HELP! trying to install knoppix 5.0.1

**pseudonym1** · 06-10-2006, 01:34 AM

i am trying to install knoppix on an old laptop and when i type knoppix-installer in the root the installer comes up and it says that a requirement has nto been met, that i do not haev 2gb of space so i go into cfdisk and i deleted my old windows partition and so now i have all empty space and i tried again and it still is telling me there is no room what do i do??

**ckamin** · 06-10-2006, 07:22 PM

Installation of Knoppix to ANYTHING, Especially a laptop is usually troublesome and beyond the abilities of an inexperienced user. There are many issues that will most likely develop and each one needs to be resolved. That will require a lot of time and posting to get questionable results in the end. I would recommend a Debian install, or even some other distro that was INTENDED for a hdd install. I have SUSE installed on one laptop and it works fine. It has been claimed that version 5.0.1 is more suitable for an install, but I have seen a lot of evidence to the contrary.

It sounds like you have not partitioned your drive properly to begin with.

**podo** · 06-23-2006, 12:58 AM

I installed 5.0.1 to my desktop and have had zero problems. All I had to do is read knoppix for dummies and it was easy. I was a dummie when it came to linux but after I read the book its installed and working great. I would not see why you coldn't have the same luck with a laptop.

**ckamin** · 06-23-2006, 04:11 AM

podo:

All you need to do is look at the forum section on HDD installs to see the misery and difficulties that many people go through trying to install Knoppix to the Hard Drive. Compound that with the hardware of a Laptop and it now becomes a crapshoot. It is difficult enough just to get a laptop to boot the live disk at times. It is much simpler to install a distro that was actually intended for a HDD install and not try to install something that was intended for other purposes. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying that it is sometimes more difficult and the user will sometimes encounter numerous issues that would need resolution.

I have successfully installed Knoppix, but it is purely an experiment. I would simply rather have something intended for installation in the first place. It's like someone pounding on a screwdriver with a hammer to cut out a recess in some wood. A chisel or router would be a much better tool that was designed for the job. The screwdriver will probably work, but it will not be as easy and the finished product may not be a polished.

**podo** · 06-23-2006, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by ckamin

podo:

All you need to do is look at the forum section on HDD installs to see the misery and difficulties that many people go through trying to install Knoppix to the Hard Drive. Compound that with the hardware of a Laptop and it now becomes a crapshoot. It is difficult enough just to get a laptop to boot the live disk at times. It is much simpler to install a distro that was actually intended for a HDD install and not try to install something that was intended for other purposes. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying that it is sometimes more difficult and the user will sometimes encounter numerous issues that would need resolution.

I have successfully installed Knoppix, but it is purely an experiment. I would simply rather have something intended for installation in the first place. It's like someone pounding on a screwdriver with a hammer to cut out a recess in some wood. A chisel or router would be a much better tool that was designed for the job. The screwdriver will probably work, but it will not be as easy and the finished product may not be a polished.

Sorry I didn't know that a laptop would be so different. I would try to use a cheap desktop first then if your skilled enough then try a laptop.I have never owned a windows laptop just apple so I don't know much about installing to them.

I have noticed that the posts in the hdd install forum go unread. I still want to know how to change the screen resolution ,my text is to small.I'm glad thats my only problem.I guess I just had a lucky break.

**ckamin** · 06-23-2006, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by podo

I have noticed that the posts in the hdd install forum go unread

Many go unanswered, but I'm sure someone read them. I usually don't feel the need to help someone who has done something that is not recommended, or that there might be a better solution for. If there are any issues with a HDD install, my feeling is that they are self inflicted and I'm not going far out of my way to help someone resolve them. Installing to the HDD and expecting it to work the same as it did as a live disk is foolish.

Originally Posted by podo

I still want to know how to change the screen resolution ,my text is to small.I'm glad thats my only problem

Your installation DOES have an issue, if the resolution is better when running the live disk.

Originally Posted by podo

Sorry I didn't know that a laptop would be so different

Laptops just have some different hardware than a desktop and it appears that there might be a little less standardization too. There are many cooling and power schemes, that it is difficult to even ensure that it will not overheat. It's sometimes difficult to get the live disk running well, then add to that a HDD install leaving more issues. I would rather use something intended for installation in the first place. I have a laptop drive loaded with Suse 10.1 and it runs fine on the machine it's in. Knoppix has numerous issues with that machine and version 5.0.1 won't even boot properly using every cheatcode I can find. So each distro and each version is a world unto itself. 5.0.1 installed and runs fine on an old desktop I had lying around, with just a few tweaks. It seems better at installs than previous versions, but i don't think it's quite ready for prime time. As a live disk it's excellent, except on my laptop. I have a feeling about what it is, but I will have to wait for an update to see if I can resolve it. It probably has something to do with Xorg in place of Xfree86. I found some reference about Xorg bugs and it may address the hardware in that laptop.

In any event, the HDD install usually leaves a bunch of issues that need to be resolved. That is usually beyond the beginner's capabilities without some expert help, if they can even BE resolved.

**podo** · 06-23-2006, 11:21 PM

What is the best linux system to install?

**ckamin** · 06-24-2006, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by podo

What is the best linux system to install?

It depends on your level of expertise and what you want and need to do with the system. Knoppix is based on Debian and if you like the look and feel of Knoppix, Debian is a very choice http://www.debian.org/. Ubuntu and it's siblings are also well received. Fedora Core, Kanotix, Suse, Mandriva, etc...The list goes on. I would suggest some research. You can go to: http://distrowatch.com/ or http://www.linux.org/ for starters. There are so many Linux sites, and many that have decent reviews. I would be very careful about what you read on the net. Many posters in these forums really don't have good advice. Many of them do, but there are some that can steer you wrong. If you encounter unresolved issues with one distro, there is always the chance that another one will work well for you.