Is there a way to treat the CD only as a kernel loader?

[Ron24]

A kernel loader for the USB drive that I can't otherwise use as a boot for Knoppix?

I looked at the great wiki documentation that was recently posted, but I already had bought a 2 GB stick, and broke it out of the packaging. (I suppose I could still return it, but my experiences with attempting to get *anything* booted off a USB stick has met with failure over the weeks--whether using Slack, DSL, Knoppix, whatever, on 64 MB, 256 MB or 2 GB. I don't want to spend another dollar on a 1 GB drive only to find it doesn't work on that either.)

(BTW, I tried

mkdiskimage -4 /dev/sdz 0 64 32

...on a 2 GB and the Linux couldn't deal with that, so I instead wrote mkdiskimage -4 /dev/sdz 1 64 32, and it took. But I don't know if that's a valid solution. I ended up pulling it out and formatting it FAT using Windows XP.) Then carried through with the rest of the process of preparing the USB for booting per the wiki instructions.

But the T60 doesn't see it as bootable. I tried everything except buying a 1 GB, but I'm kind of fed up with the BIOS. My chances of it working with a 1 GB are zero.

So, is there a way to rig this up so that the CD version (which is fine) can be used to boot the contents of the USB, so that I can write stuff to it, and install packages and whatnot?

I tried various cheat codes hoping that one of the boot arguments could do that, but they don't seem to. I'd like to get something to stick to the /var/www but at this point it looks like my choices are limited to pulling the notebook hard drive and sticking an old one into it so that i can just install Fedor and be done with it.

Thanks for any advice.
Ron

[cvevans]

IF you want to run Knoppix .iso (not an HD install), it is very easy:

I put the knoppix iso on my USB flash drive (renamed to 5.iso)
I boot the CD, type
knoppix bootfrom=/dev/sda1/5.iso
(if you have SCSI or SATA, sda1 may not work - use path to your USB drive)
This even works on a P2.
I don't have a 2G stick to try, but I am not booting the stick so it should work.

To save your new stuff, Knoppix can make a knoppix.img on your sda1 -


/ Configure / Create Persistent Knoppix disk Image
(IIRC you have to make the .img before putting the .iso on the stick)
note: it will say you can specify it with home=/dev/sda1,
but it wont work unless you omit this OR use
knoppix home=/media/sda1
Some flash drives don't last long, so backups are vital.
If you can put the .img on HD you won't ever burn out the stick.

If you want to remove the CD, IIRC the forums have the needed commands.
Forums also have a howto for making a custom boot CD - to avoid the typing

[cvevans]

For Knoppix 5+ it is easy:
copy the CD or DVD to any partition on your HD (NOT the .iso)
(for Knop6 CD it MUST not be an ext* - FAT32 works)
Remaster the CD or DVD to a CD,
delete the KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX*

now booting the CD will find the HD copy.
after boot you can remove the CD.

[cvevans]

For Knoppix 5+ it is easy:
copy the CD or DVD to any partition on your HD (NOT the .iso)
(for Knop6 CD it MUST not be an ext* - FAT32 works)
Remaster the CD or DVD to a CD,
delete the KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX*

now booting the CD will find the HD copy.
after boot you can remove the CD.

You can also copy the CD or DVD to a USB drive,
but beware of crashes when plugging another USB device -
if possible, plug a powered USB hub before booting;
after booting, only plug into the powered USB hub.