Using KNOPPIX as a "traveler's mode" main OS?

[Greg Neatwork]

As I travel a lot and like to be 'light', I use various computers to look at my data from a portable hard drive, instead of carrying a laptop with me everywhere. Well, I used to go around with my laptop, but invariably the machine would break down on me, too heavy to carry around and leaving it at the hotel poses a security risk etc...

So I've decided that not only my files, but also my OS and ideally my main programs (mainly Office, MS money etc...) should sit on my hard drive and the computers I use should boot from there (well, whenever they can boot from a USB port) directly into my preferred environment

After surfing the web, the closest solution I can find to it is Knoppix. This said, before I go ahead, I'd like to ask if anyone has done that before, and if that's possible. I'm not an IT pro so any experience would be helpful

I'd have some ancillary questions too: whether office files can be read in Knoppix (what about MS Outlook?), and whether MS applications like MS Money can be installed (I doubt it thought). I'm happy to shift to new programs if that's what it takes, however is there any that runs for KNOPPIX?

In short, I don't want to Knoppix for repairs only, which seems its main mission, I want to use it as my main OS with my basic non-hardware dependent applications.

This, my friends, is the future. I say let's free the OSs from technical configuration dependence.

[SiKing]

After surfing the web, the closest solution I can find to it is Knoppix. This said, before I go ahead, I'd like to ask if anyone has done that before, and if that's possible.
Many places, like Internet cafes or hotels, will not allow you to boot your own OS, because they would have a problem tracking how long you have been on ... and so have no way of charging you. But if you can get around that, you should be fine.


I'd have some ancillary questions too: whether office files can be read in Knoppix (what about MS Outlook?), and whether MS applications like MS Money can be installed (I doubt it thought). I'm happy to shift to new programs if that's what it takes, however is there any that runs for KNOPPIX?
Have a look at OpenOffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org/) for your office files, Evolution (http://www.gnome.org/projects/evolution/) for Outlook-like mail, and Wine (http://www.winehq.org/) for other MS-progies, all of which come on the Knoppix DVD and only some of which come on the Knoppix CD.

[Greg Neatwork]

Terrific, thanks SiKing

You're right, booting can be a problem. Well, I usually use my company computers and can boot from them, and anyway my main use would be to take my environment between the various computers I own so I don't have to reinstall things on each or to go through set up again whenever a motherboard dies etc... so it's still useful to have my environment on the external drive. For the others, I can always use the hard drive to just access my files

So all in all, very useful. I've checked the other apps you mention and will give them a try. It's good to free myself from MS too! Only one thing I'm wondering is whether I can import my outlook files into Evolution, 'cos I've got 1000's of emails I'd like to keep... Anyway, small issue

Thanks again!!!

[SiKing]

It's good to free myself from MS too!
Like coming out of drug rehab, no? Kinda scary going into it, but you feel so much better when you get to the other side. :lol:


Only one thing I'm wondering is whether I can import my outlook files into Evolution, 'cos I've got 1000's of emails I'd like to keep.
The short answer is yes. The long answer depends on your setup: do you have the mail local, do you have the mail on the Exchange server, etc. Check the docs, I am almost certain it has to be all in there.

Good luck!

[onemyndseye]

I voted yes... I use a setup much in this way. :)

As mentioned above some companys will frown on you booting your own OS. But alot could care less too .... even if they need alittle convincing that its totally safe and their data can't and won't be harmed. Easy claim to back up - DONT MOUNT THEIR PARTITIONS :). You can explain that it helps to keep BOTH of your data safe.

I have a 20gig laptop hard disk in a USB 2.0 slim line caddy (no power supply needed) partitioned into 3 partitions.

512meg swap
1gig FAT32
18.5gig ext3 (approx)

I have a version of Knoppix 5.11 installed on the ext3 filesystem that I've edited to my liking to add things like profiling support (i.e. each computer you boot has its own config profile). .... In truth now its a pure install of Debian with the parts of KNOPPIX I needed dropped in. But it works with Knoppix just as well :)

For a carrying case I use a small black padded case (bag) for a mobile DVD player. Was the only thing I could find that had several slots for CD's.... In the case at all times is the 20gig drive, a 1gig flash drive, 1 knoppix CD, 1 custom boot CD (grubdisk on CD with copies of all installed kernels and ramdisks), 1 boot floppy (grub disk)... The entire case measures 8"x8"x2"

grub is installed to the MBR and properly setup and all installed kernels and ramdisks (/boot/*) are mirrored to the 1gig FAT32 filesystem as well as the above mentioned boot CD.

This allows be 4 solid methods of booting my OS when I need to.... If the computer supports USB booting.... I dont need anything but my USB-HD.. if not, I need my boot CD.... if no CD drive, I can use the floppy.... and if all that fails I can boot Knoppix and chroot into my USB-HD installation..... but at that point the machine probably doesnt support USB 2.0 and its all not worth my trouble anyways :)

Also on the 1gig FAT32 filesystem is the ext2 driver for Winxp/2k (http://www.fs-driver.org/) and the reiserfs tool, rfstool (http://p-nand-q.com/e/reiserfs.html) This allows me quick access to my Linux files from a Winblowz machine if needed (NOTE: I dont know if I trust the Write functions of the above tools....be read works fine)

Some caveats:

The Machine HAS to have ATLEAST 256megs of Ram.
The Machine HAS to have USB 2.0
It would really help if ACPI is sane

Those three things aside I have yet to have the system NOT start.... maybe missing hardware here of there or other quirky hardware problems... but I've yet to not atleast get a working Desktop. And with USB 2.0 youd be surprised how snappy it can be on a machine that has 1gig of ram and up.

My home directory is kept in sync with my home directory on my Debian Etch box at home :) Nice and tidy... and I get MY desktop when I boot up ..

... right down to the wall paper :)


Take care :)
-Justin
One Mynds Eye

[Greg Neatwork]

Justin I just saw your post, I hadn't logged in in a while

Wow this is very helpful. I'd have so many more questions as many of the technical details escape me a bit.

But the most important:

So you could get your own configured OS to work on pretty much any computer? The thing that intrigues me the most is the "profiling support" you refer to. How many different profiles did you have to set up? What do these consist of? And can you get Knoppix to load drivers and other computer-specific stuff automatically?

I think the key difference is that you appear to still use Knoppix as a repair tool whereas I want a full-fledged OS that loads things up automatically and quickly on any computer, just so I can use my own environment everywhere.

If I might ask, I'd appreciate if you could take a look at another thread I started, re: my attempt yesterday to install Knoppix on my external HD. I'm running into trouble... See http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=113817#113817

Thanks a bundle for sharing your expertise. Someone should commercialize a dedicated "traveler's mode" OS. Or software makers should just make their software in traveler's mode. In fact, this whole idea of having to 'install' programs is ridiculous in the 1st place. I know how this can sound to an IT pro, but I bet the minute someone will take that seriously, a huge market will have opened...

[onemyndseye]

"....appear to still use Knoppix as a repair tool...."

Actually - I use it as a portable desktop replacement...... I have very little Tech tools installed :)


Things like:

OpenOffice
CD Burning (I also have a slim USB2.0 portable DVDr)
Light sound production
Website design
General Internet useage
games
etc etc etc


".....The thing that intrigues me the most is the "profiling support" you refer to. How many different profiles did you have to set up? What do these consist of? And can you get Knoppix to load drivers and other computer-specific stuff automatically? ......"


Not as complicated as it sounds really :)

I have edited/re-wrote the knoppix-autoconfigure script so that it does the following at boot:

A hardware profile and config is created for each machine so full hardware detection is not needed at every boot....but its still present... If the system "Remembers" the computer your booting up then the configs are reloaded instead of recreated.

It does this by calculating a MD5 hash string to indentify the computer by.... using the string as a IDENT, the config is stored in its own directory: /etc/hwprofiles/db/<MD5 String>/


"....Someone should commercialize a dedicated "traveler's mode" OS......"

EWWW! You said the "C" word! :) Acutally, check out "Free Agent GO" by Seagate :)