KNOPPIX 3.9 + knoppix-installer woes...

[A. Jorge Garcia]

Hi All!

I maintain a Linux Lab for my AP Computer Science students. Over the past several years, I've had occasion to install all versions of KNOPPIX to hdd from 3.2 with knx-hdinstall to 3.8.1 with knoppix-installer on a LAN of 25 PCs. I never had to install 3.9 to hdd until this week. And, I have to say that I have never encountered such a knoppix-installer nighmare before!

First, I had lots of read errors on my cdd's which has happened only rarely. I suppose it could be bad media or bad drives. So, I can't even boot the KNOPPIX CD on those stations (2Pcs down, 23 to go).

However, this LAN was reinstalled just a few years ago with all new hadware (fast ethernet, PIV PCs with 750MB RAM and 40GB hdds = Dell GX270s). Further, I don't usually have media problems. I always use Memorex 700MB data CDRs without a problem. BTW, I check my ISO downloads with md5sums and my burns with the

knoppix testcd

cheat code.

Second, I had several errors when using qtparted to resize the XP partitions before running knoppix-installer which never happened before. I guess it could be over-used hdds. So I can't install anything on those stations (6 more PCs down, 17 to go). Please note that this is not an NTFS issue. All XP installs were done on VFAT32 to begin with.

BTW, my partitions, where qtparted worked, are hda1=35MB WIMPdoze rescue partition which I didn't touch, hda2=20GB WIMxP partition which I had resized from 40GB, hda3=19GB ext3 partition for the hdd install and hda4=178MB (that's all that's left) linuxswap partition created from the new space after resizing.

Third, I had several PCs stop, during the knoppix-installer step where it copies files to my new ext3 partitions, at about 96% which has happened only rarely. In the past several years, I only recall this happening a few times but I could simply retry knoppix-installer and all was fine - not this time! So the install is incomplete on those stations (2 more PCs down, 15 to go).

Fourth, I didn't realize lilo was gone to be replaced by grub which clearly never happened before! It took me a little while to figure out I had to edit

/boot/grub/menu.lst

to get my dual-boot hdd installs to default to an XP boot. Sorry, don't flame me, I have to do this to coexist with the other teachers at my school....

Fifth, netcardconfig didn't work for autoconfiguring my DHCP network on any of the 15 remaining PCs which never happened before. However,

pump -i eth0

fixed that problem!

Lastly, but not least, to add insult to injury, when a user logs-in with KDM on the 15 installed PCs, the KDE boot screen gets stuck at the second icon and just hangs the whole PC which never happened before! On a few PCs, the KDE boot screen does actually finish after 10-20 minutes!

What the heck can I do about this latest error??? I have no more hairs to pull out, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!!

TIA,
AJG

[A. Jorge Garcia]

BUMP!

>>
Lastly, but not least, to add insult to injury, when a user logs-in with KDM on the 15 installed PCs, the KDE boot screen gets stuck at the second icon and just hangs the whole PC which never happened before! On a few PCs, the KDE boot screen does actually finish after 10-20 minutes!
<<

Just to clarify the post above, my question is: what can I do about this problem I am quoting? The user logins get stuck on the KDE splash screen, if that's what you call it, when it says "Initializing System Services."

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. I got everything else listed in my other post fixed. It would be a shame to have come this far just to scrap everything and start over again with 3.8.1....

I've never been defeated by installation problems before, I don't want to start now! BTW, what's all this whoopla on the forum lately that KNOPPIX isn't intended for hdd install? Then why does this forum exist?? Then why has knx-hdinstall or knoppix-installer been included on the KNOPPIX CD for years???

TIA,
AJG

[UnderScore]

My apologies as I had a very busy weekend & had I caught this on Saturday evening, then you would have had your answer immediatly.

In your case, you have run into a known issue with Knoppix 3.9 HD Installs in that it breaks networking. The bug is documented as #15 http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Bugs/3.9-2005-05-27 and can be resolved by entering the command as root user:

ln -s /etc/init.d/ifupdown-clean /etc/rcS.d/S18ifupdown-clean

BTW, what's all this whoopla on the forum lately that KNOPPIX isn't intended for hdd install?

We have cautioned new users from installing Knoppix to the HD without first being aware that it might not work for them http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Hd_Install_HowTo.
Past discussion on this topic started at "ManPages in Knoppix 4.0" and continued at "Why not Knoppix on the HD?".

[A. Jorge Garcia]

OK, thanx UnderScore! Once I issue that ln command line all should be well? I won't have to do that ever again, right?

BTW, I just realized that I missed the latest CD release! I see KNOPPIX 4.02CD is out. Would I be better off simply using that CD or are there known problems with that CD too?

TIA,
AJG

[UnderScore]

OK, thanx UnderScore! Once I issue that ln command line all should be well? I won't have to do that ever again, right?

You got it. A simple ln done one time will fix it.

Would I be better off simply using that CD or are there known problems with that CD too?

I think many of the HD install issues were cleared up in 4.02. Since Sept 1, I have not been as active in these forums as I had been during the summer, so I have not yet done a HD install with the 4.02 CD. I did do a HD install with the 4.01 DVD and it seemed to be fine.


Short notice & perhaps you already know, but the Long Island Linux Users Group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at Farmingdale State University (formerly SUNY Farmingdale) from 8-10 PM. Its a fun group of people that welcome users & enthusists of all levels of experience. This month's meeting will be held tomorrow Tuesday, October 11, 2005, at 8 pm with the topic of "How Free Culture Works, Or, Intellectual Property And Why You Shouldn't Call It That". I have been a member for only 7 months & just three meetings in, I gave a talk on May 10 about remastering Knoppix. If you are unable to make it this month, then I hope to meet you at a future meeting.

[A. Jorge Garcia]

Thanx for the help, UnderScore! I think I'll try the symbolic link fix. I don't know how I missed this known problem. Maybe I'll try 4.02CD too on a few stations just to see how it goes.

BTW, re the networking problem in 3.9, is that why KDE hangs on "initializing System Services" or why netcardconfig didn't work or both?

You know what's odd is that I was able to log-in as root using KDE once to set the language and keyboard and edit the grub boot order and fix networking with pump. But, after that, noone else can log-in using KDE. I guess I'll have to log-in with a konsole as root and not startx, just make the symbolic link you suggest above....

As for the LILUG, I did show my face there years ago when I taught as an adjunct in the Math Dept at SUNY Farmingdale. Now-a-days, I teach at Baldwin HS & Nassau CC in Garden City and commute from Prot Jefferson, so hanging around for a meeting in Farmingdale would be a bit tough with my schedule. Thanx for the invite!

Regards,
AJG

[A. Jorge Garcia]

OK, that symbolic link fixed everything.

I just had to netcardconfig again and reboot for everything to work correctly. Otherwise 127.0.0.1 did not exist. So I could ping my server, but not myself. That messes up CUPS (http://localhost:631)....

Thanx again, James!

Regards,
AJG

[A. Jorge Garcia]

Hi James,

BTW, are there any known bugs in KNOPPIX 3.9 re qtparted? Lately, I've been having a hell of a time resizing XP partitions to make room for KNOPPIX on dual-boot knoppix-installered PCs.

In my Linux/KNOPPIX PC Lab/LAN, I have always had 25 PCs running off hdd via knoppix-installer (or knx-hdinstall before that or even Slakware before KNOPPIX hit the scene...). Every summer they reinstall hardware and such and end up ghosting from a WIMxP PC without a Linux partition thereby trashing my added partitions (1 ext3 and 1 linuxswap in addition to their WIN95 rescue and the dreaded WIMxP partitions).

So, I install the latest KNOPPIX every September. I've never had such a problem resizing their WINDOZE partitions before. This school year, to date, I still have 7 students out of the 25 booting off the liveCD!

I just burned a whole pile of KNOPPIX 4.02CD liveCDs. Maybe I should try to install those on these pesky PCs?

Thanx in advance,
Al