Just Downloaded Now What?

[slp44]

Ok i am totally new and just wanted to try this i dont know a lot about programming or anything but after i download do i burn it to a CD-R and then stick it in my computer and boot up or is there more to it, if so please help it would be greatly appreciated. Also after i get Knoppix running on my windows xp system will i just be able to take out the CD and then it will boot up regularly in XP and everything like before? Thanks for the help....

[slp44]

Also would like to mention that i download Knoppix V3.9 from a mirror if that is useful

[slp44]

I know you are all looking at this thinking hes a noob and you dont want to answer so tell me is it going to be too hard for me to figure out or if someone explains it to me will i be able to do it.

[UnderScore]

Ok i am totally new and just wanted to try this i dont know a lot about programming or anything but after i download do i burn it to a CD-R and then stick it in my computer and boot up or is there more to it, if so please help it would be greatly appreciated. Also after i get Knoppix running on my windows xp system will i just be able to take out the CD and then it will boot up regularly in XP and everything like before? Thanks for the help.... You got it. Thats how it works. It doesnt touch the existing HD & in fact you can boot Knoppix on PCs that don't even have a a hard drive. Give it a shot & check out the http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/ as it has plenty of help. If you have questions please search the forum as other people have probably asked & answered them.

I hope this helps.
James

[slp44]

thanks so much for helping and being kind

[slp44]

On the FAQ it says set up the BIOS of your computer to boot off the CD and i dont know what this means can someone explain?

[Harry Kuhman]

You sure don't wait long for people to post help to you, do you?

OK, in a nutshell: follow the Documentation link at the top of this page and read the downloading faq.

Yes, it does matter that you used a mirror. Downloads from the mirrors are often corrupt, you really have to use an MD5 program like MD5summer to check the ISO file that you downloaded. (If you didn't download the MD5 file from the mirror too, go back and get it, it's tiny). This step is important, if you can't be bothered with it the you really shouldn't be running Linux.

Follow the instructions in the downloading faq for burning. It is important that you burn the ISO as an image and that you burn it at a slow sppeed like 4x. Exactly how to burn it as am image depends on your burning software. Read through the forums or search the web if you don't know. Do not assume that you can guess this, do not do things to try to make the CD bootable. Just burn it slowly as an image.

[UnderScore]

On the FAQ it says set up the BIOS of your computer to boot off the CD and i dont know what this means can someone explain?For now just try to boot from Knoppix. Drop the CD into the drive & reboot the computer. If it boots with a Knoppix logo then you do not need to change any settings. If it doesn't boot up Knoppix & instead boots Windows then we need to check some things. Is the downloaded ISO file is perfect & not corrupt? See the Downloading FAQ (http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Downloading_FAQ) which provides info on checking the ISO file. Did you burn the ISO as a image? If you are running Windows and using Nero to burn the CD then please see http://www.rocketfodder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/MySite/Burning_Linux_Live_CD's_With_Nero_page1.htm.

As for changing the BIOS settings & boot order, please read the following:
Explains the PC bios http://www.rlrouse.com/bios.html
Explains boot order http://compreviews.about.com/cs/pchardwarebasics/a/aaBIOS_2.htm

You will have to also tell us the manufacturer or your PC (either IBM, Dell, Compaq, HP etc.) so that we can help you set the boot order.

I hope this helps.
James

[Harry Kuhman]

On the FAQ it says set up the BIOS of your computer to boot off the CD and i dont know what this means can someone explain?
After you make the CD, you will want to boot it. If your computer is fairly new then there is a good chance that your BIOS will already be set to try booting from the CD first, so you may have to do nothing. You could try rebooting the computer with the CD in the drive and see if Knoppix or Windows starts. If Windows starts than you likely need to change the BIOS setting.

The BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is some code that comes in your computer hardware that runs each time the computer is powered up or reset. It is what loads Windows (or, in this case, Knoppix). To do this is has to decide if it should try to boot from the hard disk, the floppy disk, the CD, or something else. There is a small table in modern BIOSs that tell it what order to try booting from. So if your CD does not boot when you try to boot it, you likely need to change the BIOS settings so that the CD is tried before the hard disk.

To make this change you generally press one or more keys at boot time and enter a special software setup screen. On most computers it is the DEL key and there is a message to that effect on the start-up screen. In a few cases some manufacturers use a more cryptic key combination, check the DEL key technique first, but if it ignores it and starts Windows then read your documentation to see what key or key combination you need.

Once in the BIOS you should see a lot of different set-up options, sometimes a main menu and several pages of setting under the menu. Feel free to look around, but don't change anything if you don't know why you are changing it. And whatever you do don't change speed or voltage setting thinking you are going to make your computer faster by doing so. Such things are not meant for people who ask what a BIOS is. Look for an option about Boot or Start-up order. This one is safe to change. Put the CD befoe the hard drive, making sure the hard drive is still in the list. The exact way this is done depends on your particular BIOS, but it should not be hard to determine.

Save and reboot. Your system will try to boot any bootable CD in the CD drive before it boots from the hard drive, if there is no CD it will go on to the hard drive and boot what is there (usually Windows).

[slp44]

Ok well first off I am using and Emachines running on windows XP and i was either think about buring the cd using the standard windows burner (w/e that is) where i would just drag and drop the file into the CD-R Icon and click write files to disk. Or i was thisinkg about putting the files onto my iPod but i have heard that this is harder to run off of a seperate hd. But anyways will all 695MB fit onto one CD-R cd? Also I downloaded this off of a mirror so i will try to figure how to check if the files are currupted or not in the FAQ because i have heard that mirrors can be bad. Thanks again and i will try to keep you updated on whats going on if i need anymore help.

[Harry Kuhman]

Ok well first off I am using and Emachines running on windows XP and i was either think about buring the cd using the standard windows burner (w/e that is) where i would just drag and drop the file into the CD-R Icon and click write files to disk. Or i was thisinkg about putting the files onto my iPod but i have heard that this is harder to run off of a seperate hd. But anyways will all 695MB fit onto one CD-R cd? Also I downloaded this off of a mirror so i will try to figure how to check if the files are currupted or not in the FAQ because i have heard that mirrors can be bad. Thanks again and i will try to keep you updated on whats going on if i need anymore help.

The "standard" Windows burner will not burn an ISO properly. Many manufacturers include other burning software with your basic package, I don't know about Emachines. There is a free program that is made just to burn ISO files in XP (Sorry, I forget the name, search the forums or use Google, it should not be hard to find). Or there are many good burning packages including Nero and NTI that offer free 30 day evaluation packages. This is plenty of time to download them and burn a few Knoppix ISO files. Once you have Knoppix, you can use burners in Knoppix to burn updated ISO files later. I expect there are good free burning packages out there too if you just look a bit, but that shouldn't be needed. But you don't drag and drop the ISO and you certainly don't drop it on the Windows CD drive ICON. That will make a copy of the ISO on a CD, but not a bootable disk.

Forget your ideas about the Ipod, that's just crazy talk.

Yes, the ISO will fit fine on a widely available 700 meg CD. No so good on the older 650 meg CD's. Not so good on the tiny business card size CD's. (But there are Linux distros that will fit on them.) I would strongly suggest that you use a 700 meg CDRW at first, will save you some midia. Once you get a good burn then start using CDRs (if you don't have any 700 meg CDRW and plenty of 700 meg CDRs, feel free to ignore this.

Google search for md5summer. Download it. Use it. There are other md5 tools, but this is the best one I've found for windows, even though the user interface is slightly cryptic.

[slp44]

ok so i have finished downloading the file and it is now on my desktop it is only one file. It's specipied (default) program to open in is dvd decryter. It is 695 MB and this is its name KNOPPIX_V3.9-2005-05-27-EN. I dont know how to tell if anything is wrong with it before i burn it to a disk. What should i do?

[Harry Kuhman]

What should i do?
You should still go back and get the md5 file. you should Google search for md5summer. Download it. Use it. There are other md5 tools, but this is the best one I've found for windows, even though the user interface is slightly cryptic. Is there something you feel that I'm not telling you?

[slp44]

I didnt burn using the windows default i downloaded a program called ISO Recorder somethign soemthing.. i think it was the one you were talking about. Well anyway i installed it and there doesnt seem to be an actuall program just a readme file?!

[slp44]

What should i do?
Is there something you feel that I'm not telling you?
No everything is fine you are of much help but may i ask where i can download this (md5) file?

[slp44]

What should i do?
Is there something you feel that I'm not telling you?
No everything is fine you are of much help but may i ask where i can download this (md5) file?

[Harry Kuhman]

I didnt burn using the windows default i downloaded a program called ISO Recorder somethign soemthing.. i think it was the one you were talking about. Well anyway i installed it and there doesnt seem to be an actuall program just a readme file?!
Are you just pulling my leg now? You download .... somethign soemthing and even though you gave the name as .... somethign soemthing you want me to know what it is you really downloaded and tell you how it works? You say that you installed it, by which I guess you mean .... somethign soemthing, and you think that I can tell you what happened with .... somethign soemthing? I didn't even mention ....somethign soemthing, I mentioned Nero and NTI. I don't know .... somethign soemthing, I've never used somethign soemthing and I can't help you with .... somethign soemthing.

[slp44]

i have already used my 30 day trial for nero before so i dont think that will work nti is for mac and i got a [pc. So i am downloading Magic ISO Maker im just gonna burn it with this stick it in my comp and see what happnes.

[Harry Kuhman]

... nti is for mac and i got a [pc
Oh? It is? I must have a Mac then, I didn't know I had one.

You do understand how to use Google (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&client=ig&q=burn+iso+windows+free++&btnG=Search), don't you?

[Harry Kuhman]

... So i am downloading Magic ISO Maker
Didn't read the limitations on the crippleware version of MagicISO, did you?

[slp44]

What is the ISO file and where can it be found i see all of the files and folders included in the 695 MB download i maded but in order to burn the ISO using Magic ISO maker i must specify which file to burn which one should i choose?

[slp44]

damn ur right can only write files under 300 megs do u no of any other program ps disregard my last post

[Harry Kuhman]

What is the ISO file and where can it be found i see all of the files and folders included in the 695 MB download i maded but in order to burn the ISO using Magic ISO maker i must specify which file to burn which one should i choose?
The ISO file is the ISO file. I certainly don't know where on your directory structure you downloaded it to. It does sound like you have Windows confgured to hide file extensions from you, turn that awful "feature" off, it absolutely should never be enabled. But beyond that very useful tip you'll have to figure out where you downloaded the file (hint: go "up" from the files you see).

[slp44]

ya i downloaded the file to a folder on my desktop called "For Knoppix" I need to worry about finding an ISO burner now. I think this one in getting called CDBurnerXp might work

[slp44]

i found this program and it is burning the whole 695 mb ISO file (i hope this is right) i didnt check to see if anything was currupted bc i was fed up and i have a lot of CD-R's so i dont relaly care i will see if this works and if it doesnt i might b back thanks for all the help (the disk is set to "not bootable")

[slp44]

ok how do i work the mp5summer program and what does it do?