Persistent Knoppix 6.2.1 in VMware Fusion 2.0.6

**garaden** · 02-24-2010, 12:31 AM

I successfully used the English CD ISO to boot Knoppix 6.2.1 on VMware Fusion 2.0.6 (on Mac OS X 10.6.2), but using it without vmware-tools installed is pretty clunky. I'd like to install vmware-tools, but it's an exercise in futility if I can't get some kind of persistence! I tried the HDD install despite the caveats, but it wouldn't even boot (complaining about "unable to mount root fs on unknown block").

Then I tried reformatting the ReiserFS partition to FAT32 and installing to it as if it were a flash device, or even making a persistent image on an existing physical flash drive and copying its /KNOPPIX directory to the virtual hard drive, but every time I tried to boot from it (either directly or from the Live CD w/ "knoppix fromhd=/dev/sda2") (there's swap in /dev/sda1) it would get as far as the multicolored MICROKNOPPIX and say "Waiting (USB)" until it finally fails to mount /mnt-system.

I verified that fromhd works in certain circumstances, for example when actually rebooting my physical Macbook and booting the Knoppix Live CD I burned, then using fromhd with my physical USB drive (this uses the USB drive for everything, including the persistent image, as expected). But for some reason Knoppix insists upon loading from a USB drive when this cheat code is used, regardless of which device it was actually passed.

The only thing left to try (though this would likely work) is attempting to remaster with vmware-tools installed, but that just seems rather heavy-handed. Plus I'd have to do it again if I ever wanted to install anything else. I mean, I could use VMware Fusion's "suspend" function as a poor man's persistence, but I think you have to full-on reboot to use vmware-tools properly, which of course trashes the vmware-tools install. Any other ideas?

**Capricorny** · 02-24-2010, 12:51 AM

I don't know about Fusion, but I think there are several reports about succesful virtual installs of Knoppix under Linux or Windows hosts, running with VMware Workstation or Player. If you have install problems on your Mac, would it be possible to run a Knoppix VM created elsewhere? I guess the tools installation would run just fine when the basic persistent install is up. I would also guess that remastering with tools, even though possible, would be an unnecessary complication.

I've been using VMware Workstation for years, but only on Linux hosts running Windows guests. And WS7 works very well on a Knoppix 6.2.1 host, I have installed and run the whole Windows series from Win 98 to Vista, on a machine that could natively only run XP.

With Knoppix, you have a lot of headroom with the init process, skipping large parts of autodetection etc, or substituting your own scripts/programs. A lot can be achieved just juggling the cheat codes.

**garaden** · 02-24-2010, 01:43 AM

Thanks for the quick reply!

Unfortunately, I don't have access to Workstation or any other products (I don't think you can create VMs in Player...?), but I suspect that this is less of a VMware issue than it is a KNOPPIX issue since persistence just isn't working at all. I don't feel a need to do a real HDD install since that's pretty much Debian but not, but does anyone have any information on loading knoppix-data.img from IDE/SCSI hard drives instead of USB devices?

**krishna.murphy** · 02-24-2010, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by garaden

Thanks for the quick reply!

Unfortunately, I don't have access to Workstation or any other products (I don't think you can create VMs in Player...?), but I suspect that this is less of a VMware issue than it is a KNOPPIX issue since persistence just isn't working at all. I don't feel a need to do a real HDD install since that's pretty much Debian but not, but does anyone have any information on loading knoppix-data.img from IDE/SCSI hard drives instead of USB devices?

Yes, I do that every day, usually several times. First, I did a poor man's install by issuing the following on bootup:
knoppix tohd=/dev/sda1 (change to match your file structure), then
knoppix fromhd=/dev/sda1 thereafter. You'll be prompted to create a persistent home directory with a password when you create the knoppix image.

-Krishna

**klaus2008** · 02-24-2010, 04:04 PM

I successfully used the English CD ISO to boot Knoppix 6.2.1 on VMware Fusion 2.0.6 (on Mac OS X 10.6.2), but using it without vmware-tools installed is pretty clunky. I'd like to install vmware-tools, but it's an exercise in futility if I can't get some kind of persistence! I tried the HDD install despite the caveats, but it wouldn't even boot (complaining about "unable to mount root fs on unknown block").

I installed Knoppix 6.2.1 (DVD) into an VMware virtual machine as an HDD installation. Maybe my description of the procedure could help you with VMware Fusion. I use VMware Player 3.0 under a Windows XP host. (I installed Knoppix 6.2.0 before. Therefore I already knew how to change /usr/sbin/mkinitramfs in order to avoid one error message.)

1. I started VMware Player and created a new virtual disk (20 GB, os type Debian 5). The virtual DVD was connected with the Knoppix iso. I booted into Knoppix live dvd and used gparted to create a reiserfs partition (18 GB) and a swap partition (2 GB).

2. I mounted partition /dev/sda1 as /media/sda1.

3. I started the HDD installation and selected my partition.

4. I decided to install grub into the MBR but did not reboot at then end of the installation procedure.

5. I mounted again my new knoppix partition as /media/sda1.

6. Inside a terminal I executed

Code:

sudo leafpad /usr/sbin/mkinitramfs

I searched the line "# MODULES=list case. Always honour" and inserted the line

Code:

touch "${DESTDIR}/${MODULESDIR}/modules.dep"

Then I saved the file and ran the following command

Code:

sudo mkinitramfs -k -o /media/sda1/boot/initrd.img-2.6.32.6

in order to create the initrd with all the drivers.

7. As user root I examined /media/sda1/boot/grub/menu.lst and added the line

Code:

initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.32.6

8. I rebooted the system and created a new link in the root filesystem.

Code:

sudo ln -s / /mnt-system

I can now place a knoppix.sh in the directory /KNOPPIX with commands to be executed before the start of the graphical user interface. After the installation of the VMware tools I use knoppix.sh to mount a shared folder from my windows host.

**Harry Kuhman** · 02-24-2010, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by garaden

....(I don't think you can create VMs in Player...?)...

Actually, the key file (.vmx) is a text file and even users with just player can edit it.

A quick Google search should find for you multiple websites that will run you through a dialog and then download to you a custom .vmx file to your specs.

Rather than use the websites that create vms, the best tool that I have found is VMXBuilder. It runs locally and can create new VMs or let you edit existing ones.