Knoppix's Hardware Discovery Routines

[Weevil]

I'm amazed at how Knoppix figures out all the hardware on a system and gets Linux and X up and running so quickly and smoothly. I'm even more amazed when I go back and try to do an old fashioned Debian install on a fresh computer and realize how ridiculously hard it is.

I think I've finally convinced knx-hdinstall to do an install on my machine (it kept hanging up when I ran it from the root shell, but it looks like it's going to finish from a command line only boot), but I kept wondering, as I wrestled with Debian 30r1 install on my somewhat flaky laptop, why I couldn't run a hardware discover routine like Knoppix does to get up and running in a hurry.

Can anyone give me any info on this or any pointers on how it works, or how to use it with a base Debian install.

Also, some Debian boards recommend against using a Knoppix hdinstall for more than a temporary setup (although my understanding is that you really have a Debian install when you're done). Why not use a Knoppix hdinstall?

[Stephen]

I'm amazed at how Knoppix figures out all the hardware on a system and gets Linux and X up and running so quickly and smoothly. I'm even more amazed when I go back and try to do an old fashioned Debian install on a fresh computer and realize how ridiculously hard it is.

I never tried the old fashioned way myself but I have used Bonzai (the distribution formerly know as Mini Woody) it's basically a debian install you still have to select the modules included and choose your partitions for /boot /swap, etc... but you do not have to use dselect to get your base system it just installs it, you can end up small base to start with (about 100mb) if you don't install KDE and just install what you want with apt later.

I think I've finally convinced knx-hdinstall to do an install on my machine (it kept hanging up when I ran it from the root shell, but it looks like it's going to finish from a command line only boot), but I kept wondering, as I wrestled with Debian 30r1 install on my somewhat flaky laptop, why I couldn't run a hardware discover routine like Knoppix does to get up and running in a hurry.

Can anyone give me any info on this or any pointers on how it works, or how to use it with a base Debian install.

apt-get install discover will get you the Debian version of automatic hardware discovery and if IIRC Bonzai uses this in the install as well.

Also, some Debian boards recommend against using a Knoppix hdinstall for more than a temporary setup (although my understanding is that you really have a Debian install when you're done). Why not use a Knoppix hdinstall?

I would be guessing here but from post I have read it has to do somewhat with snobbery and the fact that knoppix installs a lot of programs that the average user will never need or use and hence the opportunity for more security problems due to you having all those programs installed in the first place.

[Weevil]

Thanks, Stephen. The knx-hdinstall finally completed this morning from a knoppix 2 startup, and it actually boots into X and does everything like it's supposed to, so I'm one step closer.

The only oddity is that, while the Knoppix CD boot discovers my PCMCIA network card (the onboard NIC has been broken for a long time), the hdinstalled version did not. I think I just have to go back and teach the network interface to use my DHCP server, though - didn't get to tweak it before I left the house.

The next time I try a debian install I'll go for this discover thing and see how it operates. This is a package that I have missed up to now. I've searched a lot, but I guess my search terms weren't the right ones.

Thanks for your help...

[Stephen]

The only oddity is that, while the Knoppix CD boot discovers my PCMCIA network card (the onboard NIC has been broken for a long time), the hdinstalled version did not. I think I just have to go back and teach the network interface to use my DHCP server, though - didn't get to tweak it before I left the house.

Good to hear you got it going. Some things you might want to check. [/i]lsmod[/i] from both the CD and HD to check that the modules are actually loaded for the card, the file [/i]/etc/network/ interfaces[/i] to make sure that dhcp is enabled and the interface is started at boot.

[Weevil]

Good to hear you got it going. Some things you might want to check. [/i]lsmod[/i] from both the CD and HD to check that the modules are actually loaded for the card, the file [/i]/etc/network/ interfaces[/i] to make sure that dhcp is enabled and the interface is started at boot.

Yeah, I just didn't get to edit the interfaces file before I had to leave for work this morning. It clearly saw the card, but it couldn't connect through. I had the "aha" right before I had to leave.

I should have it set up this evening. That will be a relief. It's been a hard road. The CD-ROM drive on this laptop fails intermittently, so it's always a crapshoot when you have to use it for any length of time. I'm dying to get the networking up so I can quit messing with it.

[Weevil]

Sure enough, all I had to do was add the dhcp lines to /etc/network/interfaces and everything started working fine.

Finally have a Linux install on this laptop!!

Thanks again for your help, Stephen.