Smart Boot Manager And XOSL Too Cryptic

[mikebailey]

I downloaded Knoppix V4.02 off Bit Torrent, then used the Iso Recorder to burn it to a CD. Fingers crossed I went into (F2 & F12 keys) my BIOS and put the CD ROM first in the boot sequence. No Luck! Nothing I can figure out will get my Dell 8200 booting off the Knoppix CD.
Somewhere I read the SCSI adaptor may be at fault, even though I run Windows XP Pro (SP2), it appears the adaptor can either not hear, or refuse to listen to the boot sequence I set up for it.
So I tried to download and use "Smart Boot Manager" and "XOSL". For the life of me I cannot even get these applets to install! The download sites are too cryptic for the unwashed (myself). When I left click on an exe file I get a DOS like window and an error message saying I have the wrong operating system.
What should I do? Is there a simple minded set of instructions somewhere?
Thanks A Lot. Mike B. / [email protected]

[Harry Kuhman]

So I tried to download and use "Smart Boot Manager" and "XOSL". For the life of me I cannot even get these applets to install! The download sites are too cryptic for the unwashed (myself). When I left click on an exe file I get a DOS like window and an error message saying I have the wrong operating system.
What should I do? Is there a simple minded set of instructions somewhere?

XOSL does take a few steps. It's not that hard though, and I've talked users through an install over the phone when they were having problems. I do like it more than SBM, but SBM is amazingly easy to use:
1) If you want to make a boot floppy: Download the SBM installer for DOS, SBMINST.EXE, and run it once from a DOS command shell (don't just click on it from Windows, that will cause the info to flash too fast to read). Look over the options, you likely will want -t us and -d 0 for an English version and to write to floppy. Put a blank floppy in the floppy drive and type sbminst followed by the options you want. It should make the floppy for you. Set your BIOS to boot from floppy, reboot, enjoy.
2) If you just want to replace your MBR with SBM and not have to fool with a floppy, use -d 128 instead of -d 0 above. This should set up SBM in the MBR. I would suggest the floppy approach first., then when you get sick and tired of fooling with the floppy doing this.
Either way you should be able to boot into SBM and then select the disc drive from the crude text menu that SBM presents (XOSL uses a much nicer looking menu system, but I'll wait until you can get SBM working before worrying about XOSL).

[|enouf|]

did you do an MD5 checksum on your D/l ISO file BEFORE burning ?
Did you use "Burn Image" feature - or just burned the file to CD ?
If you have 2 (two) CD /DVD / CDRW / DVDRW devices installed, try the other drive...Can you boot to your XPoop CD ? or ANY CD ?

[|enouf|]

did you do an MD5 checksum on your D/l ISO file BEFORE burning ?
Did you use "Burn Image" feature - or just burned the file to CD ?
If you have 2 (two) CD /DVD / CDRW / DVDRW devices installed, try the other drive...Can you boot to your XPoop CD ? or ANY CD ?

mike;
i will gladly post a reply to this in the forums - if that's ok with you

i'm fairly new to linux as well - however, i willgladly add some info in your thread -- it's best to keep technical help questions in the 'public', because it can help others who are reading...

|enouf|