Some 'official' cheatcode clarifications

[utu]

On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 06:47:53AM -0800, I wrote:
> Greetings, Klaus.
>
> A relatively recent Knoppix cheatcode list
>
> http://mirror.leaseweb.com/knoppix-d...cheatcodes.txt
>
> does not include 'fromhd' as a viable cheatcode for Knoppix 6.4. (<-- Edit: my error as you will see)
>
> Some English Knoppix forum posters say they believe there is a viable cheatcode 'fromhd' which can be use to point to 'the KNOPPIX file' on an arbitrary hdd. Are they right?

They are right, "fromhd" sets the name of the disk to search for Knoppix
files.

> If so, might this same 'fromhd' just as well be used
> to point to 'the KNOPPIX file' on a USB storage device?

While "fromhd" determines the disk, "knoppix_dir" tells the directory
name of the compressed KNOPPIX*-files. The total path would then be

$fromhd -> mounts the disk to /mnt-system
$knoppix_dir -> tells the name of the KNOPPIX directory containing the filesystem in /mnt-system.

I just had a look, it seems like the cheatcode is actually listed in the Knoppix 6.4 cheatcodes (and up):

### Configuration / Persistent image ###
...
knoppix toram Copy to RAM and run from there
knoppix tohd=/dev/sda1 Copy to Harddisk and run from there
knoppix fromhd=/dev/sda1 Boot from previously copied CD-Image
knoppix bootfrom=/dev/sda1/KNX.iso Access image, boot from ISO-Image. ***)
knoppix knoppix_dir=KNOPPIX Directory to search for on the CD.
knoppix knoppix_name=KNOPPIX Cloop-File to search for on the CD.
...

Regards
-Klaus

[ICPUG]

On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 06:47:53AM -0800, I wrote:
> Greetings, Klaus.
>
> A relatively recent Knoppix cheatcode list
>
> http://mirror.leaseweb.com/knoppix-d...cheatcodes.txt
>
> does not include 'fromhd' as a viable cheatcode for Knoppix 6.4. (<-- Edit: my error as you will see)
>
>

An error indeed. The problem was that bootfrom does not appear to work, even though it is listed. Someone suggested fromhd as an alternative. The response from Klaus here confirms my response to that suggestion by agreeing what fromhd does.

However we still have no confirmation on the possibly defunct status of bootfrom.

[utu]

@ ICPUG

Your 'indeed' deserves my heartfelt 'my bad'.

I wonder if Klaus meant to have an explanation *** at the bottom of the cheat codes.
It might be calling attention to an important detail in the usage of bootfrom.

I didn't get my clarification either, but I'm not complaining.
Indeed I'm not.

[Forester]

Someone suggested fromhd as an alternative.

That was me and I was mistaken.

I use fromhd=. I've a set up that boots a hard drive with a syslinux.cfg that uses fromhd= to boot a USB stick. Sounds stupid but I want my persistent image to be portable and home=is not implemented for Knoppix 6.

I also booted the USB stick and used fromhd=/dev/sr0 to boot Knoppix on DVD. Hence my confusion. I think of a CD/DVD as an iso file, which of course, it isn't: it's a burnt iso file.

I suspect that once upon a time someone found they were burning an excessive number of CDs while testing an upcoming Knoppix release so they added the bootfrom= cheatcode to save time and money. These days, I suspect, most of the testing is done using fromhd= to boot the KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX file. Since bootfrom= was a cheat code for developers they saw no reason to support any more.

The file knoppix-cheatcodes.txt still talks about "knoppix.sh", which I know does exist in Knoppix 6. The problem here is not that a single cheat-code is obsolete. The whole text has to be read with extreme caution. The same goes for the (English) wiki. Who updates that ? Is it up folks like us ? (The blind leading the blind comes to mind).

I'm thinking I might be better off joining the German language forum. Ich kan Deutsch nur ein bisschen. So I wouldn't be posting but what I read might be most helpful.

[Forester]

The file knoppix-cheatcodes.txt still talks about "knoppix.sh", which I know does exist in Knoppix 6.

No, wrong again.

I read

Knoppix 6.1 ignores the knoppix.sh file. use the overlay-(ext2)filesystem /mnt/system/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.img instead.

on the Wiki page http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Knoppix_Remastering_Howto.

I don't know what that sentence is trying to say but for Knoppix 6.4.3 at least, a file at

/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix.sh

works.

Great if you have a USB install as no remaster is needed. Bad if you've a CD/DVD (comes back to the lack of home= again) as you'd need to remaster after every change.