Newbie Q: ms-win access to persisent_home file?

[stephen_w_simpson]

Apologies if this is in a faq, or somewhere in the forum. I did have a look.

downloaded, burnt, etc knoppix yesterday. works just lovely, except...

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0.

My main interest in running knoppix is being able to play with the dev tools especially QT / QT designer. I've had it with those nasty MFC macros.

In order to "play" i'll need some disc storage; enter mr. pen-drive.

OK I understand that i need to do the stuff outlined in the persistent_home threads, BUT I don't know how to access the contents of the file created under MS-Windows...

So how do i access the CONTENTS of the "*.img" file under windows. Why do i want to do this? so that i can test out how portable QT is, so that i can try porting open office documents, cause i wanna...

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1. doesn't have a menu driven option for the startup parameters. imho this will put granny's et al off. they won't be able to fathom "just type knoppix fluxbx..." is someone doing a pretty startup menu? maybe something like most bios editing utils.

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2. can't seem to change screen res once kde is started. it may be all very well to detect video hardware and monitor, BUT some people like running at a lower screen res (cause their screen's focus is very puur). Is it possible to change screen res after startup?

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3. can't find out how to set up phone dialer for modem. i've got one of those nasty internal jobs.

Ciao

Stephen

[firebyrd10]

You got quite a few questions there,

For the screen res I suggest searching the forum it would be alot more helpful then me. If you have anyspace left on the USB drive (I left a few megs just for this purpose) copy the files out of you home straight to the drive, i'm sure there is someway to view whats in the img file but Idon't know how.

As for the start up menu, No I don't think anyone is doing that because they see no need for it. most will jsut say "just write down the instructions"

For the phone dialer you want to use KPPP though if its a win modem chances are it isn't going to work.

[stephen_w_simpson]

thanks firebyrd10

will try suggestion re modem.

as for writing down instructions... i must say that i beg to differ with the opinion of the those who ``see no need for [a menu or other intuitive interface]''.

how many *ordinary* people do you know that read, let alone ``write-down'' the instructions for using their vcr, microwave oven, etc. time is precious. becoming a product expert costs time. when it comes to evaluating a technology, gimme the no-brainer click here to continue any-day

no flames intended.

cheers,

-- Stephen

[knulle]

regarding menu:

what's about using different image= entries in lilo
each one will start the same kernel but with different append="" specifications, e.g.

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="type 1"
append="parm1 parm2"
....


image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="type 2"
append="parm3 parm4"
....

(it might be not that what you want, as I understood: selecting boot-options by clicking something like checkbuttons, right ?)

regarding screen res:

I did this with the kde-control-center
(somewhere in the kde-menu KNOPPIX=>control-center)
started with root
picked the right graphic-card and monitor and screen res and restartet kde (log out and restart kde via menu-button)

hope, that helps

Knut

[Cuddles]

stephen_w_simpson,

Lets see if I can assist on the "menu" issue...

Knoppix is a "full-blown" Linux/GNU OS, like Windows(add version here) is a OS. As far as I know, not even "Windows" has "pretty" menus to choose from, that being because the "menu" is so low in the boot sequence - nothing is loaded yet - in fact, most of those menus are so low in the boot, most come right after the BIOS is loaded - that many don't even have a clue at mice, printers, and "barely" know that a hard drive is attached.

That said, I have Knoppix hard drive installed, but, for more than a month, lived with just using the CD - if you enter your cheat-codes on the BOOT: screen, like knoppix something something something [etc...]

You can then use a little bit of space on a drive, for your "Knoppix Save Configuration" and a "Knoppix Persistant Home" -=- files - which can be placed on a FAT file system, not sure about NTFS here... and only takes two files, viewable as a "unknown" file in Windows, but, in knoppix it will hold your boot up setup, and settings. Once this is saved, you can just enter the following on the BOOT: prompt...

boot: knoppix myconfig=scan home=scan

I did it this way for at least two weeks, until deciding to hard drive install, and go "full throttle" into the world of Linux, on my system.

I am not sure about this one, but, if you don't choose any options on the BOOT: prompt, I do know that knoppix will "auto-start" if left at this prompt for a period of time. THIS IS THE PART I AM NOT SURE ABOUT: will knoppix attempt to "scan" for these two options during its "non - option" given boot ????

If knoppix does "scan" for its "Persistant Home" and "Saved Configurations" - then your users need only leave the "boot:" prompt alone until it "auto-starts" - and still get all of their settings and configurations returned.

Hope this helps,
Cuddles

[stephen_w_simpson]

Thanks to Knulle and Cuddles,

if lilo can be configured to *just do it* then bring it on...

I appreciate the fact that a mouse driven gui would be a bit hard, but i was thinking more along the lines of what you see in the bios cfg utils.. basically just cascading text menus.

now i know that similar sorts of menus can be crafted without any os present. take a look at the boot-manager by Nagy Daniel

http://www.masterbooter.com/

what i was thinking of was something like the above that is formed at runtime from one of those .sh scripts i was reading about. i'm guessing here but when you get to the "knoppix desktop=xfce" stage the kernel is loaded, right... course it would mean that someones gonna have to code a scriptable cascading menu system. cmon, how har could it be (he says with thumb pressed against forehead -- bags not me)

please believe me that i have no complaint against gnu / linux type os's like knoppix. what i'm really thinking is that these cd based live type distrbs need to make it really easy for ordinary people to use. ordinry people want to be able to save documents straight away without having to jump hoops.

Is there a knoppix derivative that automagically checks the read-write option on fat partitions?

anyways still looking for an answer to the ol "how do i view the .img file in windose?'

ka-kite

[mcaycedo]

About accesing your files in Knoppix and Win. When you are in Knoppix, you should enable Read/Write access in one of your local drives (right-click in the icon placed in the desktop. HDA1 must be c: and HDA2 o HDB1 must be D:, and so on).

After you have read access privileges, easy money. Save your QT project files there, code all you want, test, then .... Reboot, launch Windows and there must be your files, ready to go..

[stephen_w_simpson]

Thanks mcaaycedo

found that one last night.

as an aside is anyone working on a safe read-write ntfs *driver*

sysinternals have an interesting approach to the prob.

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/ntfswin98.shtml

anyone know if the wine (or other) people have tried this?

ciao

[mcaycedo]

Well, LinuxDefender claims to have ntfs access enabled (http://www.bitdefender.com/bd/site/presscenter.php?menu_id=25&n_id=58). I downloaded it what I wasn't sucesfull to gain access to my ntfs partition (Windows 2000 server, service pack 2). You should try and share your experiences with us.

By the way, knoppix 3.4 appears to have ntfs installed. I haven't tried yet