Data Loss and Saving Problems

[djbjrca]

I am completely new to Knoppix, and any type of Linux at that, and have two questions. First, I am running Knoppix 3.7 off of a cd, and whenever I make configuration changes or save things, it disappears when I start Knoppix again. Is this just because of the CD, or does this happen even after Knoppix is on the hard drive. This brings me to my second question. If I install Knoppix on my hard drive, do I loose any data and can I still use Windows? Thanks for any help you can give me.

[mr_ed]

Hi, and welcome to Linux! (If you aren't already discouraged by a lack of reply.... )

Is this just because of the CD ... do I lose any data ... can I still use Windows?

Yes, not if you do it right, and yes. Next question?

Actually, there are a couple of ways to save stuff on your hard drive without having to completely install Knoppix. With one way, you don't even have to shove your Windows installation around to make room.

So there are kind of four levels of using Knoppix - just from the CD, from the CD with small amounts of stuff stored in a file in Windows, creating a partition on the hard drive for Knoppix to store stuff in without installing the system, and making space on the hard drive and fully installing Knoppix.

It depends on what you want to do. Knoppix may not even be the Linux you want to install - it's really just made for running from CD, but it can be installed if you want to. And Windows will still be there - when you boot (or reboot) your computer, you'll get to choose which system to fire up.

What is it about Knoppix that interests you?

-- Ed

[djbjrca]

I don't plan to use Knoppix for long, I just want to see if I like it better that windows. I can't completely give it up (Myst won't run on Linux .), but want to use it as a primary OS. I wnat to switch to Red Hat or the like soon, but it's hard to evaluate it fairly if I can't do anything with it.

[mr_ed]

Then I think what you want to do is keep running Knoppix from CD but save settings and maybe files on the HD.

• - run Knoppix;
  - click on the chubby little penguin in the lower-left corner;
  - choose Configure;
  - choose Save KNOPPIX Configuration;
  - pick which stuff to save to HD, including All files on the desktop if you like.

This saves a file called configs.tbz, which is all that stuff archived together (with tar) and then compressed (with bzip). In fact, the file doesn't have to be saved to HD - you could put it on floppy or USB too.

The next time you boot Knoppix, use the cheatcode myconfig= and follow it with either the Linux name for the Windows partition or the word scan to make Knoppix look for it. For more info on this option, look on the forum for keywords persistent and settings.

Another way to do it is to go through the first three steps and then choose Create a persistent KNOPPIX home directory. This creates a file knoppix.img, which is a little more of a PITA - you have to decide in advance what size you want it to be (though you can resize it later). Next time you boot, use the cheatcode home= instead of myconfig=.

Hope this helps!

-- Ed

[eco2geek]

Actually, the "save Knoppix configuration" option isn't terribly useful unless there's some sort of hardware you have that Knoppix doesn't auto-configure for you correctly when it boots up, and you have to configure it manually.

For example, there's this old computer I have whose graphics card doesn't play well with X Windows' "GLX" module. So, after manually editing /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 -- X Windows' configuration file -- I can save my Knoppix configuration, and then not have to do it again the next time I boot off the live CD.

But if your hardware runs fine after booting off the Knoppix CD, there's really no need to do that.

Creating a persistent home directory is a lot more useful, because a) all your KDE configuration settings will be kept from session to session; b) you can actually store files on it; and c) you can use "Klik" (see the Klik Forum section for more info) to install programs (there's also a small selection of programs available on the Knoppix menu). Even better, you can create a persistent home directory on a USB thumbdrive, and take Knoppix and your files with you from computer to computer.

On the other hand, the only way to get a sense of Knoppix's speed is to install it to your hard drive. Running off the CD definitely slows it down.

P.S. My opinion: If you like the GNOME desktop, you'll like Fedora Core. But if you like KDE better (it's what Knoppix defaults to), Fedora Core will highly exasperate you. And in any case, the Debian package management system is way better than the Red Hat Package Manager.

[mr_ed]

the Debian package management system is way better than the Red Hat Package Manager.

Amen!

If you install a distro that uses the apt package-management tools (like Knoppix and everything else based on Debian) you'll see this about every other time you go to install or update something - apt will automatically ask if you'd like to get the other stuff that you need for the installation to be successful. And you'll say yes, of course.

RPM, the RedHat Package Manager, doesn't do this, and you'll curse and wonder why your shiny new package doesn't work right.

-- Ed

[eco2geek]

Yes, Fedora's gotten a bit better now that it uses YUM, but even YUM seems brain-dead in comparison to APT. Not that I'm biased or anything. (Plus, the Debian pool of installable applications seems to be much larger.)

[djbjrca]

Thank you so much for your help. This should hold me for a while!