Knoppix 3.7 no boot on Compaq

[opmvz]

On both Compaq Deskpro and Compaq Notebook Evo 115 no successful boot from CD.
However same CD boots on non-Compaq PC's. Apparently Compaq uses a disk partition in stead of Bios for bootup.
Any suggestions to get the Compaqs to co-operate?

[UnderScore]

Are there any error messages? I have used Knoppix successfully on Compaq deskpro Intel Pentium 133Mhz and also on deskpro Pentium-3 833MHz.

[snarkfinder]

Hi folks
I've just been asked to get Knoppix 3.7 to run on a Compaq Presario S4020WM, specifically to run Scribus. Later this AM I'll try to solve why it hangs (just goes blank, stalls until pwr removed) right after X blanks the boot view. I'll try a tohd this time, and then maybe with the DSL unhooked, and in cmd line mode. I'm particularly interested in getting this to run, as 3.7 is the first release which boots on all my odd old boxes unattended (woohoo!)

In this case, it will be a great opportunity to demonstrate real Knoppix usefullness (this is a business client--) how a single, free disk can solve a large problem for a lot of people. Many thanks to Klaus K and all!

[billp]

Ok, I had the same problem and messed about for a bit and finally got it figured out. The problem is with the ACPI system, so to get things to boot you need to turn it off and weeeee ... off ya go.

For Knoppix, at the boot prompt just type 'knoppix acpi=off' (no quotes and hit return obviously).

Turns out you will have the same problem with Mandarke 10.1 (but not 9.1) and for that just hit the 'more options' (I think it is f1) at the installer, then type 'linux acpi=off' at the boot prompt.

bill

[snarkfinder]

Hi BillP et. al.
Just returned from a couple hours on that Presario. Figured out that it must be something with the acpi, seeing that the boot process stopped shortly after the display went into hibernation a minute or so into the process. However, turning off acpi with the cheatcode didn't help. Tried using all the bios cheats, upping the display right about the time, etc. but no change. I noticed that even with the cheatcode, I still get a "starting acpi, interacting with apm" or such boot line. So, tried to fish around in the BIOS. Couldn't find a way to turn apm off there. So I flashed the BIOS, since on the Compaq/HP site I found one which applied, and in fact which was to resolve a resume from suspend issue with Audigy sound subsystem.

But still no luck. So any more ideas?

I had also wondered whether it was a different issue, maybe one with the hidden FAT32 partition at the front of the drive (hides Compaq diagnostics) but that doesn't seem likely. It's something to do with that pwr management. Can't seem to kill it (I hate that feature. Always mucking things up.)

Thanks; more tomorrow

[billp]

Well I don't think it has anything to do with the hidden partition, I have the same on this machine and it is fine. I guess if you wanted to eliminate this you could disconnect the hd by opening, but I expect his is a waste of time.

Have you really tuned everthing off? I'd try booting with 'knoppix failsafe 2' and see if you can get into command mode without hardware detection (this didn't work on my machine until I turned off acpi). Might try an older version of Knoppix, I found the knoppix-v3.3-en-2003-11-19 booted on this machine without trouble.

bill

[billp]

Actually I meant to say 'knoppix acpi=off failsafe 2' and see what happens?

Bill

[snarkfinder]

Boots just fine with "knoppix 2". Same problem for v3.4, but will try 3.3, 3.2, 3.1 tomorrow to backtrace it a bit more. From 2, and after finding nothing unusual in the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 (seems the hardware is all detected and it looks pretty ok there, though I could've missed something) init 5 leaves me hanging once again.

Variations on failsafe with acpi=off gave the same hang. I think I'll snag that ...Config-4 and take a closer look tomorrow.
Off to bake cookies!

[billp]

Well if 'knoppix 2' does it then it looks like you are dealing with an XFree problem. Have you tried hitting 'control-+' a few times to switch resolutions? If it has picked the wrong setting you could be in trouble, especially if it an LCD since they support fewer settings than a tube. Try the 'control-+' trick to change (during the boot log you should set what settings you got proably about 4 total.

Otherwise why not try a 'knoppix vga=normal' to cut out some othter suff, then next I'd try particular settings. If you can boot windows you can find out what the monotor settings are there, or just try something like 'knoppix screen=800x600' or add a 'vsync=60', or even a 'depth=16'?

Bill

[snarkfinder]

All good suggestions; will try them all in the morning. Did try some fb modes, with no luck before I had to quit today. But I still want to find out how to NOT sleep the display (Compaq 7500 crt) during boot. Might be some way in its settings. It does get sensed properly, I can tell. Just goes to sleep, like me

[snarkfinder]

Hi again

Got k3.7 to work with the following cheat:

knoppix screen=1280x1024

Seems that the acpi=off didn't kill everything until I included noapm; that didn't fix it, so I tried knoppix-v3.1 and it booted X just fine, but with sound etc. errors. No surprise there. Couldn't find my 3.2 and 3.3, think I gave them all away over the days...

Next I tried to change display resolutions/sync rates. It turns out that the Compaq 7500 display shuts off if ANY sync probe goes out of range, halting the boot process. So the trick was to either force a res/sync or pick a res which is automatically probed within range. Since 1280x1024 gives me all the pixels, I'll stop there. Thus, the above cheat boots up just fine (except for a little left-shift) and another XP-user now has a knoppix box!

Next I'll give them a poor-man's iso install, add a persistent home directory, and see if I can make Klik work on it. All executing on a NTFS partition. Thank you Scribus, and all.

snarkfinder

[akvasu]

Hi
I wanted to try linux and downloaded knoppix and burnt cd. But i didbt get to go far as after i started the computet(Compaq Laptop 2100) the system just gave me a blank screen after i pressed enter at the boot prompt. I also tried knoppix26 and nodma. then i tried a failsafe, which got to the end of the loading and then tried to load the x11 screen, then it tried 2 other modes Xfree(vesa) and something else which i dont remember, finally it said no drivers were available for my card for X multimedia system. I have an AMD athlonXP-m 2.5 processor, and an ATI Radeon120GP on board card with 64 mb shared video ram, totla system ram is 512 mb.Can anyone help me, i am really a noob for linux.

Anup

[snarkfinder]

Hi and welcome to the thread

Sounds as though you have an X problem too. I'm not familiar with that laptop or video subsystem, but the framebuffer modes for X support should be usable. Try picking one which matches the native resolution of your display:

Use cheatcode fb1024x768 if your display is 1024x768
fb1280x1024 if you've got one of the nice ones...

This trick dates back to the days of non-standard graphics on Gateway laptops, so you might hunt around in the forum history for more information there.

Try booting again, this time noting if you get a line about sensing a video, using such-and-such driver, sensing a display, using such-and-such mode. Post that here, please.

Snarkfinder

[akvasu]

Hi

Seasons greeting to you all. thanks for the reply. I managed to get knoppix running, making this post from the knoppix system, Snakfinder, the fb mode didnt work, as always it loaded two files then gave me a permenant blank screen. i tired knopix26, and it got thru detecting everything until finally it said X11 load failed. it said that could not load apm or something and gave a path, er i cant understand what i wrote down, but it went something like /lib/name/name/2.6.9/arch/apm/i386/somefilename then said file not found.ALso it treid X11, then Xfree86(vesa) then Xfree86(fbdev), in this the fbdev mode i got a grey screen with an x for the mouse pointer. then i did the expert26, and it detected my card correctly .. Note i put it wrong before its a Radeon Mobility 320M, and it said only vesa supported on Xfree86(vesa), then it failed again giving the same error as before and then loaded up on Xfree86(fbdev) i think. i dunno if its up correctly ans the colours seem a bit wierd, but that might be becuase of the display mode i am using.

Anup