Current status of knoppix on Dell machines?

[baldyeti]

Hello, I find it embarrassing when handing over a knoppix CD to someone
to have to warn them not to try it on a Dell computer. Thats's because
problems of lost bios settings have occured iin the past if memory serves.
Is this problem resolved in more recent betas? Say 3.3 or with 2.4.22 kernel?
If not which are the affected models, and what's the cure if anyone
encounters it?

Thanks in advance,

--bald.

[os2mac]

I don't want to give a sense of false security because I was unaware of any problems with Dell machines. But I have been using it with my Dell 2300 for about 2 weeks and have found no ill effects from it.

Is there something I should be aware of?
BTW I am running 3.3

[Dragan]

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I got Knoppix working fine on my Dell Inspiron 600M Laptop. I've also used it to troubleshoot other people's windows machines. I can't remember specific model numbers, but one was an older Dell Laptop and the other was a Dell desktop. I can't remember what version of Knoppix it is but it seems like I downloaded it ages ago. I'll try to remember to post when I get home from the office...

[baldyeti]

Is there something I should be aware of?
Just do a search for "dell" or "inspiron" on this site. But I hope this a past
problem, and your post seems to confirm it. If people who have reported
problems in the past could confirm it vanished with recent knoppix versions,
that'd be useful to know...

[z123]

Have no problems on my dell lattitude other than i can't load the zip drive.

[j.drake]

I've run it successfully on a Latitude C610 at work, too.

[os2mac]

I checked the posts and they all seem to apply to the Inspiron and Optiplex lines. I have a Dimension. and this has had no problems.

[Dragan]

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I got Knoppix working fine on my Dell Inspiron 600M Laptop. I've also used it to troubleshoot other people's windows machines. I can't remember specific model numbers, but one was an older Dell Laptop and the other was a Dell desktop. I can't remember what version of Knoppix it is but it seems like I downloaded it ages ago. I'll try to remember to post when I get home from the office...


I'm running 3.2 on my Inspiron 600M...

[ndrake]

3.3 seems to work fine on my Inspiron 8200. Only thing that doesn't work is the wifi card (1180), but it doesn't run in any linux distro (without that windows driver loader thing).

[c123]

Knoppix 3.2/3.3 runs fine on an Inspiron 8100 as long as a HDD is present (!?!) - recently I had to have the HDD replaceed, so I removed it ready to hand over to the courier. I then attempted to boot from a Knoppix CD. No go. Didn't want to know. Later that day when I had the replacement HDD installed (but not necessarily formatted etc) I *could* boot from CD. yeah whatever!

[cgoodier]

All 3.2 and 3.3 versions I tried worked ok on a Lattitude c840. I do get the "broken bios"message on bootup, (a recently updated bios), though this doesn't seem to cause any major problems for me.

There is this posting on the debian-knoppix list that might be useful:
http://mailman.linuxtag.org/pipermail/debian-knoppix/2003-April/002545.html

[jeramy]

I ran 3.2 on a Dimension just fine. I guess I'm a bit late with this post. :P

[A. Jorge Garcia]

Works fine on my Optiplex's!

Regards,

[SUOrangeman]

The only problem I saw with my OptiPlex GX260 was that shutting down from within KNOPPIX required me to ultimately disconnect the power cable so that it can boot again. If I reboot instead of shutdown, everything is fine.

I think this behavior was only seen when I used the CD. Since I prefer to install to the hard drive, I don't think I've experienced this problem since.

-SUO

[baldyeti]

Alright, thanks for all your replies. I also spent some more time reviewing
past posts on the subject (OK, that's where I should have started!) and after
all nobody ever reported any permanent damage. The worst that can happen
is that some models look dead when they should reboot after a knoppix
session, and it can be fixed by simply unplugging the power cord for a while.

It would still be interesting to know if those who experienced the problem in
the past have seen it go with recent knoppix releases, or maybe after flashing
their BIOS with some Dell-issued correction?

Tx.

[Yeti]

I have a lot of problems with the school Optiplexes and Knoppix. I just reread my post and for some stupid reason I did not include the model number of the Optiplex. Anyways, hear is a thread to read through, and there is a link to klause Knopper and his references to the Dell problem.

http://www.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&threadm=d22f77dc.0306192137.3ec57352%40posting.goo gle.com&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DISO-8859-1%26safe%3Doff%26q%3Dreturnoftheyeti%2Boptiplex

[A. Jorge Garcia]

I never had the reboot problem in my lab of 25 new Dell Optiplex GX270s. However, I had a hard time getting the onboard i810 video chips to work correctly. I would always get an error during boot-up about incorect video parameters being set and end up with only 800x600 res. I only had success when I used the following boot string:

knoppix vga=normal screen=1024x768 xvrefresh=60

BTW, I'd try that without any other video cards attached.

I also get an error about "only one processor" found which only goes away with:

knoppix nosmp

but that also killed eth0! So I ignored that error without any serious side effects.

Good Luck,

[Yeti]

School Computers are Optiplex GX260

[Whatsup!]

works wonderfully with dell inspiron 1100!

:? how to check the version of knoppix?

[knoppixman]

I never had the reboot problem in my lab of 25 new Dell Optiplex GX270s. However, I had a hard time getting the onboard i810 video chips to work correctly. I would always get an error during boot-up about incorect video parameters being set and end up with only 800x600 res. I only had success when I used the following boot string:

knoppix vga=normal screen=1024x768 xvrefresh=60

BTW, I'd try that without any other video cards attached.


Actually, fixing that error on startup with Dell Optiplex machines doesn't require any kernel command line options at all. All it requires you is to go into their BIOS into their "Integrated Peripherals" section and change their silly default of "1 MB" of shared video memory used by the onboard chip to "8 MB" and the error completely goes away and you instantly have no problems getting resolutions higher than 640x480 in knoppix. I have no idea why Dell Optiplex GX's default to such a setting.

[A. Jorge Garcia]

OK, that's good to know! I haven't had the i810 boot-up problem since 20031119. I really don't like all this shared ROM i810 onboard stuff....

However, I have since hdd installed the entire lab and still have a low res problem to deal with. I tried changing the vga=791 lilo.conf line to no avail. Maybe I'll try that BIOS setting you recommend for the hdd installs!

Thanx,

[spydie]

I'm also running it on a Dimension 2300, works great!

Edited to add: Works great with CD and HD install.

[A. Jorge Garcia]

My Dimension 4100 at home runs fine with the KNOPPIX CD and hdinstal!

[A. Jorge Garcia]

BTW, I now i notice something strange in my lab at school where I used knoppix-installer as debian 20031119 on every PC. On boot-up, I get the lilo screen and everything works fine if I select linux or WIMxP.

However, I can't get the BIOS login screen anymore. These are Dell Optiplex GX270s and I used to see on the boot screen "F12=BIOS" and "F11=I forget." How do I get to the BIOS again to switch to the 8MB VRAM?

TIA,
AJG

[baldyeti]

Dell Optiplex GX270 FIX! (http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7159)

(linked here for future reference)

[bujipaji]

After booting Knoppix on two different Dell optiplex gx260 pc's they didn't boot anything anymore, because of some flash BIOS problem.
The problem was finally solved by removing the battery from the motherbord when the power was switched on.
As far as I know the problem should have been solved as well by shorting the battery contacts on the motherboard or by shorting the RTC reset jumper (next to power cable connection of the motherboerd) for a few seconds. However that didn't work.

Bujipaji