How to start HD knoppix with just CD?

**CrashedAgain** · 12-11-2004, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by daneel101

Hi,

Hope that this forum is still being monitored...

I downloaded knoppix 3.6 and installed it into a (non-bootable) external USB-HDD as a Debian Distribution with Hardware Auto detection. I then booted into the cd in single user mode and used the "pivot_root" command to transfer to the Hard Drive as detailed in the how-to at

http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/PivotRootInstall
Everything worked fine and I thought I had a fully operational Mobile Debian installation. I used apt-get to update all packages and installed some new ones and everything was okay across several reboots. However, when I connected my HD to another machine and tried to do pivot_root from it's CD-ROM drive, disaster struck. The CD booted correctly and dropped me into a shell. The pivot_root command worked and everything, but the minute I switched to runlevel 5, my X Server Crashed, claiming that the config of xf86Config file was wrong. Apparently, the X server config from my original machine persisted in the HD!!!

I have included the log file below. Is this supposed to happen? Why is it that all the other hardware parameters did not stay persistent (as is required for a mobile HD installation that will be connected to different computers) and were autodetected but the X-Server config was not? How do I make sure that the X-Server and display manager are automatically configged in all computers to which I connect the HD (Bear in mind that the knoppix cd itself boots fine all the way to X, so detection is not the problem)>

If I have to manually config X each time I put it in a different machine, then is there a good non-graphical tool in Debian that I can use?

Please let me know.

Thanks,
AR

Log File:

This is a pre-release version of XFree86, and is not supported in any
way. Bugs may be reported to XFree86@XFree86.Org and patches submitted
to fixes@XFree86.Org. Before reporting bugs in pre-release versions,
please check the latest version in the XFree86 CVS repository
(http://www.XFree86.Org/cvs).

XFree86 Version 4.3.0.1 (Debian 4.3.0.dfsg.1-6 20040707142024 fabbione@fabbione.net)
Release Date: 15 August 2003
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0, Release 6.6
Build Operating System: Linux 2.4.23 i686 [ELF]
Build Date: 07 July 2004
Before reporting problems, check http://www.XFree86.Org/
to make sure that you have the latest version.
Module Loader present
OS Kernel: Linux version 2.6.7 (root@Knoppix) (gcc-Version 3.3.4 (Debian 1:3.3.4-3)) #2 SMP Wed Jul 28 04:25:36 CEST 2004
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/XFree86.0.log", Time: Sun Nov 28 17:44:43 2004
(EE) Unable to locate/open config file
(EE) Error from xf86HandleConfigFile()

Fatal server error:
no screens found

When reporting a problem related to a server crash, please send
the full server output, not just the last messages.
This can be found in the log file "/var/log/XFree86.0.log".
Please report problems to submit@bugs.debian.org.

Yes, the X configuration will remain the same on the HD install.
What you have to do is delete /etc/X11/XF86config-4 then run mkxf86config to create a new one based on the hardware the system detects. Must be done before starting X, of course. mkxf86config does run as part of the autoconfig startup but it will only create a new xf86config file if there is none existing.

**c123** · 12-22-2004, 09:46 AM

Does anyone have a copy of http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/PivotRootInstall -- can't currently get to that page as the wiki software is still being upgraded...

**alandrokalimera** · 03-21-2005, 03:31 PM

Thank you very much. It works fine.
there is only one problem: When the system shuts down I get a bunch of hd errors. I think it's because the system unmounts the usb hdd before it completely shuts down. Is there any way to fix this?

**cyberoidx** · 03-30-2005, 08:32 AM

I suppose there is a simpler soultion to botting knoppix from CD.

In this case i had Rh7.2 installed first, and didn't want to spoil my MBR, like you.
So i did the following:
1) Make lilo boot floppy (which u couldn't)
2) Turned it into a CD. I dont really trust floppies......
3) whenever i boot, even if i have removed Rh 7.2 from the hdd, and put DamnSmallLinux, whcih i have done now..... Lilo still loads DSl if i type "Linux" at boot........... Isn't that a simpler way to do that?
Install your linux on a removable drive, and then mklilo from the same thing........ That worked for me. I guess linux acutally means to experiment for yourself.....

**CrashedAgain** · 04-01-2005, 04:24 AM

To boot a Knoppix HD install from the CD boot the CD with the cheatcode:

Code:

knoppix root=/dev/hda5 noinitrd ro

(replace hda5 with the correct partition for your HD install) but I don't know if it will work with a usbdrive.

**jacks** · 07-02-2005, 11:13 PM

Using Knoppix CD 3.8.2 I've made a begginer install to a USBEHD partition /dev/uba4 (not bootable with my BIOS) and everything except read access to the initiating cdrom works fine.
I have a cdrom and a cdrw on the second IDE channel and they are correctly recognized by knoppix as /dev/hd[c,d]. With autofs active cdrom1 = /dev/hdd works fine. cdrom = /dev/hdc gives blank reads and the physical eject button on the drive is locked.

As root 'eject' will open the cdrom tray (actually it's the -s option that works not the -r option) but read and button lock problems persist.

'fuser -v /mnt/cdrom' shows there is a kernel process keeping the "device is busy" from /mnt/old_root/cdrom
This persists even after the bood cd is ejected and removed. I presume the mount /proc /proc -t proc command is responsible for reintroducing this "busy cdrom" from the RAM based root to the uba4 based root following the pivot_root exchange.

I've tried to discover a pid for this process to try to kill it, but with no success. I've also tried the option 'mount /proc /proc -t proc,noisso9660 to avoid mounting the above access.

Anyhelp would be appreciated. This problem should be addressed in the pivot_root instructions.

**jacks** · 07-31-2005, 03:18 PM

See Woes Using CDs

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...r=asc&start=10

**sakiZ** · 08-01-2005, 09:56 PM

CrashedAgain,

FYI, You might be interested to know your excellent method of:

knoppix root=/dev/hda5 noinitrd ro

to boot to a full HD install also works with Loadlin.exe in a DOS batch file.
Loadlin is nice because it is very easy to use.

Use the same method of booting as with a Poor Man's Install with appropriate copying of Knoppix image files to the HD using whatever kernel you want (2.4 or 2.6) etc.

They uncompress and with your method, the full HD install boots up.

See docs on Poor Man's Install for full what to copy to a HD partition.

This is how I'm booting my setup now. First up comes the menu from Boot.ini. (I use XP on a FAT32 partition)

I select the line: "Boot to DOS or Linux." This starts a batch file that asks, "Do you wish to boot to Linux?"

If I press "Y" this calls another batch file to start Loadlin which starts uncompressing files from the CD, my Knoppix setup (with cheatcodes in place) starts up.

If I press "N", the computer goes to DOS.

So, you can skip the CD if you want as long the appropriate files are copied to a partition to your HD and Loadlin activates them.

As I said, see Poor Man's Install Docs for anyone who wants to try this. Similar method, but for a true full HD as well with your tip.

sakiZ

**sakiZ** · 09-19-2005, 07:02 PM

Variations of Poor Mans Pivot Root Methods:

I've been thinking about this method

knoppix root=/dev/hda5 noinitrd ro

using Loadlin.exe. to either boot to a CD or my own HD.

This is how I boot to my HD now and to the original CD if I want.

If I can boot to my own HD installation, why couldn't I also boot to a DVD with my uncompressed partition copied to it?

The same DVD could also have the c:\Knoppix directory copied to the DVD, to be put on the target computer to boot the DVD. The batch file Loadlin runs would be modified if necessary to make everything work on the target computer.

Since I really don't want to remaster CDs to distribute them, and just want to run my own installation on another computer that I have in mind, (which happens to have a DVD player in it) why wouldn't this work?

sakiZ