easy way to install knoppix

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10-10-2005, 08:21 PM
bobyd54

easy way to install knoppix

I have been running windows for many years now and would like to convert 2 pc's now running windows xp on my home network to knoppix.
I have a cd i boot from and run it but I would like to remove windows xp compleatly and have knoppix load from the harddrive at start up.
Can this be done?
I searched the forum but to be honest the info I found is just to technical for me (a new to Linux guy).
Is their a Cd I can downdoad that will do a self instalation similar to windows , where I power on the pc and it does the rest ?
If not is their a step by step installation guid that will talk me threw it without knowing linux?
Thanks Any help .
10-10-2005, 08:48 PM
Harry Kuhman

Knoppix is first and foremost a Live CD. It is intended to be used as a live CD and many of the choices that were made in building it are good choices when it is used as a live CD but bad choices when it is made to install on a hard disk. See this post.

There are basically two groups of people, those who think that Installing Knoppix is really great and those who think it is a bad idea. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm in the second group.

Members of the first group have posted a lot about doing this. There is even a forum about hard disk install (where this post would better fit). But if you find their discussion too hard core than I would strongly suggest that you do not try installing Knoppix, because in all likelyhood you will encounter many of the same problems that they hit over and over again.

Knoppix is based on Debian, a Linux distribution that is intended for hard disk install. You can download a CD from the debian site and install a clean copy of debian from there. The CD contains may additional programs (link here is to the torrent list for downloading these CDs with BitTorrent). To get any of the programs that are included in Knoppix and many many more you can either download a full CD set (I think it's about 14 CDs now) or after the install you can just download the programs that you are interested in across the internet with Debian's package manager. There is also a way to download just a small starter CD and install completely across the internet, but for the beginner (who may end up installing more than once before he gets exactly what he wants) I would highly recommend downloading the first one of the Debian install CD's, installing from that, much in the way that you install windows, and then installing any additional applications that you want with the Internet package manager. This will allow you to avoid all of the postings about things in Knoppix that worked fine from CD but stopped working after a hard disk install (just some of the common problems when you try to "install" Knoppix).
10-10-2005, 09:13 PM
UnderScore

Quote:

I have been running windows for many years now and would like to convert 2 pc's now running windows xp on my home network to knoppix.
I have a cd i boot from and run it but I would like to remove windows xp compleatly and have knoppix load from the harddrive at start up.
Can this be done?

Sure it can be done. http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Hd_Install_HowTo

We more experienced users know that everyone (super knowledgable users & newbies alike) will have problems with PCs & new operating systems. When choosing to use Linux, a decision should be made to minimize the amount of problems & frustrations so that you can have a great Linux experience. Knoppix is a great Linux distro that is designed to be a demo or a test CD. It is very good in that capacity and we can help people quite easily. However Knoppix is not designed to be installed to the HD and this results in technical problems that make it hard for a new user to overcome. Furthermore it is difficult for us experienced users to diagnose & fix. This is why we recommend against a Knoppix HD install.

Finding a personal desktop OS distro is for me like finding a comfortable pair of dress shoes. I've bought $25 shoes that I discovered I hated. I've bought $80 shoes that again I hated. I think it has taken me a cycle of 5 pairs of shoes before I found a brand that is good looking, sturdy and more importantly comfortable to wear. You must discover the comfortable desktop OS for yourself by reading, experiementing & learning.

I recommend that you use Kubuntu (focused on KDE) or Ubuntu (focused on GNOME) or. All are designed to be installed to the HD & to be used by new users or non-technical users. This Thurday October 13, 2005, there will be a new release of Kubuntu/Ubuntu with a release number of 5.10 or you could refer to the codename "Breezy Badger". The CD download will be free ($0.00) and you can even order professional printed CDs for free ($0.00) at https://shipit.ubuntu.com/.

I also recommend Linspire because they present a well rounded, easy to use, good looking Linux distro. You can get it as cheap as $20 or as much as $50.
10-10-2005, 10:13 PM
OErjan

yes Debian is one choise. so are some of the other distributions, like fedora, suse, mandriva...
these tree are considered more "beginner friendly" personaly i think they are somewhat overautomated,
some things can be harder than nessesary when fighting the automation (most likely no disasters though).