Knoppix 3.3 full changelog

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09-22-2003, 11:54 AM
Fabianx

Knoppix detailed changelog

Hi,

as Klaus as always just had a small changelog, I'll detail some issues, which only readers of debian-knoppix mailinglist could know:

- New cheatcode: "noprompt":

Its especially useful in combination with noeject. With noprompt, Knopix won't eject the CD and ask for a keypress. It was a much asked feature some time ago.

- New cheatcode: "modules-disk"

This cheatcode allows to insert a floppy disk with additional modules: For example USB-stick or similar.
Yes, its also possible with "expert", but there you loose the automatic configuration afterwards.

- New cheatcode: "splash"

Thx to probono, who developed this with me in this forum.
It shows the upper half of the KDE splash-screen, while booting up. You can press Esc anytime to see all the messages. Ever wanted to hide those cryptic messages ? Here's the way to go. :-)

You want to customzie it ? No problem, just add your favorite graphics to the cdrom, and add an /cdrom/KNOPPIX/splash.sh.

You can have an command like the following in it:

Code:

fbi -q /usr/share/apps/ksplash/pics/splash_top.png

- Change of syntax for "tohd":

Klaus asked me to change the syntax, so you can now do a "poor mans install" on vfat and ext2-Partitions with:

Code:

knoppix tohd=/dev/hda1

for example.

- New cheatcode "fromhd":

Yes it was already in last knoppix, but I'll explain it a bit more.
With this cheatcode the CD-Roms are ignored, so you can finally boot your "poor mans install" with just the original cdrom.

- Cheatcode "toram" and "fromhd" works now together:

Before it would copy the whole partition to Ram; Kanop pointed out, that this is no good idea. ;-) Thank you!

We are still missing dma-support in this early stage of booting, but there were some unexpected problems and too less time.
I'll try to get in contact my alpha-tester, who originally tested the toram-cheatcode, again and test the dma-functionality.

- "Sambaserver Startup" and "Syslog Startup" in Knoppix-Menü:

Chris Cliechti implemented the first one. It sets an password and exports the home-directories. It can also export all partitions, if you want it.

But we've gone step further. KDE has built-in functionality to publically share Directories and Files in your Home-Directory.

So, you can just right click on a folder and choose the last entry called "share".

As it was ever and ever asked again, Klaus added a startup syslog button.

- Reminder: Be sure to boot with cheatcode "dma":

Dma will then be activated for all harddisks and cdroms, which does speedup the system and system performance a lot.

Before dma was automatically started for hds. But there were problems... So now you have to explicitly say, you want this.

- Reminder: knoppix-customize:

Btw. If you want to add dma or similar to your iso, you won't need to remaster, there is a handly little tool called knoppix-customize, which will do this for you :)). You can set certain params and so on. You can run it from running knoppix or download it here:
http://hydra.hq.linuxtag.net/~kester/knoppix-customize/

- Last but not least (At least I hope so):
->New release of knopix-installer:

Please don't use knx-hdinstall any more!

I won't support it any longer and its just there as uhm, its not my project, but those of Christian Perle.

knoppix-installer should now work in both modes (see below) and give a fairly stable system.

Klaus as always prefers the "knoppix-mode", which installs a system, which runs as if you run it from CD. You can even remaster from this system, as "nothing" is changed. However of course you can do everything with it, as with a normal debian-system, but you'll have the complete hardware detections and so on. Like from CD. :-)

However there is one flaw:

You have to reconfigure the system again to your likings, but then settins in /etc/ are stored.

But there is another goddie:

The commandline in lilo will be the same, as you provided on boot prompt. So if you boot with the splash and dma-cheatcode and copy it to hd in knoppix-mode, it'll boot from hd each time with those two cheatcodes activated so kind of graphical and fast ;).

The other mode (old installer method) did improve much, as it now - supports automounter after start
- all entries (sorry for that) in the Knoppix-Menu do work
- the complete configuration and home-directory is taken from CD
-> so a running network from CD will also run from HD
- Entries in /etc/fstab are now without the wrong username "knoppix".
- experimental hotplug-usb-support for USB-sticks and so on (needs testing though)
- Open Office is english in EN-versions!

For both modes of operation:

- New: floppy disc creation. Greetings go to Gilles Pelletier from debian-knoppix-ml, here it is ;-).

Thats all folks, I hope I found all bugs, and that you enjoy this new release.

I downloaded two knoppix 3.3 before it was released and always found more bugs ;-).

Before I forget, there should be some power users out there, who want to install knoppix on more then one machine ...

There is an almost automatical way, to do this, as knoppix-installer uses a config-file ...

Its in ~/.knofig; you can also take a look at the log file ~/.knofig_log, which is written during installation process.

With a config on floppy disk or even burned to cdrom, network and knoppix-terminalserver an almost automatical installation should be fairly easy ...

Set BOOT_FLOPPY="no" in config-file.

cp config to ~/.knofig
Load installer
Click on "Install".

Do this on some other machines, then go drink a cup of coffe, and see on all of those: Finished installation after a while ;).

Also the ~/.knofig file is once created, well commented and has some other goodies like HD_MAP, with which you can have for example your home-dir on another partition.

You can create it though quitting the installer, or saving it under a different name from the menu.

Yeah, I forgot something. Luckily I made a note paper, before writing all this:

For those guys, who just get to the partition menu and can't go to the main menu, as my installer thinks the partition is not yet, right.

Please do the following steps:

sudo rebuildfstab -r -v # this should add all your partitions
export IGNORE_CHECK=1
sudo knoppix-installer

Then you can also install wihtout swap-partition and also install on a disk, which is smaller then we would need it. However do this onyour own risk ;-).

And last thing for all those adventurous people out there:

There is experimental support for the original mepis-installer, which will also make a knoppix-mode installation.

If anyone don't like my interface, go on and try this one, but there is no support for it, yet. :-)

To try it do:

sudo ln -s /KNOPPIX /linux
sudo /usr/share/knoppix-installer/minstall

Ok, but now thats all. And I think a 3.3 was ok, for such a release.

cu

Fabian
09-22-2003, 03:05 PM
Superstoned

fabian: you proved to be wonderfull, again.

TNX alot!

ofcourse, also alot credit to Klaus, without him, I whouldnt have been able to use Debian, and that goes for alot ppl I think...
09-22-2003, 04:02 PM
ktheking

Pffffff....
What a list..
Fabian ,do you sleep at all ???? :shock:
Gotta test this one exhaustively,seems very promising (Samba Server startup,splash,etc..) .
09-22-2003, 08:44 PM
john_h

Re: Knoppix detailed changelog

Hello Fabian,

Please provide a URL for
downloading your new install
script.

Is it now possible to install
only selected packages or do
you still have to accept the
lot?

Regards

john
09-22-2003, 09:41 PM
Superstoned

the new script is on the new cd. and it is still not possible to choose what packages to install and what not, and I think fabian is not even thinking about making that possible cuz that whould be a huge amount of work (I think). And you can easily use apt-get, or an frontend like synaptic, to remove and add packages yourself.

And knoppix was never meant as installer for debian, you should use memphis for that...

thats why klaus doesn't want the installer to have an link in the kde-menu, on the kicker or on the desktop.

grtz
09-22-2003, 10:21 PM
Stephen

Re: Knoppix detailed changelog

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_h

Hello Fabian,
Please provide a URL for
downloading your new install
script.

Regards

john

The link to the installer.
09-22-2003, 10:54 PM
Superstoned

ehm... this link is to the old knx-hdinstall, and not to fabian's knoppix-installer, isnt it?
09-22-2003, 11:20 PM
Stephen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superstoned

ehm... this link is to the old knx-hdinstall, and not to fabian's knoppix-installer, isnt it?

No it is the correct installer it is just named similar if you look into the file knx-installer_2.1-0.tar.gz you will see the new installer (knoppix-installer) in there.
09-22-2003, 11:21 PM
Superstoned

ow ok ;)
09-23-2003, 01:07 PM
WuN

Difference?

I have been using knx-hdinstall and it has been working just fine for me (on versions up to this). What has changed with this one? Why is knoppix-install better?
Thanks
09-23-2003, 03:09 PM
Superstoned

the new script, created by fabian, is much more advanced than the previous. if offers:
1. Your own user on install.
2. The ability using the .knofig file to have your own /home and other partitions during install.
3. Also using the .knofig file choosing the services started at boot on the new system, and tweak other things.
4. QTParted used during the install if needed.
5. The ability to save the configuration of your install for later use.
6. its easier...

and even more, i dont remember ;)
09-24-2003, 02:09 AM
phillfri

Boy, Knopix Linux just keeps getting better at an amazing pace! I've been working with desktop computers (as a business tool) since 1980 and following Linux from a distance for the past 5 years, and this is the first version I've seen that can honestly claim to be "user friendly" - even if that isn't the main goal :>) So, I've finally taken the plunge (I'm so new at this I squeak when I type). The new install on the last release gave me a nice desktop working machine, and it looks even better in this release.

One fix I didn't see mentioned though was the block-major-2 hardware detection error for machines without standard floopy drives installed. This would kill the hardware detection process every time, albeit my Desknote would still complete all the post hardware detection processes and boot ok. Albeit, I can't help but think some of the quirks I noticed and manual configuring I had to do might well have been caused by the hardware detection process failure. The only solution I found for that was to actually do a hdinstall, which I had to do anyway to get the wireless prism2_usb driver to work (that little beauty is commented out in network configuration files in favor of the prism2_pci driver).

Still love this distro (if we can call it that) and I'm hoping it will bring me gently and effectively into the Linux fold. Keep up the GREAT work!
09-24-2003, 04:23 AM
m_yates

I was wondering if any documentation was available on the new installer especially what was meant by the "one flaw" of the "knoppix way" of installing. Does that mean that the auto-magical detection resets config files at every boot, so that any changes have to be edited again after each reboot?

By the way, I don't know why people say knoppix was never meant to be a Debian installer. The Debian project should adopt it for their installer. It is so much better. I've tried installing woody and I've tried the "new" sarge installer, both are pains in the rump. With knx-hdinstall, I started the script and had a working Debian system in less than 1 hour, with only a few minor glitches to iron out.
09-24-2003, 05:06 AM
WuN

Upgrading from 3.2

I currently have knx 3.2 (6/6 release) installed on my notebook, and i am wondering if there is an eazer way to up-grade. I have been through up-dates in the past (i have been using knx for almost a year now), so i have gotten used to having my home dir on a diff. partition (allthou everyone should do this). Its still a pain having to re-install everything (installed from apt-get and source), so i wanna know if someone out there has a better solution.
Thanks a lot!
WuN
09-25-2003, 04:06 PM
tdurden

What is memphis

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superstoned

And knoppix was never meant as installer for debian, you should use memphis for that...

What is memphis, and where is it located?

Tyler
09-25-2003, 07:04 PM
aay

Re: What is memphis

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdurden

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superstoned

And knoppix was never meant as installer for debian, you should use memphis for that...

What is memphis, and where is it located?

Tyler

I'm sure he meant to say "mepis" . Look toward the end of Fabianx's inital post.
09-26-2003, 05:22 AM
mikeoak

Mepis is similar to Knoppix.... probably a version of it that has an install link on the bootable cd.

http://mepis.org/

There are some good reviews on pclinuxonline.com
09-29-2003, 09:20 PM
probono

6in1 card reader finally works

BTW, my 6in1 card reader finally works in this release... something regarding "probe all LUNs" seems to be changed :)
10-03-2003, 07:07 PM
sferrojr

Re-matering from knoppix-installer

Way to go Fabian, the new installer script is great!

Anyone have a how-to or some pointers on re-mastering from a "Knoix-Mode" HD install as Fabian mentioned in the start of this thread?

Thanks!
10-16-2003, 03:24 AM
bfree

Quote:

Originally Posted by m_yates

By the way, I don't know why people say knoppix was never meant to be a Debian installer. The Debian project should adopt it for their installer. It is so much better. I've tried installing woody and I've tried the "new" sarge installer, both are pains in the rump. With knx-hdinstall, I started the script and had a working Debian system in less than 1 hour, with only a few minor glitches to iron out.

Well the simple reason why Debian isn't going to use knoppix as it's installer is that Debian currently supports 11 different hardware platforms while Knoppix supports 1 (or is it two with the ppc versions knocking around). Some of those platforms cover things like handheld computers which could never dream of coping with 700Mb of a compressed system! On top of that Debian is not a desktop distribution, but "The Universal Operating System" and hence is used for servers and network devices aswell where minimal installs are required (and tailored installs at that). The good news is that Debian has never shown the slightest animosity to other efforts to create installers for specific needs (Progeny and Corel both created their own installers) so they could well recommend Knoppix as a desktop installation method for i386 without prejudicing their own installer. Debian has always put itself forward as the basis for other distros, Knoppix is just the latest (and greatest?) in that line.
11-02-2003, 02:52 AM
A. Jorge Garcia

Is mepis a copy of knoppix?

Regards,
11-27-2003, 08:43 PM
heffeque

Are you going to make a new Knoppix with kernel ?

Are you going to make a new Knoppix with kernel ?

It would be an interesting idea :-D

And what about new hardware compatibility ? It would be nice to see (or better said: "hear") 5.1 DVDs with the SoundStorm :D
11-28-2003, 02:14 PM
legal

One question to Fabianx...

Once again, you proved to be wonderfull, :P
My question:
- This release work with VMWare Worstation v4.0.5 Build-6030?
(This software creates one virtual machine)

Thanks
Legal
11-28-2003, 05:35 PM
heffeque

Re: Are you going to make a new Knoppix with kernel ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by heffeque

Are you going to make a new Knoppix with kernel ?

Sorry, I meant kernel 2.6 I didn't have the number lock enabled ;)
12-18-2003, 09:03 PM
rudiz

...is it not mepis?
www.distrowatch.org
12-19-2003, 02:40 PM
Bernd Blaauw

works great in Vmware.