Booting into command line/overlaying installer options

[Model600]

Hello, this is my first time on the forums so greetings everyone!

I'm looking to create an installation CD that allows the user to configure static IP/LAN options during install and then leaves the computer with certain services running (with the OS installed to HD, not running Live CD fashion). The largest range of hardware compatibility is desirable so Knoppix seems a good choice. However, after installation of the CD, I would like the system to run without a GUI and indeed without much of Knoppix's standard programs. So I have two things to learn 1) remastering Knoppix and 2) How to present a screen to the user of network options during, or directly after installation.

(1) I will need to read about but I wonder if anyone knows whether (2) is possible before I perform lengthy research. It would also be great to hear options on whether Knoppix is the right thing to be using.

Essentially I would like Apache, PHP, FTP and SSH to be running after installation.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[onemyndseye]

Well.... if you are working from a HD install then "remastering" is not what your looking for...


To answer one of your questions... simply pass the argument "2" (without quotes) to the kernel at boot. Without knowing how your booting the system I cant tell you step by ste what to do...

for grub: you would edit menu.lst and add a "2" the the end of the "kernel" line....

same premis with loadlin.... simply change your boot string by adding the "2" to the end.....

....knoppix will then start in Runlevel 2 by default....which is multi-user text-only (note: the command " init 5 " (no quotes) as root will start Xorg)

Since you are running from a HD install....simply configure the services you want and your settings will be saved just as any other Debian system (in theory)..



Take Care,
-Justin
One Mynds Eye

[Model600]

Hi and thanks for the feedback. I don't think I was clear about what I meant by a hard drive installation. The reason I want to remaster is because I want to create a CD which, when installed, creates a server with Apache, PHP, FTP and SSH running. The idea is for this CD to be installed many times on different PCs/Servers. In this case, the remastering process is mainly to get rid of superfluous applications (i.e. mostly everything) and allow me to pre-configure the services. To this end, it may seem a poor choice to use Knoppix given I want to scrub almost every program on it, but the excellent hardware support is what's attractive (to give best chance of the CD installing on most hardware).

My first question then would be: Do people think it's a good idea to be even using Knoppix for this, maybe there's a better starting option?


The bit about overlaying a means of configuring networking I should've perhaps left out so as not to confuse the issue....

Best regards

[Capricorny]

I think your plan is OK, but I have to warn you about the hardware detection: It often dosn't work as well when Knoppix is HD-installed. For instance, I lost contact with the network chip on my laptop after HD install, worked fine off the CD/DVD.. "Solved" it by putting in a PCMCIA card.. What I try out, is using a USB pen instead of CD/DVD, and run everything off that, with partitions on the HD mounted. That has worked quite fine for me with a remastered Knx 5.0.1, except that I could not get it to boot directly from the pen. Got around that by installing GRUB on the HD and making the USB a booting option. The main obstacle with such a setup will be user management, I think.