Knoppix troubles - help!

I am trying to use Knoppix on my mother's computer, but no matter what I try, it always locks up during boot. She has an old eMachines computer with a Cyrix MII 266 MMX processor, 192 MB RAM, a 2.1 GB Hd (never used by Knoppix, of course), and an ATI 3D Rage IIc video card.

If I allow Knoppix to boot without any special instructions, it always locks after detecting the processor. If I specify "knoppix no usb apm scsi" or any combination of those, it locks after detecting APM features, which it detects immediately after detecting the processor. And if I use "failsafe", it boots normally until it tries to start X, at which time the screen goes blank, and sometimes the CD-ROM drive keeps reading from the CD for an indefinite amount of time. Never does the X GUI start.

I cannot use "knoppix 2" because it locks after detecting the processor. I have tried using "failsafe knoppix 2" and "failsafe 2", but it does not seem to understand my intent.

Is there some way to boot to text mode only and have failsafe mode? And does anyone have any ideas on how I might start X? I have used this very same CD successfully on the computer I used to download and burn it. It had the thing booted to a full KDE desktop faster than Windows XP Home can boot. Everything worked. Both I and my friend were very impressed; he even asked for a copy.

Can anyone help me with the problems I am having on my mother's computer? Any suggestions as to what I can do to get it working? Thanks in advance!

P.S. - Downloading a new version of Knoppix is not easy for me. I have only a modem, and in order to even be able to download it, I need to use broadband because it changes so often. So I have to "borrow" bandwidth from this friend of mine, and that's not something I can do very often. :?

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I am trying to use Knoppix on my mother's computer, but no matter what I try, it always locks up during boot... Is there some way to boot to text mode only and have failsafe mode?
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If you want to get to a text-screen-only mode, try "runlevel 0" (zero) on boot-up. I have not tried this (though I will soon), but it IS specified in the initial DOCs. It also says that you can "stack" commands. It's a place to start...

In my post, I mentioned trying "failsafe knoppix 2" and "failsafe 2", which was my attempt to reach the text-only mode and stack commands.

I never used runlevel 2, before... I have used runlevel 1 (single user mode), runlevel 3 (text only networked mode) and runlevel 5 (graphical networked mode). IIRC, runlevel 0 (zero) is system halt, and runlevel 6 is reboot. Again, IIRC, only runlevel 4 is unused, so runlevel 2 must be text only non-networked mode.

I do appreciate your suggestions, though. I will have to look through the docs again and see if there isn't anything I missed.

> I am trying to use Knoppix on my mother's computer, but no matter what I try, it always locks up during boot. She has an old eMachines computer with a Cyrix MII 266 MMX processor...

--That's the problem, right there. Emachines are notorious pieces of crap - they're the "Packard Bell" for the new millennium. Your best bet is to go to a computer show in your area and buy a used computer on the cheap - but ask if (make sure!) you can boot Knoppix on it before you buy!

--You might be able to do a workaround in the meantime, but I doubt it.

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Originally Posted by catlord17

In my post, I mentioned trying "failsafe knoppix 2" and "failsafe 2", which was my attempt to reach the text-only mode and stack commands.

I never used runlevel 2, before... I have used runlevel 1 (single user mode), runlevel 3 (text only networked mode) and runlevel 5 (graphical networked mode). IIRC, runlevel 0 (zero) is system halt, and runlevel 6 is reboot. Again, IIRC, only runlevel 4 is unused, so runlevel 2 must be text only non-networked mode.

I do appreciate your suggestions, though. I will have to look through the docs again and see if there isn't anything I missed.

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Originally Posted by Dave_Bechtel

>
--That's the problem, right there. Emachines are notorious pieces of crap - they're the "Packard Bell" for the new millennium.

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I know. eMachines was cheap. I told her not to buy cheap. She bought cheap. What does she care? I'm the one who's had to do over $1,000 worth of work on it (if I was charging her my usual fee for my time) to keep the damned thing running under Winblows. (Of course I'm not charging her, since she's dear old mom.)

But I know about eMachines. ;)

Thanks for the closure though.

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--That's the problem, right there. Emachines are notorious pieces of crap - they're the "Packard Bell" for the new millennium. Your best bet is to go to a computer show in your area and buy a used computer on the cheap - but ask if (make sure!) you can boot Knoppix on it before you buy!

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Not the case for newer emachines computers. They user better parts and knoppix runs like a dream on my AMD eMachines computer. The damn thing was inexpensive, but it isn't cheap.

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--You might be able to do a workaround in the meantime, but I doubt it.

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My guess is that he is having usb issues. Try typing knoppix nousb at the boot prompt. That should fix the problem.

I've got a Pentium MMX 200 MHz, 64 MB, Rage IIc. If I start Knoppix, there's only a blank screen immediatly after the start picture. If I start it in failsafe mode, a kernel panic occurs. Might this be the same problem? Could the Rage IIc be the problem?

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Originally Posted by cascadefx

Quote:

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--That's the problem, right there. Emachines are notorious pieces of crap - they're the "Packard Bell" for the new millennium. Your best bet is to go to a computer show in your area and buy a used computer on the cheap - but ask if (make sure!) you can boot Knoppix on it before you buy!

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Not the case for newer emachines computers. They user better parts and knoppix runs like a dream on my AMD eMachines computer. The damn thing was inexpensive, but it isn't cheap.

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--You might be able to do a workaround in the meantime, but I doubt it.

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My guess is that he is having usb issues. Try typing knoppix nousb at the boot prompt. That should fix the problem.

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Yea, emachines was bought by gateway and is now useing better parts.

You said it locked up after detecting apm? Try

knoppix noapm

at boot.