English with Knoppix4 DVD

**Cathbard** · 07-08-2005, 10:09 AM

This may be a simple question to most of you but I'm stumped. I just got the new Knoppix 4 DVD and can't speak German. How does one boot it into English instead of the default German? I selected English down the bottom with the language bar after it booted but that doesn't convert it to English.
I wanted to install it to my hdd ultimately but I need it in English.
Please help.

**Cathbard** · 07-08-2005, 10:19 AM

ok I have stumbled across it. I found the control centre and then selected land/region and then relogged in. It was a bit of blind poking but I've succeeded. Still, is there a string one can enter at boot to start it in English without doing this?

Also.....even though I have english working, when i tried #knoppix-installer the dialog boxes are still in German. doohhh!

**Harry Kuhman** · 07-08-2005, 10:34 AM

knoppix lang=us, and you need to know that to input an "=" on a German keyboard you hit a shift-zero.

**Cathbard** · 07-08-2005, 11:25 AM

Thankyou very much, you're a gentleman and a scholar. Now to see how this little gem works from a hdd.

**ICPUG** · 07-08-2005, 07:06 PM

I've just come from http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19761 and then I read Cathbard's last comment here!

You've got to feel sorry for Harry sometimes!

He manages to help a newbie without telling them they've posted in the wrong forum or not read the forums for an already existing answer and he gets rewarded how?

Being told that the noob is going to try Knoppix on the hard drive next!

Klaus Knopper, who begat Knoppix, tells us it is a Live CD and not meant to be installed to hard drive.

It would seem that if you want to install Knoppix to a hard drive you should get Kanotix, which is written to be installed to a hard drive, and save yourself a lot of bother - and Harry's sanity!

ICPUG

**Cathbard** · 07-09-2005, 07:06 AM

And exactly how does one raise oneself beyond noobishness without experimentation? I installed version 3.9 to a hdd earlier and it was extremely successful. You will also notice that I stated I tried to use #knoppix-installer before Harry replied. Perhaps you should read more carefully before criticising in such a way. I am sure that Harry was quite aware of what I was planning to do.
I actually was about to post that I discovered something quite unexpected when I did run the installer. It installed with a Gnome desktop and not KDE. I must say that that was quite unexpected and unfortunatley disappointing but I'm sure that is just a matter of taste. I will indeed keep version 4 as a live disc only.
Having said this I will examine Kanotix as you suggest.

**Harry Kuhman** · 07-09-2005, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by Cathbard

I am sure that Harry was quite aware of what I was planning to do.

No, actually I was doing about six things at once, wasn't paying attention, and skipped over that and only focused on the stated problem.

Originally Posted by Cathbard

I actually was about to post that I discovered something quite unexpected when I did run the installer. It installed with a Gnome desktop and not KDE.

That's quite strange, since Gnome has been missing from Knoppix for many releases now. It was supposedly removed to make space for other things. So how you could manage to install Knoppix to hard disk and get Gnome is a mystery I can't answer. And if it's been there all along, why has it been unavailable to the CD users? Then again, I've learned to not expct hard disk install to make any sense.

**Cathbard** · 07-09-2005, 08:21 AM

A mystery indeed. I followed the installer and did nothing else. Perhaps we should call in Sherlock Holmes. lol. I even tried all three options to see what they did and all resulted in Gnome. Maybe gnomes are related to gremlins in some way.
I am in the process of learning Linux and am trying all sorts of distros. I have been using Microshaft os's since DOS 2 and have finally had enough. Learning Linux has been quite interesting but the learning curve is still quite steep. However, I think it is worthwhile. So far my favourite has been Knoppix 3.9 which worked very well installed to my hdd; hence my curiosity regarding Knoppix 4.
Next trial will be Kanotix I think. Downloading it now. Oh for a better connection but I live in the Australian bush and ISDN is the best on offer

**ICPUG** · 07-11-2005, 07:35 PM

Harry

I think the reason Cathbard managed to install Gnome is that Gnome has been added to the DVD again. My German is non-existent, but looking at the info at www.knopper.net, Gnome turns up in the text of whats on the DVD. Kind of interesting if Gnome installs to hard disk by default though.

Cathbard

I apologise if you felt I was criticising. We do get an awful lot of repeated questions on this board about problems with hard disk installing Knoppix. Follow the link in my previous post and you will see Harry tries to discourage people installing the live CD. It seems kind of futile though - and being Friday I made a rather flippant post. Sorry once again.

ICPUG

**Harry Kuhman** · 07-11-2005, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by ICPUG

I apologise if you felt I was criticising.

Not at all. The insight to the 4.0 DVD is good. I've been waiting for the official 4.0 English release and didn't think about that, but it makes sense, except the part about the Gnome default on "install". But if that's the only surprise on hard drive "install" then things are getting much better. I don't expect that though.