Unusual HD install using LILO - can this be done?

[pestie]

I'd like to install Knoppix to a hard drive, but in an unusual fashion. I'd ideally like to use LILO for this, although I'm guessing I could more easily pull it off with Syslinux. But let me explain what I'd like to do and maybe someone more familiar than I with LILO can tell me if it's possible:

I'd like to install the Knoppix image to a partition on my hard drive (as happens when one does tohd=/dev/hda1 for example) plus the initrd, but then use LILO to make the HD itself bootable, eliminating the need to boot from a CD. I figure I can use "append=" to specify the various options I need/want. The goal here is a "generic" Knoppix machine, running stock Knoppix only, with the speed gains of installing to a HD partition, but without the need for a Knoppix CD from which to boot.

Can I use LILO to pull this off? I've never seen a lilo.conf without a root= line, but I think that's the way to go in this case. I just need LILO to boot and load the kernel, Knoppix's magic will take care of everything else. I took a half-hearted stab at this once but it didn't work out. I just want to know if I'm wasting my time or if I should just use Syslinux or some other such approach.

I did get something like what I wanted by using a very small FreeDOS partition containing only the Knoppix kernel and initrd and a copy of loadlin, but that's an ugly solution requiring a whole other (albeit minimal) OS just to boot. There has to be an easier solution.

[ockham23]

Maybe this will get you started: http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Win_Partition

[pestie]

Actually, I ended up finding exactly what I was looking for here, which I got to eventually through the link you gave me. Thanks!

[davea0511]

Will the "tohd" cheatcode create a read-only situation, as is the case with the CD-ROM, or will knoppix also be using the hard drive to cache files, or do periodic writes?

The reason I'm asking is that this sounds like a good solution for a silent PC, using a CF (compact flash) in an IDE adapter for the hard drive. If it is doing periodic writes to the device however, then a CF card shouldn't be used (CF cards have limited writes (between 100,000 - 1,000,000 per cell).

[ockham23]

The reason I'm asking is that this sounds like a good solution for a silent PC

I thought about that too. But I found it to be cheaper and simpler to install a 2.5" notebook harddrive. I recommend MHT2030AT (30 GB) and MHT2040AT (40 GB) from Fujitsu. Both have only one platter and spin at 4200 revs/min which makes them practically inaudible. As these are not the latest models, you can buy them on eBay at a discount.

[davea0511]

The reason I'm asking is that this sounds like a good solution for a silent PC

I thought about that too. But I found it to be cheaper and simpler to install a 2.5" notebook harddrive. I recommend MHT2030AT (30 GB) and MHT2040AT (40 GB) from Fujitsu. Both have only one platter and spin at 4200 revs/min which makes them practically inaudible. As these are not the latest models, you can buy them on eBay at a discount.

Yeah but a spinning hard drive will never be as reliable as a solid state ROM.

After fighting with lilo for a week I gave up and tried to do this with Syslinux. It worked on the first try. LILO sure can be a royal pain in the neck. Here's some links if anyone else wants to do it with syslinux:
http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php
http://darkdust.net/marc/diskimagehowto.php
http://www.tldp.org/LDP/LGNET/current/okopnik1.html

[ruymbeke]

Maybe this will get you started: http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Win_Partition

This is the right link. I have knoppix to boot from a fat or ntfs partition using the iso, kernel and a special initrd file and either lilo or grub. You can also look in here: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...=asc&start=240
Best Regards,
Gilles