Running Knoppix on a centurion guard WinXP machine

[garyng]

Q: How can I write data on NTFS partitions?
A: Don't even think of it. You can read NTFS, but writing will cause data loss.

this Q.A. was from http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/FaqUsing

One cannot write freely to a NTFS partition, but can use NTFS as a storage media. The trick is, create a large file(either dd on FAT and transfer it to NTFS while running window or may be download cygwin and run its win32 based dd) then loop mount this file. Writing to NTFS is not safe if it touches the directory structure etc but is usable(I believe there is one linux distribution does it) if one just 'modify' an existing file without changing its length, which is what the loop mount is about.

[Kethinov]

Hi all, once again. My Knoppix idea in combination with a settings floppy has defeated the centurion guard. I do all of my work using ftp in Kate and retain my settings.

I am having a few problems though. While I've had no trouble booting Knoppix on any of the computers on campus, only a few of them actually accept my settings floppy.

I boot knoppix like this:

boot: knoppix floppyconf

The computers where I work in the lab accept the settings floppy (yay!) but none of the others on campus, not even my computer at home accept the settings floppy. It says it's looking for Knoppix settings on /mnt/floppy and it sits there like that for a good 5 to 10 minutes then eventually gives up. This whole time the floppy drive activity light is on. These symptoms are common across many different computers with many different specs. EXCEPT the ones I use at work.

And I have another small problem. The monitor geometry of the computer I have at work is a bit off. It's a 17" LCD running 1024x768. In WinXP it's fine but in Knoppix it's shifted to the right. There's a one inch black gap on the left, the entire display is shifted right; not centered.

I'd appreciate any advice in correcting these two problems!

[rickenbacherus]

Not any help on the floppy issue since I don't use Knoppix that way but AFA the screen size goes...often times you can manually adjust the screen size with the monitor controls so that it looks good in Linux. Then of course boot back to win to check there as well. You may find that win still looks OK. gluck.

[bitey]

I'll bet the floppy issue is a hardware problem -- the heads on the various floppy drives you're using are aligned differently. I've had better luck using a usb memory stick (currently a Lexar JumpDrive).

[Kethinov]

often times you can manually adjust the screen size with the monitor controls

Unless I'm missing something here, LCD screens don't have geometry controls

I'll bet the floppy issue is a hardware problem -- the heads on the various floppy drives you're using are aligned differently. I've had better luck using a usb memory stick (currently a Lexar JumpDrive).

I've considered using a pen drive, but I doubt the problem with the floppies is hardware based. I've tried the floppy on over a dozen computers and it ONLY works on the hardware models that are identical to my work computer. Also, keep in mind that on the machines were Knoppix won't load the floppy, it can read it and the files on it fine after it boots.

[Kethinov]

My apologies. The LCD screens do have geometry controls. That fixed the screen problem. But I still haven't solved the problem of why my settings floppy only seems to work on platforms identical to my work computer.