Can't get Knoppix to dual-boot with Win98

[plzdontspamme]

Have Win98 installed on an older Compaq laptop. 8.2 GB HD. One CD-ROM drive, no floppy drive. I've defragmented the drive and been trying to install Knoppix 3.6 on the remaining space.

I've tried the following several times without success:

1)Delete previous old Linux partitions w/ cfdisk

2)reboot and create new ones using cfdisk:

hda1: Win98 3.8 GB Primary (existing)
hda2: Linux ext3 4 GB Primary
hda3: Compaq Diagnositics (DOS partition req'd by the computer for set-up etc.) approx. 15 MB Primary (existing)
hda4: Linux swap 400 MB Primary

2)reboot again and format hda2 using:
mke2fs /dev/hda2
(didn't need to do this to hda4, as it said it was already mounted...)

3)set up hda4 as a swap device using:
mkswap /dev/hda4

4) install using "sudo knoppix-installer". Installer recognizes both Linux partitions (i.e., don't need to use IGNORE_CHECK=1 option). Selected "beginner" installation and "install LILO to root partition" (can't do it to MBR--Compaq says doing so will screw up the DOS setup partition need to configure the laptop)

5) The installer (re-)formats and mounts hda2. It then installs anywhere from 57% to 98% of the files on the HD until I start getting errors like:

/usr/share//usr/share/knoppix-installer/modules/install/02-install-tools.bm: line 93: 2853 segmentation fault chroot "$TARGET_MNT_POINT" chown -R $USER_NAME.$USER_NAME /home/$USER_NAME

or:

no such file or directory: /mnt/hdinstall/etc/knoppix/install-configuration

or

or EXT3-fs error: inode out of bounds....

plus other lines of errors. Sometimes installation will stop competely, other times it will finish despite the errors. On the times when it does complete, I try to reboot using LILO, but just get a flashing cursor.

I tested the installation CD using "knoppix testcd" before installation and it matched the md5sum., so the disk seems to be OK.

Is anyone able to get knoppix-installer to work completely without any error messages? Any suggestions on what else I can do??? I'm getting very frustrated.

[snarkfinder]

Hi just a quick note...
I've had a lot better luck with older laptops/hdw running win98 using only one primary partition (if for example that's the win9 and adding linux partitions as extended. Linux doesn't seem to care, but multibooting does. Also, I've just copied the iso onto existing fat32 partitions, and dual-booted with lilo right from there. For an actual install, though, separate partitions are the way. But I'd use extended to be safe.

[Harry Kuhman]

... linux partitions as extended. Linux doesn't seem to care, but multibooting does.....

I'm one of the last people who should be giviing advice on installing any form of Linux to hard disk, but from what I know there is no reason to use an extended (logical) partition. Windows will not care if you have other primary partitions, as long as they are not valid Windows types. Linux will exist fine on actual partitions rather than logical partitions (but yes, it should work with logical partitions too), as long as you don't try to make more than 4 partitions total (including the windows one) on any one hard drive. What multi-boot problem do you have with real partitions?

[snarkfinder]

I've had issues including more than 4 total partitions. When adding linux swap partition couldn't get Knoppix to recognize/use the partition (no. 10) when not one on the extended/logical.
A full woody install on parts 5-8 did just fine, though, and a poor-man's install on 12 did too. Just from cd it missed it. Go figure.

[Harry Kuhman]

I've had issues including more than 4 total partitions. ...

The original MS layout of the partition table only has space to store information for 4 physical partitions. There have been some hacks to work around this and actually store more than 4 physical partitions out there (they hide the table information elsewhere, and move information for (at most) 4 partitions into the standard locations depending on what you want to boot). Extended/logical partitions are the Microsoft approach to the problem they made - one of the 4 partitions is considered an extended partition, it holds "logical partitions" (really just sub-divide parts of the partition) as well as the extra tables that Microsoft didn't make space for in the beginning.

So if you try to make more than 4 physical partitions, you are asking for problems, better to subdivide an extended partition into logical partitions if you need lots of partitions. But there should be no reason that you can't have 4 physical partitions.

Some systems do have a problem with booting from a partition that's track number is too far into the disk, and the huge size of dirve now makes it easy to hit this limit. I think the magic number is 1024, but I would check that (I'm only going from memory and don't trust that I remember it right). People hitting problem with booting Linux might want to look close at that issue. A single large Windows partition might be pushing the Linux partition too far and beyond this limit. Solutions might include making a smaller Windows boot partition, or (if you don't want to do that) making a small partition to boot Linux from, but moving things around on the hard drive (it's tricky but can be done in a number of ways) so that the small Linux boot partition comes first and the Windows partition still starts within the bootable range of tracks.

A couple of great tools for working with multi-boot systems are XOSL and Ranish Partition Manager See http://www.ranish.com/part/ and http://www.ranish.com for more details.