KNOPPIX/Math: Portable and Distributable Collection of Mathematical Software and Free Documents

In the 1960s, using computers was synonymous with writing programs. The first generation of micro computers started to appear in the 1970s, computer users shared their source code and programs. During the 1980s, desktop personal computers were becoming common, and software packages became commercial products. During the 1990s, the power of personal computers increased remarkably, and hard disk storage began to be used for the operating system and applications. Installing a software package to the hard disk was the starting point for the use of new software. More recently, ordinary computer users have become accustomed to pre-installed systems and applications, and laptop computers have become ubiquitous. Over the past few decades, the form and function of computers has changed radically. One particular set of computer users, mathematicians, require special mathematical software such as a TEX system for writing papers and calculating and visualizing mathematical objects. These systems are not pre-installed systems, and so such users have to setup their own computer desktop environment. In order to deepen our investigations and get new ideas, mathematicians need to communicate with other mathematicians. As such, participation in seminars and workshops, which are often held in foreign countries, is important. Laptop computers are a ubiquitous piece of equipment for such events. Of course, universities and research facilities always have several computers that can be rented or borrowed, the traveler may be accustomed to the desktop environment. Another disadvantage of this system is that the ability to read and write e-mail messages in our native language on such computers is almost always lacking. As a result, before traveling to conferences held abroad, we must set up and configure the desktop environment on our own laptops, so that they may be taken