Read only HD

**Macrob** · 07-14-2004, 10:05 AM

As a total newbie I love Knoppix; so much that I now want it on my hard drive. I've tried numerous times to install on various hard drives, both blank and formatted from a previous Linux install, but each time when I get to the partioning section of the installl I end up with the following:

"Opened disk is read only - you have no permission to write" and I have to abort.

I haven't seen this problem listed on the Forum and I don't get the message when I install other distros eg. Mandrake, PC Linux, Cobind.

I really want Knoppix on my hard drive (no dual boot, just Knoppix) as it has everything I want. Please help this total newbie.

**ghetto_blaster** · 07-14-2004, 01:51 PM

You need to change your hard-drive first to read write mode from the desktop. Click on the image of the hard-drive and uncheck read-only.

I got the same error after making the hard-drive read&write mode. I had to start terminal (at the bottom of the screen...black box icon) and from there type su and after that type sudo knoppix-installer on the screen.

**Macrob** · 07-15-2004, 01:46 AM

Ghetto -blaster you're a genius. Problem solved thanks to an answer in words a newbie can understand. A simple problem but one which frusrated me to distraction.

I now have Knoppix on my hard drive and am now busy cofiguring it. Could I be pushy and ask one more question just so I can speed up the process?

How can a change the screen resolution - the task bar config. window is so large I can't see the Apply or OK buttons and resizing doesn't work either.

This Forum rocks and so does Knoppix.

**ghetto_blaster** · 07-15-2004, 07:06 AM

Check here:

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...een+resolution

"Open a root shell (from the Knoppix menu) and type in kxconfig and press enter, you should see an option for screen resolution. After selecting the correct resolution, quit and save configuration. From the same root shell type restartx and press enter."

**Macrob** · 07-15-2004, 07:47 AM

Ghetto_blaster you could very quickly become one of my best mates(not really a +ve for you). You are an excellent Linux tutor pointing newbies to the correct help in language we can understand.

Two lots of help in one go - apologies that it wasn't really the right forum. Now that the excitement of the HD install is over I'll spend some time configuring and checking the forums properly if I need help - our newbie problems will most likely be covered somewhere.

**ghetto_blaster** · 07-15-2004, 08:22 AM

It was my pleasure to help you

**kurtz25** · 07-26-2004, 01:25 AM

Well, I am in exactly the same boat, but I can't seem to get it to work.

I have un-checked "Read Only" in the "Device" tab of the Properties dialog within KDE for each partition I have (3 total). But when I run it from the Ctrl-Alt-F2 terminal, it gives me the "Opened disk is read only - you have no permission to write" error.

I have also tried it from the "Root Shell" window in KDE, which gives me a shiny pretty UI, and opens "Parted," the disk manager app. In that application, I created a 512MB primary "Linux-swap" partition, and a 3GB (the rest of the hard drive) primary FAT32 partition and committed the changes. They appear to have stuck, as if I go into that application again, the partitions still have those attributes.

After I am done in that application, I don't know what to do... I think I'm supposed to just quit and then run knoppix-installer again, and it is supposed to no longer tell me I need to partition my hard drive. But when I run knoppix-installer again, I just end up at the same place.

I feel like I'm making some really dumb mistake since other people are getting it to install just fine.

Can anyone give me some advice? I really really like Knoppix and would like to just install it as-is rather than starting from a base of Debian.

Thanks!

**shah** · 07-26-2004, 03:39 AM

Kurtz25
When you enter ctrl+alt+F2 you actually entering as a new user with different previlage. What you just did with your "Device" won't work.

For knoppix-installer to work you need two partition:
1) Linux Swap (at least 128M depends how much ram you have)
2) Linux partition (EXT3)

I don't see you have created a linux partition, except fat32 and linux swap.

**Macrob** · 07-27-2004, 10:11 AM

kurtz25. As a newbie I don't feel qualified to offer advice but I can say after following Ghetto_blaster's advice I performed a clean install with no other O/S installed and it worked fine.

Shah is right indicating that you don't seem to have created a Linux partition to load the O/S onto.

Good luck - it worked for me thanks to this great Forum.

**scruffyeagle** · 07-27-2004, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by kurtz25

Well, I am in exactly the same boat, but I can't seem to get it to work.

I have un-checked "Read Only" in the "Device" tab of the Properties dialog within KDE for each partition I have (3 total). But when I run it from the Ctrl-Alt-F2 terminal, it gives me the "Opened disk is read only - you have no permission to write" error.

I have also tried it from the "Root Shell" window in KDE, which gives me a shiny pretty UI, and opens "Parted," the disk manager app. In that application, I created a 512MB primary "Linux-swap" partition, and a 3GB (the rest of the hard drive) primary FAT32 partition and committed the changes. They appear to have stuck, as if I go into that application again, the partitions still have those attributes.

After I am done in that application, I don't know what to do... I think I'm supposed to just quit and then run knoppix-installer again, and it is supposed to no longer tell me I need to partition my hard drive. But when I run knoppix-installer again, I just end up at the same place.

I feel like I'm making some really dumb mistake since other people are getting it to install just fine.

Can anyone give me some advice? I really really like Knoppix and would like to just install it as-is rather than starting from a base of Debian.

Thanks!

Hi, kurt25! Another newbie here,... I managed to get a Debian system installed after several attempts, but have been struggling to get it right ever since trying to work the bugs out. (Mainly, hardware issues.)

Here's a general description of how I got it to work on my system: Boot from CD. Make sure the HD is mounted on the desktop (you need to specifically mount it). Go to the properties, and tweak those to make the HD writeable for everyone. Start up QPARTED from the K menu, and mess with the partitions. Shut it down completely to powered off. (I had problems, during one attempt where I tried just rebooting without powering down completely.) Power back up, booting off CD. Now, use your Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get a terminal window. Try your installation from there. It'll probably try to get you to repartition. Go with the flow. Let it start up the cfdisk program, then try to exit as if you actually made changes (but, don't make changes). Hopefully, this will get you into the rest of the installation routines, like it did for me.

Scruffy
http://scruffyeagle.com