, BleachBit, Catfish, FileZilla, Firefox ESR, and KeePassXC, described as the largest selection among recently tested distributions. The OS ran smoothly, especially KDE Plasma, which 'sang' on the system even with boosted resources. A desktop icon labeled 'Install Gnoppix' confused users but did nothing, reappearing after reboot, while a ReadMe.txt clarified the name's origin: derived from Knoppix by replacing 'K' with 'G' for GNOME, honoring creator Klaus Knopper.
Wallen recommends skipping the gnoppix-ai package for now and using Ollama and Alpaca instead, suggesting Gnoppix suits users from beginners to experts, particularly without AI expectations. The free core version excludes AI apps, possibly explaining the issues.