Going form Knoppix to Debian

**ishtvan22** · 10-19-2004, 05:49 AM

Currently I have a dual boot computer. I boot either Win 98 or Knoppix using LILO. I want to get rid of Knoppix and install Debian in the partiton Knoppix is in. What would be the best way to go about removing Knoppix without messing up LILO?

Thanks

**mzilikazi** · 10-19-2004, 07:08 AM

Personally I would install Kanotix, along with GRUB and enjoy. :P

**certifieduser** · 10-19-2004, 02:25 PM

if you dont know that knoppix is debian you should stick with win98 and enjoy

change the knoppix wallpaper with one debian "e" one and you should be all set.

hope this helps.

**Markus** · 10-19-2004, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by certifieduser

knoppix is debian

Except for all the Knoppix packages.
I'm running Kanotix myself which gives you the same grade of hardware autodetection as Knoppix but is a lot easier to install than Debian, and closer to pure Debian than Knoppix.

**mzilikazi** · 10-19-2004, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by certifieduser

if you dont know that knoppix is debian you should stick with win98 and enjoy

change the knoppix wallpaper with one debian "e" one and you should be all set.

hope this helps.

Hmmm.....well given the degree of difficulty in upgrading a Knoppix hdd installed system I'd have to disagree with you. Also it has proven to be no easy task to rebuild the Knoppix kernel. This I would say is not Debian because Debian IS easy to upgrade and it IS easy to recompile a kernel on Debian. I cannot speak for Klaus but it does not seem to me that he has any interest whatsoever in making Knoppix suitable for an hdd install.

Let me ask you this. If you put a Gentoo wallpaper on Mandrake do you have Gentoo?

**champagnemojo** · 10-19-2004, 07:42 PM

Knoppix is based on Debian, but as Markus points out isn't exactly the same. I recently moved from Knoppix to Debian and am pleased with the change. From my perspective, there are really only two big advantages to switching to a pure debian install:

1) upgrades run smoothly...they're major pains with knoppix. Kanotix also fixes this issue though. I have Kanotix on my laptop and recently ran an upgrade with very little problem. I was very impressed.

2) you get to choose the software that goes onto your system. This is a big advantage to me, and one that Kanotix doesn't help on. Mind you, you can certainly try to go through a Knoppix or Kanotix install and remove the stuff you don't want/need, but it will take you forever. With Debian you get your base system installed and then can build it yourself.

I realize that for folks with a dial-up net account, the huge numbers of software on Knoppix and Kanotix could be a big advantage. But for me it's not. Beyond those two things you won't notice any big difference between Debian and Knoppix. I ran a Knoppix hd-install for a year and it certainly gives you a great system.

The disadvantage of the Debian install that people point to is the difficulty in the installation. I disagree about this though...I think this opinion likely dates back to previous installers. If you've used Knoppix and installed it a few times, you will have no trouble with the new Sarge installer. I find it to be very intuitive and simple to follow. So if you want to try switching to Debian, I say go for it.

As per your question, just let the Sarge installer re-install LILO to your MBR...that's probably the easiest way to go about it.

**markb** · 10-20-2004, 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by champagnemojo

1) upgrades run smoothly...they're major pains with knoppix. Kanotix also fixes this issue though. I have Kanotix on my laptop and recently ran an upgrade with very little problem. I was very impressed.

FYI, I am running Mepis and do full updates all the time without problems. Plenty of people dist-upgrade and then update to unstable without issues either.

**Balaji** · 10-20-2004, 09:23 AM

I would agree with what champagnemojo said but in my opinion the section where Debian lacks is obsolete packages . Though Debian ships with a wonderful tool apt-get which has the capability to fetch packages from the respective repositories and install them onto the hdd without any dependency problems,but when a person installs Debian for the first time. he has to spend more time in upgrading his system so that his system matches with the latest packages.Example : With a normal Debian Woody install all u get is 2.4 Kernel and an old KDE and Gnome Environments so if i were to get the latest updates . i need to spend more time in installing packages and the the upgradation that would happen to my system would be like from earth to moon because of the old packages that comes along with Debian . Or what i could do is just install the base system and then do a dist-upgrade which would fetch me the latest packages. All in all Debian would suit ppl who have got an internet connection with high bandwidth.

So comparing Debian and Knoppix in terms of the packages u get the latest packages in knoppix so u dont have to spend time in installing a lot of them.

**champagnemojo** · 10-20-2004, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by markb

FYI, I am running Mepis and do full updates all the time without problems. Plenty of people dist-upgrade and then update to unstable without issues either.

I don't really have any experience with Mepis, but I'm glad to hear that Mepis upgrades are smooth as well.

**champagnemojo** · 10-20-2004, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Balaji

I would agree with what champagnemojo said but in my opinion the section where Debian lacks is obsolete packages . Though Debian ships with a wonderful tool apt-get which has the capability to fetch packages from the respective repositories and install them onto the hdd without any dependency problems,but when a person installs Debian for the first time. he has to spend more time in upgrading his system so that his system matches with the latest packages.Example : With a normal Debian Woody install all u get is 2.4 Kernel and an old KDE and Gnome Environments so if i were to get the latest updates . i need to spend more time in installing packages and the the upgradation that would happen to my system would be like from earth to moon because of the old packages that comes along with Debian . Or what i could do is just install the base system and then do a dist-upgrade which would fetch me the latest packages. All in all Debian would suit ppl who have got an internet connection with high bandwidth.

So comparing Debian and Knoppix in terms of the packages u get the latest packages in knoppix so u dont have to spend time in installing a lot of them.

Why install Woody if you want the latest packages though? If you use the latest Sarge installer it takes very little time to get your system up to date. And the kernels that come with it are 2.4.27 and 2.6.8.