Knoppix on External USB HDD...Step by Step Please!!

[Bit Hacker]

Hi fellows. I'm tired really tired. I have spent hours on this, tried every trick on the forum. but since I'm new to the Linux...I cant make it out...Please for God sake, if anyone can mention a step by step tutorial on how to install Knoppix on external USB HDD (not flash drive). I'd be really thankful to you!!!

[Bit Hacker]

The following does not work. At starting the format utilitiy...it says...too large volume....


How to boot Knoppix 4.02 (cd or dvd data) from a USB dongle:
=========================================
I will describe below one more time how to format a fat 16 partition on a USB dongle and make it DOS bootable
and automatically launch a dos version of grub which will start knoppix from the iso cd image
(+kernel +inird files) all located on the USB dongle:

1) Download: http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/grubh.zip
2) Extract the directory grube.zip\Grube\Root_Of_USB
3) Launch the program HPUSBFW.EXE (under XP only, sorry), and follow the instructions
and when prompted, point to the system files included in the Root_Of_USB directory
4) copy the rest of the files of Root_Of_USB into the root of your dongle (but do NOT overwrite the io.sys)
5) copy the files required to boot linux: kernel, ramdisk and iso (linux, minirt_ntfs.gz, knoppix.iso)
(you can download the various customized version of the INITRD_NTFS.GZ ramdisk required
to boot from an ISO file (even if the filesystem is not ntfs but a fat or ext2/3) here:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/grube.zip for knoppix 3.6, 3.7 and 3.81
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/knoppix382.zip for knoppix 3.82 and 3.9 (same files)
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/kno402u.zip for knoppix 4.02
6) modify the menu.lst file to match your need
(path to the kernel and initrd file + kernel boot options, cf grub and knppix doc.

But be very careful, the path is case sensitive !!!)
7) setup your bios to boot from usb, reboot and have fun...

Hope this will help. Please give me some feedback.
Cheers, Gilles

Edit: I have put together a new zip with everything you need to format a USB dongle (from XP)
and make it boot with Knoppix 4.02 iso: http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/usb_dgle3.zip
It includes 4 boot options using grub or lilo to boot from a usb dongle as /dev/sda1 or /dev/sdb1
and an improved linuxrc script which should help in case of a wrong BOOTFROM kernel cheatcode.

Edit: I have updated the zip file with the latest improvements:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/usb_dgle4.zip
Boot from fat, ntfs & reiser, auto search for the iso, custom & dynamic host and the usb2 patch.

Edit: I have updated the zip file with two bug fix (slow samba network and ext2 persistent home):
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/usb_dgle6.zip
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/grubh.zip

[evergrave]

Hi fellows. I'm tired really tired. I have spent hours on this, tried every trick on the forum. but since I'm new to the Linux...I cant make it out...Please for God sake, if anyone can mention a step by step tutorial on how to install Knoppix on external USB HDD (not flash drive). I'd be really thankful to you!!!

Well here's my first post to this forum...

I am successfully running the CD version (KNOPPIX_V4.0.2CD-2005-09-23-EN.iso) on a 1 gig USB flash drive and a 40 gig 2.5" laptop style drive that I've inserted into an external USB 2.0 case. I did not figure any of this out on my own. All of the following I gleaned from various web posts and such. These instructions for use with Windows XP...

Begin by downloading the Knoppix ISO file from www.knoppix.org. You'll need v4.0 or newer. I used KNOPPIX_V4.0.2CD-2005-09-23-EN.iso

Next download Syslinux from http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/. I used syslinux-3.11.zip.

Extract the syslinux files to C:\syslinux-3.11.

Insert your USB device into a USB slot in your PC and note the drive letter that it is assigned. Format your device with fat32. You can use the format tool within WinXP for a USB key. For a USB hard drive you will need the fat32format.exe tool found here...
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?fat32format.htm

Run a command prompt in WinXP ("cmd" from the run menu entry)
"C:\syslinux-3.11\win32\syslinux.exe (target drive) (-f)" where the target drive is the letter assigned to your USB device. You will need the
"-f " for a hard drive only.
Example for a USB key "C:\syslinux-3.11\win32\syslinux.exe E:"
Example for a USB hard drive "C:\syslinux-3.11\win32\syslinux.exe E: -f"

Now mount the Knoppix ISO that you downloaded earlier. You can do this using a program like WinRAR or WinISO or by simply burning it to CD.

Copy the entire contents of the Knoppix CD onto the USB device.

On the USB device, navigate to the boot\isolinux directory and move it's contents up to the root of the drive.

Delete the boot directory.

Delete ISOlinux.bin from the root of the USB device.

Rename ISOlinux.cfg to SYSlinux.cfg.

Your USB key or USB hard drive should now run Knoppix just fine.

[RandomGoon]

But would this work with the DVD version i.e. 4.0.2?

'Goon

[evergrave]

No, this procedure doesn't work with the DVD version v4 or v5. The structure of the DVD disk places a m23 folder at the root of the DVD, which conflicts with the m23 file within the boot\isolinux folder if you try to move it to the root.

EDIT: I was able to get the Knoppix 402 DVD installed on my 40 gig USB hard drive using a slightly modified version of ruymbeke's fine work quoted above (see original thread here: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=93758#93758 ). I formated the drive with fat32 (fat32format.exe to exceed the 32 GB limit) and used a Windows 98 boot floppy that mounted the USB hard drive in DOS, where I used the "SYS.com" command to install the necessary system files. I made the boot floppy from information and drivers I gathered from http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm .

[dvryknopper]

would there be a way to get the OS installed on the external USB hard drive without any use of Windows?

[evergrave]

would there be a way to get the OS installed on the external USB hard drive without any use of Windows?

I will have to defer that question to a more experienced linux user. Due to my profession, I live and breathe wintel, so I am most comfortable seeking solutions in that world. But I am slowly moving away from the dark side... 8)

[edgar.avalos]

This procedure is very simple, but my BIOS don't allows boot from the USB... any suggestion? How should I start knoppix from my external HD (USB)?