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View Full Version : Kanotix - how do I install?



Harry Kuhman
12-06-2004, 11:21 AM
I've seen lots of talk on these forums that Kanotix is a good choice for a Live CD distro that installs with few problems. But I booted it up tonight with the intent of putting it (at least for a little while) on a hard drive. But I can't find anything in the menus to get me started installing it. Heck, I can't even find stuff in the menu for a persistant home directory or configuration files like Knoppix has. Can someone who recommends Kanotix for hard drive install point me in the right direction for the information to install it?

P.S. I'm using a version 9 (9-2004-A) release that I burned a month or so ago. Still have not downloaded 10 yet, if that makes any difference.

drb
12-06-2004, 01:20 PM
Try looking again for saving configuration and setting up a persistent home. I think it's in the Knoppix subfolder on the side bar of Kanotix.

Try the Kanotix forum for HD install.

drb

mzilikazi
12-10-2004, 03:20 AM
sudo kanotix-installer-latest-web will download and run the latest installer. You can also use the installer already located on the disc: sudo kanotix-installer BTW I would suggest using GRUB and not lilo.

KanotixUser
12-10-2004, 04:44 AM
Another Kanotix convert, Enjoy!

Harry Kuhman
12-10-2004, 05:50 AM
sudo kanotix-installer-latest-web will download and run the latest installer. ......
Thanks. I'll give it a shot at some point, but I just got Debain installed today from the Sarge "Business card" CD (minimal Debain that downloads what it needs from the internet. Hasn't gone very well, took 3 shots including the long download delays to et something up. Screen resolution isn't letting me set it over 800x600 (knoppix gets 1024x178 on the same box by default). No audio. The installation was also pretty frustrating, as I couldn't get it to let me really partition things as I wanted; ended up having to take the "guided partitioning" and use all the rest of the disk (small Win98 partition there).

On the bright side, I was able to get packages downloaded, installed and running. And I was able to use the network features to open the network, go to another local machine and transfer files to and from the Windows system, something I've never managed to get working with Knoppix or Kanotix.

So sarge is going to stay on the system for at least a few more days while I play with it a little more, then I can wipe it out and give the Kanotix installer a shot.

rrfish72
12-11-2004, 04:24 PM
Synaptic works great in kanotix. That's the way I upgrade. I usually only upgrade or install what I need,like Firefox and extra games, haven't gone for the big upgrade because it might cause problems.

aay
12-11-2004, 06:42 PM
On the bright side, I was able to get packages downloaded, installed and running. And I was able to use the network features to open the network, go to another local machine and transfer files to and from the Windows system, something I've never managed to get working with Knoppix or Kanotix.

If you're just trying to log into smb shares, your best bet is to grab smb4k. It always sees windows shares for me and is VERY easy to use.

Adam

star
12-15-2004, 05:37 AM
This is the best that I have tried so far. It works with my usb wifi at home (none other does!!). An Kano is fast to respond ... both in the forums and new releases.

Try it and you'll love it :D

Senny
01-15-2005, 08:49 PM
How can i install my kanotix?

i have of cource some problems.

with partition magic i made 2 partitions: one for WIN and one for LINUX
it boots the CDrom but cant load ... the only way i can run kanotix is using the "fromhd=/dev/hda1" parameter (copied the folder knoppix to c:\ )




If i run the kanotix hd installer it only show 1 HD (not the partitions) and it sais that the HD is read only.

I really dont know what to do now...

ps other live cds like slax, college linux are working fine

markb
01-15-2005, 11:25 PM
Thanks. I'll give it a shot at some point, but I just got Debain installed today from the Sarge "Business card" CD (minimal Debain that downloads what it needs from the internet. Hasn't gone very well, took 3 shots including the long download delays to et something up. Screen resolution isn't letting me set it over 800x600 (knoppix gets 1024x178 on the same box by default). No audio. The installation was also pretty frustrating, as I couldn't get it to let me really partition things as I wanted; ended up having to take the "guided partitioning" and use all the rest of the disk
See, this is where I don't really understand why people use the Debian installers compared to a live CD install? I've tried the latest Sarge installer, Knoppix, Kanotix, and Mepis. After varying degrees of stuffing around you can end up at the same point with a nice Debian (unstable/sid) based system. However, the live CDs get you to that point much quicker and easier than the Sarge installer. As far as I'm concerned, the modern and most efficient way to install Debian is via a live CD.

BTW, I had that same 800x600 problem as you and I found that the Sarge installer was not installing the most appropriate X-driver. Kanotix and Mepis installed the correct radeon driver. I never got sound (alsa) going with Sarge. Also, I had fatal partitioning problems with the Sarge installer up until the very latest (RC2) which could finally see my disk correctly. So I suggest (if you want to persevere with Sarge), that you make sure you get the very latest version.

Harry Kuhman
01-16-2005, 05:28 AM
See, this is where I don't really understand why people use the Debian installers compared to a live CD....... the live CDs get you to that point much quicker and easier than the Sarge installer. As far as I'm concerned, the modern and most efficient way to install Debian is via a live CD.
You just have to read through the hdd install forum (and a lot of the posts about broken things in other forums that end up being about a hard disk install) to see why people do it. Yes, I like the look and feel of Knoppix much more than that of any Linux I've installed from an installable distro. Yes, Knoppix (and it's deravitives) does the best job of hardware detection I've yet see in Linux. But the one underlying truth is that Knoppix is a mix of stable, testing and unstable, and maybe even with some other stuff thrown in too. It's well tuned for running from a Live CD. But from all I can see it does not work as well when installed to a hard disk.

I'm frequently seeing posts about things like basic internet access that worked find when running from the CD but broke when the CD was installed to hard disk. And from what I have read if you try to update all of your packages once you have Knoppix installed to HD things will break down completely (implying that any update might break stuff). So while Knoppix is great as a live CD and a quick install to hard disk might seem attractive, many of use are asking ourselves if we want it done quick, or if we want it done right.

markb
01-16-2005, 11:24 AM
But the one underlying truth is that Knoppix is a mix of stable, testing and unstable, and maybe even with some other stuff thrown in too. It's well tuned for running from a Live CD. But from all I can see it does not work as well when installed to a hard disk.

Yes, I agree this is certainly true for Knoppix. But it isn't true for Kanotix or Mepis! Knoppix is built primarily as a live CD and is not the best for a HD installation. Kanotix, in particular, is much closer to standard Debian sid (unstable) and is tailored for HD installation. My main machine was originally installed with Mepis 2004.03 but I then apt upgraded to unstable and have been updating weekly for many months. I've never had a problem.

mzilikazi
01-16-2005, 09:45 PM
How can i install my kanotix?

i have of cource some problems.

with partition magic i made 2 partitions: one for WIN and one for LINUX
it boots the CDrom but cant load ... the only way i can run kanotix is using the "fromhd=/dev/hda1" parameter (copied the folder knoppix to c:\ )




If i run the kanotix hd installer it only show 1 HD (not the partitions) and it sais that the HD is read only.

I really dont know what to do now...

ps other live cds like slax, college linux are working fine

I would suggest you use the Kanotix (http://kanotix.mipooh.net) forums. You'll get much more accurate and faster responses there.

Is the cd defective? Did you check the md5sums before burning the disc?

Some people find the need to use Smart Boot Manager (http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/download.html) before they can boot a live Linux disc.

When you boot the .iso from hdd it is read-only. You would need a 3rd partition for this option to work. ONe for windows, one for the .iso and one to install to. BTW Kanotix has some fine partitioning tools like fdisk and cfdisk both quite capable of partitioning the drive correctlly. I have my doubts about Partition Magic.

markb
01-17-2005, 12:01 AM
Some people find the need to use Smart Boot Manager (http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/download.html) before they can boot a live Linux disc.
I run smart boot manager. But not because I have too! It is a far smarter manner to manage installing, changing, and testing various linux installations. You just install smart boot manager once into your MBR (where it lives completely, yes it is tiny) and you never need to touch your MBR ever again. Everytime you install a new linux/OS then just install grub/lilo to the root partition rather than the MBR. Smart boot manager is a simple GUI program which you can understand in 5 mins without reading any documentation and yet it does everything you will ever need. It will allow you to automatically or manually select which partition you want to boot. I just don't understand why everybody doesn't do it like this?! Who wants to stuff around merging grub/lilo boot options etc everytime you install a new OS?

Harry Kuhman
01-17-2005, 01:56 AM
I run smart boot manager. ... It is a far smarter manner to manage installing, changing, and testing various linux installations. ..... I just don't understand why everybody doesn't do it like this?! Who wants to stuff around merging grub/lilo boot options etc everytime you install a new OS?
markb, your absolutely right Smart Boot Manager (or the somewhat fancier XOSL) is the way to go in situations like this. I suspect the people who resist looking at SBM are likely in the same class as the people who burn bad iso downloads, even after being asked if the md5 sum is right, because they just can't be bothered to find out what the md5 file is. Sadly, the Live CD world seems to have no shortage of them.

mzilikazi
01-17-2005, 05:04 AM
Who wants to stuff around merging grub/lilo boot options etc everytime you install a new OS?

I think I know what you mean but GRUB is not at all difficult IMHO - you don't reinstall it everytime you change it (unlike LILO), simply add an entry to a file. All very simple.... Besides, my GRUB screen is much sexier than SBM. ;)

markb
01-17-2005, 09:00 AM
[quote=markb]Besides, my GRUB screen is much sexier than SBM. ;)
Agreed, grub is certainly sexier. But remember that SM merely chain loads into grub. So I do get the grub menu in all its glory.