Knoppix v 3.9

**Harry Kuhman** · 06-03-2005, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by kahuna

There's a bug in the shapshot version of UnionFS used in knoppix 3.9 that freezes....

Originally Posted by UnderScore

Thanks for pointing this out. I thought only I had this problem.

So what's really happening with the UnionFS. All I've seen since 3.8 came out is these types of warnings about it. Are people actually able to use it for anything useful yet?

**UnderScore** · 06-03-2005, 04:22 PM

Lets test the package install bug. Boot with Knoppix 3.9. Download http://debian.mirrors.pair.com/pool/....2-11_i386.deb 90KB. Then Install it.

Code:

wget http://debian.mirrors.pair.com/pool/....2-11_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i aterm_0.4.2-11_i386.deb

Result? Kernel Hang. Machine is dead.

Since the debian package system is broken, I fear we will soon see a 3.9.1 release of Knoppix.

Originally Posted by Harry Kuhman

So what's really happening with the UnionFS. All I've seen since 3.8 came out is these types of warnings about it.

UnionFS is a experimental filesystem conceived at SUNY Stonybrook, about 15 mintues from my home. The Filesystem Lab of the CS deptarment received a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to explore secure networkable stackable filesystems. UnionFS is the fruit of their research. It is not truely grounbreaking in concept (many people have thought of overlaying fileystems on top of each other), but it is fantastic when implemented on a Live CD like Knoppix. However the devil is in the details of making it work.

Are people actually able to use it for anything useful yet?

There are folks that wanted to run a database, mysql, from a Knoppix CD. In 3.7 & lower, the problem was that parts of /var were not mounted on the ramdisk so those parts were still read only. This meant that if you wanted to run mysql or other progs that access /var you would need to map /var to the ramdisk. This required the user to remaster Knoppix & edit the linuxrc file in the /boot/isolinux/minirt.gz. Versions 3.8.x & up brings Unionfs & allows all of the filesystem to be "read/write" & that solves the problem of read-only /var.
At this point in time, I like unionfs & hope that they can get around its bugs & quirks but it seems to me that the inclusion of unionfs in knoppix 3.8 was proof of concept: "It works. We got it running" as opposed to "It works well."

**rwcitek** · 06-03-2005, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by UnderScore

Lets test the package install bug. Boot with Knoppix 3.9. Download http://debian.mirrors.pair.com/pool/....2-11_i386.deb 90KB. Then Install it.

Code:

wget http://debian.mirrors.pair.com/pool/....2-11_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i aterm_0.4.2-11_i386.deb

Result? Kernel Hang. Machine is dead.

Similar result here with installing R:

Code:

apt-get update
apt-get -y install r-base

So, where to file bug reports?

Regards,
- Robert
http://www.cwelug.org/

**UnderScore** · 06-03-2005, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by rwcitek

So, where to file bug reports?

I created a V3.9 bug entry and added what I know of the packaging bug. http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Bugs/3.9-2005-05-27

**borru** · 06-03-2005, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by UnderScore

From http://www.knoppix.com/
...

This will be probably be the last "single CD" version of KNOPPIX. Starting from Version 4.0 (coming soon), the project will be split into a "Light" CD version, and a "Maxi" DVD release.

"Light" CD version - this means that 4.0 CD distro will contain Knoppix with only most popular software and other software packages will go onto DVD ?

**Harry Kuhman** · 06-03-2005, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by borru

"Light" CD version - this means that 4.0 CD distro will contain Knoppix with only most popular software and other software packages will go onto DVD ?

I see little reason to expect that the CD will be much different than it is now, the DVD should just have a lot more. Of course, things will vanish from the CD to make way for other things or for a more bloated ---- I mean larger kernel. This has been happening as long as I've known Knoppix, at least there will be some place where the good software that has vanished will be likely to survive. I feel it's unfortunate that some nice games that were in 3.1 have vanished in later releases, I hope but don't really expect that they will make it back into the DVD.

**albertodp** · 06-04-2005, 10:07 AM

If you install kernel-sources-2.6.11 package, unpack it on linux-2.6.11, copy /boot/config-2.6.11 on /usr/src/linux/.config and type "make", it compiles well, but in the next reboot, kde lets work.

**PopeFelix** · 06-04-2005, 04:53 PM

Does Knoppix 3.9 have the "ub" kernel module compiled in? As of 2.6.11.8, ub "cripples" the usb-storage driver, and if ub is compiled into the kernel, even if it is not loaded, Knoppix will not boot from a USB CD-ROM/DVD-ROM.

**PopeFelix** · 06-04-2005, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by PopeFelix

Does Knoppix 3.9 have the "ub" kernel module compiled in? As of 2.6.11.8, ub "cripples" the usb-storage driver, and if ub is compiled into the kernel, even if it is not loaded, Knoppix will not boot from a USB CD-ROM/DVD-ROM.

Never mind. ub is still compiled in.

**moustache** · 06-06-2005, 02:15 PM

I wanted to say a word about unionfs. I only see it come up when I try to install a "klik" program or nvidia drivers for my graphics card. It has allowed a lot of "klik" programs to install and run that wouldn't before. I only wish there was room for the kernel headers on the knoppix cd so I could do some compiling with the live-cd....maybe on the dvd version.

Moustache