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JAlvoeiro
10-16-2005, 08:44 PM
I have the DVD that comes with the latest Linux Mag which has the Knoppix version 4.0.2 and I have not
been able to load it.

If I type knoppix command the screen just blacks out and the PC stops.
If I use userdef or debug or m23 commands the loading stops at line: "Checking for popad bug ... OK"
If I use the failsafe command the Knoppix loads alright but I do not have USB, and all the other interfaces.

So my question is what loads after the line "Checking for popad bug ... OK"
and does anybody, who have bought the Linux Mag, have this problem?

I have contacted Linux Mag and after one week waiting no reply up to now :cry:

Bye for now.
Jorge Alvoeiro

Harry Kuhman
10-16-2005, 08:53 PM
I don't have the mag in question, but use 4.0.2. I woulld suggest that you first start by reading the sections in the wiki (found by following the documantation link near the top of this page) on downloading and cheat codes. Yes, I do understand that you have a copy from a magazine and have not downloaded Knoppix, but the downloading faq does contain a few tips on booting too.

It seems likely that you may need some cheat codes to help get past some hardware that is confusing the hardware detection process. It might help others help you if you let them know what hardware you were using. And I would try the testcd code, just to be sure that you system could read the disc properly and that is wasn't damaged. One cheat code that seems likely that you should try with the very little information we have at this point is dma.

JAlvoeiro
10-16-2005, 10:59 PM
Hi Harry and thanks for your tips.

My system is like this:
MBoard: ASUS P4C800-E
CPU: PENTIUM 4 - 3MGhz
Memory: 1,024 Mbs
CDRom: ASUS CRW 5224A
DVD: ATAPI RW 8XMax
Sound: INTEL 82801EB
Mouse: MICROSOFT TRACKBALL EXPLORER
Video: ATI Radeon 9800
Monitor: Sony Multiscan 100ES
H.Disk: ST3120022A - 120Mbs
Printer: Epson Stylus Color 600

I use the Red Hat 9 on this system without any problems.

I also did try your tip on using the TESTDVD command and the PC blocks if I use
the command Knoppix testdvd, but is alright with the command failsafe testdvd.

The test reaches the line:
KNOPPIX/INDEX_ru.html OK
and the PC just stays there for ever. Do you know what loads after this line?

So my basic problem is with the command KNOPPIX, as with the others, like
failsafe, debug, m23, userdef, just loads up to "Checking for popad bug .. OK"
and stops.

Bye for now.
Jorge.

Harry Kuhman
10-16-2005, 11:42 PM
but is alright with the command failsafe testdvd.

The test reaches the line:
KNOPPIX/INDEX_ru.html OK
and the PC just stays there for ever. Do you know what loads after this line?

It sounds like you did not wait long enough to let the test run. The next files that the test check are the two large compressed images. These take quite a while to check (in fairness, the last 5 words in blue above the list of checked files warned you about this). Realize that to computer a checksun the entire file has to be read off the DVD and DVD read speed just isn't that fast for such large files. Durning this time there will be no hard drive activity but the optical disc will continue to spin. Your screen saver may also kick in (mine did). Moving the mouse will not get the screen back, as mouse support isn't enabled yet. To get the screen back without inputting a meaningful keystroke, tap the ctrl key. Give it a bit of time and I expect you will get past this point. After a lot more files listed in yellow, you should eventually get a green "Everything's OK" message.

I didn't see any hardware that I could spot as being an issue, but maybe someone with hardware matching yours knows someting. Did you try the dma cheat code?

JAlvoeiro
10-18-2005, 12:32 AM
Hi Harry,

Thanks for your reply. The time tip may have something on it as the knoppix file is
quite big. I will try again and wait for a while. How long do you wait then?

The DMA is alright.

Many thanks.
Bye for now.
Jorge

Harry Kuhman
10-18-2005, 12:41 AM
How long do you wait then?
I would say it was at least 10 minutes, maybe more, but I didn't time it. Your time may vary, as different DVD drives can have greatly different read times. My suggestion, start the test, then go do something else. Eat dinner, watch TV, walk the dog, anything that will give it plenty of time. When you come back if the ecreen is blank don't panic; tap the ctrl key an it should come back to life. I do expect that your CD is good, but it's a valid test to do and indeed it could catch something, paricularly if the cheat codes are no help.

JAlvoeiro
10-18-2005, 08:33 PM
Hi Harry,

Many thanks for keeping with this problem.

I did try the failsafe testdvd command once again, but this time I did wait longer
and the knoppix did come up in failsafe mode.

But the problem is still that if I use the knoppix testdvd command the pc just hang
up completly. I did wait for about 90 minutes. I think this is enough time for the
system to work.

Linux mag has send me an e-mail saying that another dvd is on its way. I hope
this one works.

Once again, many thanks for your help. It did help as I am now sure that there
is something wrong with the dvd and the knoppix command.

Bye for now.
Jorge

Harry Kuhman
10-18-2005, 09:14 PM
I did try the failsafe testdvd command once again, but this time I did wait longer
and the knoppix did come up in failsafe mode.

If it's passing the test then I do have doubt that there is anything wrong with the DVD.


But the problem is still that if I use the knoppix testdvd command the pc just hang
up completly. I did wait for about 90 minutes. I think this is enough time for the
system to work.
Yes, I agree. But look at what failsafe does and what a normal boot does; failsafe bypasses a lot of the hardware detection that can go wrong on some systems. It's a way to try to get Knoppix up, but without some things that may be rather important, such as a network connection. I suspect (I did all along) that Knoppix is having a problem with your hardware somewhere and may need a "cheat code" to get past some issue. While you are waiting for thet replacement DVD (or perhaps after it fails too) you can try reading the cheat code section of the wiki again and looking for codes to try. Unfortunately, this is not always simple; I had problems on my notebook back with Knoppix 3.4 (Knoppix 3.1 and 3.2 booted without problems) and months later I found that I needed not one but rather two cheat codes used together to boot the system. Using either one by itself the system would still hang and fail to boot.

You may also want to step through the boot process using expert mode. It will ask questions at each part of the boot process. Where it hangs may tell you something, and you can try booting again, answering all the questions the same up to that point but answering the failing question differently.