Damn Small Linux 4.4.10?

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05-02-2011, 11:13 PM
AltairAC

Damn Small Linux 4.4.10?

First of all, hi!

I tried to register on the damn small linux forum but the activation link doesn't work and I saw a link to this forum on the DSL page so here I am.

I got a little issue with DSL 4.4.10 and since it is based on Debian and KNOPPIX and the issue is KNOPPIX related I hope that you can help me.

I made a multiboot dvd with the program easyboot and added various linux distro's but because of that I had to rename folders and I renamed the folder "KNOPPIX" from the Damn small linux distro into "DSLINUX" but I forgot to change tha value knoppix_folder in the minirt24 file to dslinux.
I successfully boot the distro in virtual box but when I burn my multiboot project to dvd and try to boot from there, I get the following error:

Quote:

Cannot find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry. Dropping you to a (very limited) shell.

I googled a bit and found the following site containing so called cheat codes for DSL: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/i...hp/Cheat_Codes

So, to better describe the situation I will post some pictures.

When I start the Damn small linux distro I get the following screen:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8736/dslf.jpg

I am asked to press enter, F2, F3 or I can write my boot command.
When I press enter in virtual box everything works normal but when I press enter on the from dvd booted distro I get the error mentioned above.

The problem is that DSL searches for the knoppix file in the KNOPPIX folder but was renamed to DSLINUX and what I want to do is that DSL looks for the knoppix file in the folder called DSLINUX.

Example, when I press F2 in the boot menu, I get more boot options:

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/5989/dsl2.jpg

what I want is something like this (look at the words written right from "boot:"):

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/507/dsl1.jpg

and the cheat code site mentioned above states that it can be done by using the following things:

Quote:

root={hda1 / sda1/ floppy } Specify root device / partition. In frugal / persistent installs, specifies where the linux cloop file KNOPPIX resides. Without this as a cheat code or boot menu parameter, the kernel will panic.

knoppix_dir=<path to dir w/o leading "/"> In frugal installs, specifies the directory name of the linux cloop file KNOPPIX if other than /KNOPPIX/. Use in conjunction with root=

The problem is that I don't know much about gnu/linux so I don't know how to write a command which will work. As I got it, it should something like this:

dsl root=/dev/sr0 knoppix_folder=/DSLINUX/
but this doesn't work since I don't know how to define the root properly (the root should be the DVD drive) and the value of knoppix_folder, with one slash on the left or one on the right, both or no slashes.

I hope you understand what I want.

Regards and thanks in advance.
05-02-2011, 11:29 PM
Harry Kuhman

DSL is based on a very very very old version of Knoppix, and as far as I know it has been abandoned. So your best advice might be to abandon it also, or post what you are hoping to accomplish with it and perhaps get better suggestions for other distros that are still supported that will do what you hope.

I know nothing about the boot tool that you are using, so can't help you there and that might be a good place to start. However, the error "Dropping you to a (very limited) shell." is very familiar, and I most ofter associate it with someone who has burnt the CD or DVD at high speed. I wish this wasn't the case, and at first I didn't believe it, but it is very important to burn a disc at low speed. I suggest no more than 4x.

This error could also be caused by lack of hardware support. For example, when DSL was made there were only IDE drives, no SATA drives. If you are trying to boot the disc from an SATA drive you might well be running into problems with the Linux kernel unable to find the SATA drive during the boot process. This takes us back to the first issue that I mentioned above.
05-02-2011, 11:33 PM
Harry Kuhman

I should also add that virtual box and vmware and other similar products have their own issues booting Knoppix. Use the search tool to look through these forums for more details.
05-03-2011, 12:03 AM
AltairAC

I burnt the dvd on speed 2x (slowest), and the issue is related to the minird24.gz file, this fail contains the minird24 file which contains the information where the knoppix file is located and if I had changed it with a HEX editor before burning, I wouldn't have this issue now. It is not related to any software or hardware problems, Damn small linux just looks for the knoppix file in the wrong directory and I need to command him that he should look for it in a by me specified directory.
05-03-2011, 01:57 AM
Forester

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltairAC

I tried to register on the damn small linux forum but the activation link doesn't work and I saw a link to this forum on the DSL page so here I am.

I got a little issue with DSL 4.4.10 and since it is based on Debian and KNOPPIX and the issue is KNOPPIX related I hope that you can help me.

DSL is dormant. It did not make the leap to Knoppix 6. I surmise that the version you have is based on Knoppix 5. I don't expect many on this forum can remember Knoppix 5.

I don't think your issue is Knoppix related or that anyone can help you ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltairAC

I made a multiboot dvd with the program easyboot and added various linux distro's but because of that I had to rename folders and I renamed the folder "KNOPPIX" from the Damn small linux distro into "DSLINUX" but I forgot to change the value knoppix_folder in the minirt24 file to dslinux.

I surmise your need to rename directories is because you want Knoppix and DSL on your multiboot DVD.

Perhaps you should make good your lacuna in minirt24 and try again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltairAC

The problem is that DSL searches for the knoppix file in the KNOPPIX folder but was renamed to DSLINUX and what I want to do is that DSL looks for the knoppix file in the folder called DSLINUX.

The problem is that you read what you expect to read, not what is written.

The cheat code you quote is knoppix_dir= but you type knoppix_folder= consistently.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltairAC

The problem is that I don't know much about gnu/linux so I don't know how to write a command which will work.

A entirely different but equally self-evident problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltairAC

but this doesn't work since I don't know how to define the root properly (the root should be the DVD drive).

Knoppix and, by inference, DSL don't need a root=. Try without. If root= is an easyboot thing then sr0 might work. Knoppix 5 and, by interfence, DSL 4.4 don't do sr0: they do hda, hdb, hdc and hdd but it should try them all and find the KNOPPIX image provided it looks in the right directory. If you have real trouble then I think the cheat code to use is fromhd=

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltairAC

I hope you understand what I want.

No comment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltairAC

Regards and thanks in advance.

You're welcome.
05-03-2011, 03:31 PM
AltairAC

@Forester

Thank you for noticing my first mistake, typing the wrong command (knoppix_folder instead of knoppix_dir, I guess that was on subconscious level) but that didn't work either so I guess you are right and this issue can't be solved by a boot command.
I tried to hexedit the minirt24 file in the minirt24.gz archive and replace KNOPPIX_DIR="KNOPPIX" to KNOPPIX_DIR=“DSLINUX” , it worked.

I don't understand why VirtualBox scans it successfully but my dvd drive doesn't and all those commands I tried don't work:

Quote:

dsl knoppix_dir=/dev/sr0/DSLINUX
dsl knoppix_dir=/dev/sr0/DSLINUX/
...

but since you mentioned that DSL is old anyway and I have Puppy linux, Tiny Core Linux and Slitaz on my multiboot dvd so it is not a problem so thank you for you advice and time!
05-03-2011, 05:14 PM
OErjan

Quote:

DSL is dormant. It did not make the leap to Knoppix 6. I surmise that the version you have is based on Knoppix 5. I don't expect many on this forum can remember Knoppix 5.

oh, I doubt that we are that few, both me and harry have been here for quite a while helping out.
As a matter of fact I have some version of Knoppix 3 in the archive somewhere, possibly even older.

the answer is hard to give as i have nevwer used easyboot, I have no idea how it works.
My best advise seems to be to read the easyboot documentation and keep asking specific questions, like what to type when you want this or that to happen.

as for a crash course in Command-Line Linux try the labs at
http://floppix.com/labs.html
that link leads to a series of labs (70-75 pages of text) these will give you basics of 80-90% of commands used by me on a daily basis.