Autoconfig stopped working on HDD install.

[rbivins]

At first autoconfig worked every time I restarted my knoppix 3.6.

Then, later sometimes the status bar from the autoconfigure would be short and my network cards and soundcard wouldn't work. That used to be infrequent. Now, the autoconfigure satus bar is always short and my netowork cards and soundcard are never detected. I didn't change any of my peripherals.

The autoconfigure always works perfectly if I boot from CD. Is there a way to maybe copy the autoconfigure routine from the CD onto my HD or somehow restore it to its CD state?

Thanks in advance.
--Robert

[rbivins]

Here's more info.

When the autoconfig fails (the status bar only moves to the right three steps before saying "done"), I cannot log in as root in X. I get an error saying, "Sorry, sudo must be setuid root." I'm afraid to change anything because when the autoconfig does work, which has been a LONG time now, everything works fine.

However, I can still use my console. When I issue mii-tool I get "no MII intervaces found" and when I issue netcardconfig I get "No supported network cards found."

So, I don't think I have a driver problem, I have an autoconfig problem.

Almost forgot, I get a "devfs filesytem isn't supported by kernel" error on boot as well. Hope this helps.

--Robert

[Websnail]

Hello I have a similiar problem. I am a total newbie and since I did a hardwareinstall there is no autodetection anymore how do I set the system, so that it autodetects again at bott from HD?

thanks

yours

tom

[CrashedAgain]

rbivins: It sounds like autoconfig is finding an error somewhere & not handling the error very well. I don't know how to troubleshoot this but I would try first putting markers into autoconfig to try to pinpoint the problem. This file is /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig if you are using a knoppix-type HD install, I think it's /etc/init.d/knoppix=hd-autoconfig if you are using a beginner type install. Insert this line:
echo " [1;32m ......Hello I got to point 1..... [0;39m"
at various locations in the config script & see if you can determine where it is having problems.
You could also try the various boot cheatcodes. With a HD install, the cheatcodes are in the 'append=' line in /etc/lilo.conf. Edit the conf file then run lilo to implement your changes.

Websnail: My guess is that you have done a Debian type HD install which does not use the autoconfig script. You can either leave as is or reinstall as a Knoppix or beginner type install. The most annoying thing about the knoppix type installl is that it overwrite fstab with each boot so if you change setup to automatically mount your other patitions it will be overwritten. The cure is to use the 'nofstab' boot cheatcode.

[Websnail]

Thanks fpr your tip. But I use the beginner type install....

is there an option to turn the hardware detection on

thanks

tom

[rbivins]

rbivins: It sounds like autoconfig is finding an error somewhere & not handling the error very well. I don't know how to troubleshoot this but I would try first putting markers into autoconfig to try to pinpoint the problem. This file is /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig if you are using a knoppix-type HD install, I think it's /etc/init.d/knoppix=hd-autoconfig if you are using a beginner type install. Insert this line:

I will give this a try and let you know what I find.

[rbivins]

Websnail: My guess is that you have done a Debian type HD install which does not use the autoconfig script. You can either leave as is or reinstall as a Knoppix or beginner type install. The most annoying thing about the knoppix type installl is that it overwrite fstab with each boot so if you change setup to automatically mount your other patitions it will be overwritten. The cure is to use the 'nofstab' boot cheatcode.

However, I did explicitly state in my message that my autoconfig did work for months AFTER I did the HD install. It only recently started not to work. AND, like I said, it works poorly. I didn't say it didn't work at all. It goes maybe three blocks to the right then says done. Normally it would go about 20 blocks to the right. I mean the status indicator, do you know what I mean?

Thanks,

--Robert

[CrashedAgain]

Websnail: My guess is that you have done a Debian type HD install which does not use the autoconfig script. You can either leave as is or reinstall as a Knoppix or beginner type install. The most annoying thing about the knoppix type installl is that it overwrite fstab with each boot so if you change setup to automatically mount your other patitions it will be overwritten. The cure is to use the 'nofstab' boot cheatcode.

However, I did explicitly state in my message that my autoconfig did work for months AFTER I did the HD install. It only recently started not to work. AND, like I said, it works poorly. I didn't say it didn't work at all. It goes maybe three blocks to the right then says done. Normally it would go about 20 blocks to the right. I mean the status indicator, do you know what I mean?

Thanks,

--Robert
That reply was to Websnail. For your problem, if you look through /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig you will see several lines 'update_progress 20 (or 40or60etc)' This is where the progress bar is being created. It sounds like it may be having trouble configuring X but this is just a guess, so you might try adding "nomkxf86config" to your append=' line in /etc/lilo.conf. This is the same as booting with the nomkxf86config cheatcode. You might also try booting 'interactive' mode.
It is surprising that it would work for a while then quit. It is unlikely that the autoconfig script has changed in any way, it sounds like a hardware detection issue.

[CrashedAgain]

Thanks fpr your tip. But I use the beginner type install....

is there an option to turn the hardware detection on

thanks

tom
Possibly it is actually working; I think the beginner type install does an initial HW detection then just checks if anything has changed & reruns autoconfig if it finds any changes.

[Websnail]

The Problem is I also said Hardware support, NO during the boot where I did the hd-installation. It also starts with VESA and the wrong Sounddriver (intel ac97 not cmi)...I really don´t know where to change anything of this.

thanks a lot for your help.

yours
tom

[rbivins]

For your problem, if you look through /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig you will see several lines 'update_progress 20 (or 40or60etc)' This is where the progress bar is being created. It sounds like it may be having trouble configuring X but this is just a guess, so you might try adding "nomkxf86config" to your append=' line in /etc/lilo.conf. This is the same as booting with the nomkxf86config cheatcode. You might also try booting 'interactive' mode.
It is surprising that it would work for a while then quit. It is unlikely that the autoconfig script has changed in any way, it sounds like a hardware detection issue.

Thanks. Sorry about the confusion. I'll buy that it is a hardware issue. I've been unpluging things trying to isolate just what peripheral is causing the trouble. As yet, no dice. I did not know of any way to troubleshoot the autoconfig script (didn't even know where to look for it until now). Not that you have given me a direction, I can attempt to find the cause, then fashion a fix.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the help. I'll let you know what I find.