Knoppix Boot Stalls

**jimbo62** · 07-23-2004, 06:42 PM

I downloaded an iso file and burned a CD with Knoppix 3.4. I booted on PC-1 with no problems. I was surfing the Internet via my router and cable modem in less than 5 minutes. It doesn't get any better than that!!!

This morning I tried to boot the CD on PC-2. Everything appeared to be going OK, but then when the boot process got to a line that reads: "Scanning for Harddisk partitions and creating /etc/fstab...", the boot stalled and I had to power down.

PC-1 has Win98, FAT32 on hard drive "C" and WinXP, FAT32 on hard drive "D". PC-2 has Win98, FAT32 on hard drive "C" and WinXP, NTFS on hard drive "D". Both computers are set up for dual boot using the WinXP bootloader.

Any help in solving this problem will be appreciated.

jimbo

**pulsar** · 07-24-2004, 09:12 PM

Try to boot in failsave modus ("knoppix failsave").

**tweetyhack** · 07-24-2004, 09:41 PM

try disabling acpi using "noacpi". hit F2 for all the options. maybe dma too. hope that helps.

**Donna R** · 07-25-2004, 05:24 AM

can't really help you except to say that's what happened to me tonight. tried to load knoppix on an older computer but after it got to something about XII the screen went black, the cdrom kept reading for maybe a minute or two then that was it. finally gave up and put it on my PIII 933 mhz computer and like you said--bingo up and running and on the net with my dsl modem and router. sure put windows to SHAME!

so it must be something in the computers, the one that wouldn't work is a PII 400 mhz, and has less ram.

**Cuddles** · 07-25-2004, 06:30 PM

Donna R,

As I said, in another post you had contributed to, cheatcodes will be your saviour...

The black screen, especially when the last thing you see is something about X11 starting, is usually something that X11 is trying to setup your monitor / video card and it isn't getting it "just right" -=- either the refresh or resolution... What has always worked for me is two cheatcodes on the boot prompt, with a "sprinkling" of a third added to ensure nothing is "getting in the way"...

try the following, for the default kernel in v3.4:

boot: knoppix screen=1024x768 vrefresh=60 noscsi

or for the experimental, v3.4 2.6.6 kernel:

boot: linux26 screen=1024x768 vrefresh=60 noscsi

This "might" get you by the black screen...

Hope this helps,
Ms. Cuddles

**jimbo62** · 07-26-2004, 12:52 AM

Well, I tried "noacpi' and "nodma'", but Knoppix boot from CD still stalled at fstab. But Knoppix booted all the way with "safemode". But it seems like a lot of hardware detect was bypassed. But the log in screens pass so fast that I don't have a clue as to what hardware doesn't get installed. There must be a log somewhere that gives the details. But where?

I found some log files but many gave me a "no permission" message and most were not very helpful.

Any help will be appreciated.

jimbo

**Donna R** · 07-26-2004, 02:09 AM

thanks for the info. I have learned how to press F2 and type in instructions, like in DOS. as knoppix works great on my better computer but I had to change the resolution from that tiny text! and I learned to save the config so that I don't have to change it the next time.

I don't know how to type two commands, though. after typing one I press enter and knoppix loads.

**CrashedAgain** · 07-26-2004, 03:35 AM

Originally Posted by jimbo62

Well, I tried "noacpi' and "nodma'", but Knoppix boot from CD still stalled at fstab. But Knoppix booted all the way with "safemode". But it seems like a lot of hardware detect was bypassed. But the log in screens pass so fast that I don't have a clue as to what hardware doesn't get installed. There must be a log somewhere that gives the details. But where?

I found some log files but many gave me a "no permission" message and most were not very helpful.

Any help will be appreciated.

jimbo

There is a 'nofstab' option as well, just in case Knoppix is having problems writing your partitions into /etc/fstab file. but probably it is having problems with detecting a filetype or something. Try booting failsafe then run cfdisk (from a terminal mode just type 'cfdisk'. Cfidisk should list all the partitions it can find. Do they look correct? If not, the problem is in not detecting the partitons correctly. If looks OK, the problem is probably in making up the fstab file.

Donna R: to use more than one bootcode command just separate them with spaces eg:
"knoppix lang=us vga=normal noapci"

**Donna R** · 07-26-2004, 08:09 PM

I got Knoppix to load on the older computer! (as I said, it loaded on the newer one which is 3 years old.) because of what Ms Cuddles wrote about the video card and monitor (below) I tried doing what I'd learned to set the screen resolution--

when the first Knoppix screen comes up instead of pressing enter, you press F2 to put in cheat codes. where it says boot: I typed--
knoppix screen=800x600
then pressed enter. it continued to load. got the black screen at the same place as before but just for a few seconds. got grey screens and strange stuff but then it fully loaded.

Donna

>>The black screen, especially when the last thing you see is something about X11 starting, is usually something that X11 is trying to setup your monitor / video card and it isn't getting it "just right" -=- either the refresh or resolution... What has always worked for me is two cheatcodes on the boot prompt, with a "sprinkling" of a third added to ensure nothing is "getting in the way"...

try the following, for the default kernel in v3.4:

boot: knoppix screen=1024x768 vrefresh=60 noscsi

or for the experimental, v3.4 2.6.6 kernel:

boot: linux26 screen=1024x768 vrefresh=60 noscsi

This "might" get you by the black screen...

Hope this helps,
Ms. Cuddles