Running X before chroot...

[Sago7]

I have a cuestion...

When i make chroot from console whout X... If i try wiht STARX can i see the X of the remastering knoppix????...

[arkaine23]

That is how I remaster.

Boot in text mode with code knoppix 2
chroot into your remaster filesystem
(from outside of chroot) cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /mnt/hdxx/your/remaster's/etc/X11
cp -R /etc/skel /home/knoppix
chown -R knoppix /home/knoppix
vi /home/knoppix/.xinitrc (and set tyhe WM I want to start)
su knoppix
startx

Then you are in the graphical environment of your remaster. When finished tweaking, you'll need to replace /etc/skel with /home/knoppix, and chown to root the new /etc/skel. Some other complications can arise in KDE with both the menu and kicker. One thing I've noticed with KDE 3.2 is that you need .local copied from /etc/skel along with other parts of a user's profile through the /etc/X11/Xsession.d/45xsession script. Otherwise kicker icons may be broken.

When done, don't forget to delete the XF86Config-4 file and resolv.conf files you copied, and don't foget to move all of /home/knoppix over the original /etc/skel. Be wathcful for programs' configuration directories in /home/knoppix that are not set to be copied from /etc/skel into /home/knoppix by the /etc/X11/Xsession.d/45Xsession script. Also, don't forget to chroot -R root /etc/skel.

For example, if you install firebird in your remaster, there is a /home/knoppix/.firebird directory which will go into /etc/skel when you are done. However, you must make sure it gets copied from /etc/skel into /home/knoppix at boot time along with other configurations in the script /etc/X11/Xsession.d/45Xsession, or else your remaster will use the default firebird configuration.

[mzilikazi]

One thing I've noticed with KDE 3.2 is that you need .local copied from /etc/skel along with other parts of a user's profile through the /etc/X11/Xsession.d/45xsession script. Otherwise kicker icons may be broken.

I had the same issue when dealing w/ an xfce4 remaster. I needed some .files so I added this to /etc/init.d/Xsession.d/45xsession

cp -R /etc/skel/.file $HOME
chown -R knoppix:knoppix $HOME/.file

How did you circumvent this problem? I have yet to test this w/ persistent home but it may be problematic.

[arkaine23]

I added the .folders from /etc/skel that I thought I'd need into the 45xsession script's list of .folders copied.

[techfreak]

Hi i'm trying to change the look of my custom Knopper but I cant knop into X windows environment under chrooted.
I did everything like stated above and I got an error when starting x

(EE) unable to locate/open config file
(EE) Error from xf86HandleConfigFile()

Fatal server error:
no screens found

any ideas?

[techfreak]

Figured it out, just copied XF86Config-4 file that was generated by the knoppix boot cd to the chrooted /etc/X11 folder and worked fine.

[nvgringo]

looks like the same problem that I am having.
Can you give the command you used to copy over the XF86Config-4file
Also can you go step by step on how to save the settings so that I will be able to burn a live cd that will have my modified KDE settings but will not have saved hardware settings specific to my computer

[techfreak]

Once you boot up with the cd Knoppix automatically generates an XF86Config-4 file which is stored in ram in this location /etc/X11. so all you have to do is copy that file to your chrooted environment in the same location. My chrooted enfironment is stored in "/mnt/hda2/aWORKing/"

So here is the command I used to copy the file and than run startx in chrooted environment.

cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /mnt/hda2/aWORKing/etc/X11

Once you're in chrooted X windows environment anything you modify is on the fly and is saved automatically. Once you logout you have to copy the /home/knoppix to /etc/skel and chown it to root. This is how your settings get saved, at least that's how i understand it.
Once you are don delete the XF86Config-4 file from your chrooted environment that you copied to get X Windows up and running and also delete /home/knoppix once you are done.

[nvgringo]

Ok, let me see if I have it now.

cheatcode knoppix 2
mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/hda3
cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /mnt/hda3/ knx/source/KNOPPIX /etc/X11
chroot /mnt/hda3/knx/source/KNOPPIX
mount –t proc /proc proc
cp -R /etc/skel /home/knoppix
chown -R knoppix /home/knoppix
vi /home/knoppix/.xinitrc
i
startkde
ESC
ZZ
? add the .folders from /etc/skel to 45xsession? a little help here
su knoppix
startx

Assuming KDE starts lets say I make the toolbar smaller and change the bookmarks in Konq.

ok now I want to save my work.

?cp -R /home/knoppix /etc/skel?
?chown -R /etc/skel?
? rm -i /etc/X11/XF86Config-4?
? rm -i /home/knoppix?
umount /proc
CTRL D

I think I am getting closer but I don't quite have it yet. Can you help with a few of the commands where I put the question marks?
Thanks for your time

[arkaine23]

The 45xsession script does a lot of things. What you should be concerned about is a couple of lines that copy .files from /etc/skel to /home/knoppix. These will not be too hard to find in the script. You'll just add additional configurations such as .local to the list, including the config directories for any programs you may have installed and adjusted their configuration.

You could do the shotgun approach and add .* to the lists, which would copy all directories or files from /etc/skel that start with a ".".


?cp -R /home/knoppix /etc/skel?

Rather than copy /home/knoppix over /etc/skel. I usually move the original /etc/skel outside of my remastered filesystem (from a non-chrooted terminal)

mv /your/remaster's/etc/skel /skel.bak

Then in the chrooted environment-
mv /home/knoppix /etc/skel


?chown -R /etc/skel?

chown -R root /etc/skel
(We want /etc/skel to be owned by root, but had to make it owned by knoppix earlier when we worked in X and altered configurations.)

? rm -i /etc/X11/XF86Config-4?

rm -f /etc/X11/XF86Config-4


? rm -i /home/knoppix?

This was handled earlier when moving the original /etc/skel somewhere safe and replacing it with the modified /home/knoppix.

Don't forget to umount /proc and also replace /etc/resolv.conf with the original resolv.conf file if you chose to get online using your remastered filesystem. The remastering guide covers some minor cleanup of temporary files (apt-get clean is an important one to conserve space if you installed anything with apt!!). And the rtest is building it and then testing it.

It took me hundreds of hours to make my first remastered Knoppix. I learned a lot by making mistakes and by asking questions here.