Difference between revisions of "Cheat Codes"


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==== Introduction ====
 
German Version: [[Cheat Codes Deutsch]] / French Version: [[Cheat Codes French]] /
 
Versión español: [[Cheat Codes Spanish]]
 
----
 
* '''Hint:''' This Wiki page ".. seems to be a little out-of-date" as Klaus Knopper mentioned some time ago.
 
* '''To get the new Cheat Codes please download knoppix-cheatcodes.txt''' from the [http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-mirrors/ Mirrors].
 
----
 
  
'''Cheatcodes''' are used to pass options to KNOPPIX to help with getting it working on difficult hardware. You type them into the boot screen and press enter/return.  The format is "kernel option option option ...". Usually "'''knoppix'''" is the right selection for the "kernel". You can type more than one cheatcode before pressing enter. Also note that some options can take on values.
+
== Cheatcodes and hints ==
 +
from Knoppix DVD
 +
<pre>                    CHEATCODES AND HINTS FOR KNOPPIX V7.6
 +
==============================================================================
 +
                        (last update: 26.01.2016)
  
Example: "knoppix xvrefresh=60 noscsi floppyconfig"
+
These options (can be combined) work from the boot prompt:
  
----
+
### General ###
 +
adriane                            Start blind-friendly, talking desktop
 +
debug                              Debug boot process step-by-step [→ Tip]
 +
expert                              Interactive setup for experts [→ Tip]
 +
knoppix                            Knoppix w/ 32bit Kernel
 +
knoppix64                          Knoppix w/ 64bit Kernel [→ Tip]
 +
knoppix 2                          Runlevel 2, Textmode only
 +
knoppix init=/bin/bash              Start bash as process 1 instead of init
  
==== Options ====
+
### Language/Country ###
;lang=bg|be|ch|cn|cs|cz|da|de|dk|es|fi|fr|ie|it|ja|nl|pl|ru|sk|tr|tw|uk|us : specify language/keyboard
+
knoppix lang=ch|cn|de|da|es|fr|it   specify language/keyboard [Hint: 1]
 +
knoppix lang=nl|pl|ru|sk|tr|tw|us   specify language/keyboard
 +
knoppix keyboard=us xkeyboard=us    Use different keyboard (text/X)
 +
knoppix utc                        Use Universal Time [→ Tip]
 +
knoppix tz=Europe/Berlin            Use this timezone for TZ
 +
                                    (default: tz=localtime)
  
: You can go to the [http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php ISO 639 site] to see the two-letters code meanings.
+
### Hardware/Workarounds ###
 +
knoppix ide1=reset                  Try this if knoppix can't find the
 +
                                    CD/DVD drive on old computers [Hint: 4]
 +
knoppix no{apic,lapic,acpi,apm}    Skip parts of HW-detection (1)
 +
knoppix no{hwsetup,udev,dhcp,fstab} Skip parts of HW-detection (2)
 +
knoppix no{pcmcia,sound,swap}      Skip parts of HW-detection (3)
 +
knoppix nousb                      Skip parts of HW-detection (4)
 +
knoppix nolapic                    Disable local APIC (differs from noapic)
 +
knoppix noideraid                  Disable IDE-Raiddisk detection
 +
knoppix pnpbios=off                No PnP Bios initialization
 +
knoppix acpi=off                    Disable ACPI Bios completely
 +
knoppix acpi=noirq                  Disable ACPI IRC routing only
 +
knoppix acpi=force                  FORCE ACPI Bios initialization
 +
knoppix noacpid                    Do not start ACPI even daemon
 +
failsafe                            Boot with (almost) no HW-detection
 +
knoppix pci=irqmask=0x0e98          Try this, if PS/2 mouse doesn't work [Hint: 2]
 +
knoppix pci=bios                    Workaround for bad PCI controllers
 +
knoppix ide2=0x180 nopcmcia        Boot from PCMCIA-CD-Rom (some notebooks)
 +
knoppix mem=512M                    Specify Memory size in MByte [Hint: 7]
 +
knoppix wheelmouse                  Enable IMPS/2 protocol for wheelmice
 +
knoppix nowheelmouse                Force plain PS/2 protocol for PS/2-mouse
  
: For example, typing knoppix lang=us you change the keyboard/language to US english.
+
### Desktop ###
 +
knoppix desktop=kde|gnome|icewm    Use specified WM instead of LXDE (1)
 +
knoppix desktop=fluxbox|openbox    Use specified WM instead of LXDE (2)
 +
knoppix desktop=larswm|evilwm|twm  Use specified WM instead of LXDE (3)
 +
knoppix no3d                        Don't use compiz 3d fuctions
 +
knoppix 3d                          Try compiz even on slow cards w/o dri
  
: If you don't change the keyboard, in the default DE-bootimage, Knoppix boots with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_keyboard_layouts#Germany_and_Austria_.28but_not_Switzerland.29 german keyboard layout] (i.e. '=' letter is located at Shift-0 at this keyboard). Print the german keyboard layout for your reference.
+
### Graphics ###
<br>
+
knoppix screen=1280x1024           Use specified Screen resolution for X
;keyboard=us : specify only [[console]] keyboard
+
knoppix hsync=95                    Use 95 kHz horizontal X refresh rate
<br>
+
knoppix vsync=60                   Use 60 Hz vertical refresh rate for X
;xkeyboard=us : specify [[XFree86|X]] keyboard
+
knoppix xmodule=fbdev|vesa|svga    Use specified Xorg-Module (1)
<br>
+
knoppix xmodule=nouveau|radeon      Use specified Xorg-Module (2)
;atapicd  :Do NOT use SCSI-Emulation for IDE CD-Roms - Knoppix V3.4 and later
+
knoppix xmodule=intel|vmware|s3     Use specified Xorg-Module (3)
<br>
+
knoppix norandr                    Disable Xorg RandR feature (may be
;desktop=[[fluxbox]]|[[icewm]]|[[larswm]]|[[twm]]|[[wmaker]]|[[xfce]] : Use specified WM instead of KDE
+
                                    useful if wrong resolution was detected)
<br>
+
knoppix noddc                      Don't query monitor for resoution
;screen=1280x1024 :Use specified Screen resolution for X
+
knoppix nocomposite                Don't use Xorg Composite extension
<br>
+
knoppix vga=normal                  No-framebuffer mode, but X
;xvrefresh=60 or vsync=60 : Use 60 Hz vertical refresh rate for X
+
knoppix nodrm                      Don't load graphics acceleration modules
<br>
+
knoppix nofb                        Don't load framebuffer modules
;xhrefresh=80 or hsync=80 : Use 80 kHz horizontal refresh rate for X
+
knoppix nomodeset                  Don't use Kernel Mode Settings for X
<br>
+
fb1280x1024                        Use fixed framebuffer graphics (1)
;xserver=XFree86|XF86_SVGA : Use specified X-Server
+
fb1024x768                          Use fixed framebuffer graphics (2)
<br>
+
fb800x600                          Use fixed framebuffer graphics (3)
;xmodule=ati|radeon|[[fbdev]]|vesa|savage|s3|nv|i810|mga|svga|tseng : Use specified XFree4-Module
+
fb640x480                          Use fixed framebuffer graphics (4)
<br>
+
;wheelmouse : The mouse is a wheelmouse - not needed since 2003-04-15
+
<br>
+
;nowheelmouse : Regular PS/2 mouse - 2003-04-15 and after.
+
<br>
+
;i8042.noloop : Fix mouse on MS VirtualPC
+
<br>
+
;0 : Runlevel 0, Shutdown
+
;1 : Runlevel 1, Textmode, single user
+
;2 : Runlevel 2, Textmode only
+
;3 : Runlevel 3, Textmode only
+
;4 : Runlevel 4, Textmode only
+
;5 : Runlevel 5, Graphics mode, default
+
;6 : Runlevel 6, Reboot
+
<br>
+
;myconfig=scan or floppyconfig or floppyconf (in recent versions) : Run '''knoppix.sh''' from a floppy. The "floppyconfig" option allows you to reconfigure the system after autoconfig, or install your own config files, by mounting a floppy disk and running a bourne shell script called '''knoppix.sh''' from the root directory on this floppy. There is a GUI to create such a configuration floppy disk calles "saveconfig" (also located in the KDE menu under "KNOPPIX", but experts also know how to do this by creating their own shellscripts. The configuration with network and graphics setup are stored in '''configs.tbz'''. A file called ''knoppix.sh'', if located in the toplevel KNOPPIX directory on CD, will also be executed at startup. This makes it easier to create customized versions without having to change anything on the compressed filesystem KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX.
+
<br>
+
;myconf=/dev/sda1  :Run "knoppix.sh" from a partition - Knoppix V3.4
+
<br>
+
;myconf=scan (or config=scan) :Try to find "knoppix.sh" automatically - Knoppix V3.4
+
<br>
+
;noapic noagp noapm nodma nomce nofirewire nopcmcia noscsi noswap nousb nosmp noaudio : Skip parts of Hardware-detection, In case of a failing hardware autodetection, try booting with any of the "no-" options as shown in the table above, like in knoppix noagp noapm noapic nodma nopcmcia noscsi nousb to skip some critical parts of the autodetection system. The "noswap" option is useful for a forensic analysis without touching existing swap partitions.
+
<br>
+
;nofstab : By default Knoppix will look/scan the HDs to see if it contains partitions. If the HDs do have partitions, Knoppix will automatically build a '/etc/fstab' file and fill-in the appropriate partition entries and will also create the '/mnt/hdxx' mount points. The 'nofstab' cheat code prevents this look/scan and prevents the generation of the /etc/fstab and its mount points.
+
<br>
+
;nohwsetup : Skip hardware detection (does not run '''hwsetup''')
+
<br>
+
;no-hlt : Do not perform hlt test. On some CPUs or with some power supplies the hlt test can cause the CPU to reset, so specifying this instruction will cause the system to ignore the hlt test and run at full power. Warning, this can cause your CPU to run hotter, and may defeat power saving measures.
+
<br>
+
;pci=bios : Workaround for bad PCI controllers
+
<br>
+
;pci=biosirq : Will force the use of the BIOS assigned '''I'''nterrupt '''R'''e'''Q'''uests on the PCI bus. Possible cure for non-functioning hardware. Very handy for unruly IRQ conflicts. Look at '''dmesg''' and '''cat /proc/pci''' to find out if you have any such troubles..
+
<br>
+
;pci=irqmask=0x0e98 : Notebook if PS/2 mouse doesn't work,  Try "knoppix pci=irqmask=0x0e98" if (you have a notebook and) your PS/2 mouse doesn't work. (Possibly caused by a BIOS-flaw on your board.)
+
<br>
+
;ide2=0x180 nopcmia : boot from PCMCIA-CD (Transmeta notebooks)
+
<br>
+
;mem=128M : Specify Memory size in MByte, Some Boards apparently don't pass the proper memory size to the linux-kernel. It may cause the message "Panic cannot mount root file system" and the system hangs. Use "knoppix mem=128M" to solve that problem if your system has 128MByte memory for example (caution you MUST use a capital "M" here). Stuff like mem=16320K also works.
+
<br>
+
;noeject : Do NOT eject CD after halt
+
<br>
+
;noprompt : Its especially useful in combination with noeject. With noprompt, Knopix won't eject the CD and ask for a keypress. It was a much asked feature some time ago. Version 2003-09-22 and later.
+
<br>
+
;nodhcp : skip dhcp/network broadcast detection
+
<br>
+
;splash : It shows the upper half of the KDE splash-screen, while booting up. You can press Esc anytime to see all the messages. Ever wanted to hide those cryptic messages? Version 2003-09-22 and later.
+
* New in 3.4: Animations (see for yourself) and the ability to press ''any'' key.
+
<br>
+
;modules-disk : This cheatcode allows you to insert a floppy disk with additional modules, for example USB-stick or similar. Yes, its also possible with "expert", but there you lose the automatic configuration afterwards. Version 2003-09-22 and later.
+
<br>
+
;toram : Copy CD to RAM and run from there. Version 2003-09-05 and later.
+
<br>
+
;tohd : You can now do a "poor mans install" on vfat and ext2-Partitions with, '''knoppix tohd=/dev/hda1''' Version 2003-09-22 and later.
+
<br>
+
;fromhd : With this cheatcode the CD-Roms are ignored, so you can finally boot your "poor mans install" with just the original cdrom. Version 2003-09-05 and later. note - Cheatcode "toram" and "fromhd" work now together. Usage fromhd=/dev/hda1.
+
<br>
+
;boot=/dev/hda1
+
:        (after you load kernel and run ramdisk startup stuff (minirt.gz) however you may choose)
+
:Then  continue  starting up from hda1/KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX  . This is an easy way to free up your  CD drive--you don't even need the CD at all, to boot, if you boot using loadlin, and have the 'linux' file and 'minirt.gz' file being loaded from the hard drive with loadlin. just copy the cd compressed contents to  the root directory of a partition. then load knoppix with loadlin or however, passing this code in addition to the others, as you start up.
+
:This was tested to work on a fat32 partition, in knoppix 3.4. --[[User:gh78|gh78]] May 20 2006
+
  
 +
### Configuration / Persistent image ###
 +
knoppix nonetworkmanager            Don't start network manager
 +
knoppix toram                      Copy to RAM and run from there [→ Tip]
 +
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 [→ Tip]
 +
knoppix knoppix_dir=KNOPPIX        Directory to search for on the CD.
 +
knoppix knoppix_name=KNOPPIX        Cloop-File to search for on the CD.
 +
knoppix noswap                      Don't use existing swap partitions
 +
knoppix nozram                      Don't use zram compressed swap-in-ram
 +
knoppix forensic                    Don't use swap and mount read-only [Hint: 6]
 +
knoppix secure                      Disable root access
 +
knoppix mkimage                    Create persistent image as needed [→ Tip]
 +
knoppix noimage                    Ignore persistent image or partition
  
;bootfrom=/dev/hda1 : Access Image then boot from previously              copied CD-Image (enables booting from  NTFS / ReiserFS) - Knoppix V3.4
+
### Knoppix Terminalserver/Client ###
<br>
+
knoppix nfsdir=hostip:path          Use nfsdir as /mnt-system for TS client
;bootfrom=/dev/hda1/KNX.iso : Access image, boot from ISO-Image. - Knoppix V3.4
+
knoppix hostname=name              Set TS client hostname
 +
knoppix hostname=auto-mac          Set TS client hostname from MAC address
 +
knoppix hostname=auto-clock        Set TS client hostname from clock
  
: NOTE: bootfrom needs access to a running Knoppix-System with the same Kernel as the Bootkernel, before it is able to mount the partition / ISO-Image.  This should allow a poor mans install from NTFS-Partitions and makes it also possible to boot an ISO-Image directly. You can also use wildcards in the ISO-Filename, but it must be unique. So: If you have just one KNOPPIX.iso on /dev/hda1 you can access it as: bootfrom=/dev/hda1/K*.iso, but if there are several, you need to make clear, which one you want. (Feature added by Fabian Franz.)
+
### Various ###
 +
knoppix noeject                    Do NOT eject CD after halt
 +
knoppix noprompt                    Do NOT prompt to remove the CD
 +
knoppix testcd|testdvd              Check live medium for defects [→ Tip]
 +
knoppix splash                      Use splash.ppm in initrd as boot pic
 +
knoppix trace                      create an open() trace in /open.trace
  
: CAUTION: The 2.4 kernel that is in the KNOPPIX 3.4 CD does not support the ext3 filesystem so make sure that the ISO is stored in an ext2 filesystem.
+
==============================================================================
<br>
+
Hint:
;gmt|utc : Hardware clock is set to GMT/UTC
+
(1) Using the default DE-bootimage, SYSLINUX boots with german
<br>
+
keyboard layout. The '=' letter is located at Shift-0 on this keyboard
;tz=Europe/Berlin : Hardware clock is set to timezone Europe/Berlin
+
(just in case you want to change keyboard and language with lang=us). If
<br>
+
you need to change the keyboard layout later in X, and can't find a
;vga=normal : No-framebuffer mode, but X
+
convenient tool in the preferences, use "setxkbmap 'ca(multi)'" in order
<br>
+
to set up a new (multi-language canadian, in this example) keyboard
;vga=ext : 50-line TEXT mode
+
layout
<br>
+
;vga=791 : Fix scrambled video on MS VirtualPC
+
<br>
+
;dma : enable DMA for all IDE drives
+
<br>
+
;home=scan :Set home directory. 'scan' will search for knoppix.img in the root of all partitions. To create a home directory, go K-menu -> Knoppix -> Configure -> Create persistant home directory. Be carefull when creating the home-dir, Do NOT use the entire partition unless you know what you are doing. Other options could be, home=/dev/hda1/knoppix.img home=/mnt/hda1/knoppix.img . If you are using a USB memory stick type home=/dev/sda1/knoppix.img but home=scan will probably do.
+
<br>
+
;blind :Start Braille-Terminal (no X)
+
<br>
+
;brltty=type,port,table :Parameters for Braille device.
+
For more information on brltty parameters see http://mielke.cc/brltty/guidelines.html
+
<br>
+
;alsa :Autoconfigure alsa for an pci-soundcard
+
<br>
+
;alsa=es1938 :Configure alsa for the snd-es1938.o-module pci-soundcard
+
<br>
+
;testcd : Check CD data integrity, If your KNOPPIX CD makes strange noises during boot, or you see frequent errors like "cloop read error", or programs on your KDE desktop keep crashing randomly, then your CD image is probably defective or incomplete, or your CD-burner created a defective CD due to wrong writing speed or bad media. This is the most common error reported. Please boot with "knoppix testcd" to check if the CD is OK, and/or even better, verify the MD5 checksums that are present on the mirrors before writing the CD. Also, please read the KNOPPIX-FAQ.
+
  
: CAUTION: testcd can take a long time and the screen saver often starts while the testcd check is running. Hit SHIFT or CTRL to turn off the screen saver and continue, there is likely no need to reset the system or burn another CD at this point.
+
(2) Try "knoppix pci=irqmask=0x0e98" if (you have an old notebook and)
<br>
+
your PS/2 mouse doesn't work, Possibly caused by a BIOS-flaw on your
;pnpbios=off : No PnP Bios initialization
+
board, BIOS updates can sometimes help.
<br>
+
;acpi=off  : Disable ACPI Bios completely
+
<br>
+
;knoppix_dir=KNOPPIX  : Directory to search for on the CD.
+
<br>
+
;knoppix_name=KNOPPIX : Cloop-File to search for on the CD.
+
<br>
+
  
;-b : "Emergency Mode", a quick-n-dirty boot, almost no HW detection, only 1 VT<!-- *ROOT PASSWORD IS SCRAMBLED, LOGIN AS ROOT IS NOT POSSIBLE* hit enter at root-password prompt and start typing commands-->. Good if you just need to fdisk IDE devices, activate a different partition for booting, DD stuff, and you are planning on rebooting '''Real Fast''' after you're done. You can actually Alt-SysRQ-B safely ie. immediate reboot w/o worrying about shutting down nicely or anything, because nothing is mounted r/w at ALL - not even swap. Also works on other Linux distros.
+
(3) If your KNOPPIX CD produces strange noises during boot, or you see
<br>
+
frequent errors like "cloop: read error", or programs on your desktop
 +
are crashing randomly, then your CD image is probably defective or
 +
incomplete, or your CD-burner created a defective CD due to wrong
 +
writing speed or bad media. This is actually the most common error
 +
reported. Please boot with "knoppix testcd" to check if the CD or DVD is
 +
OK. Installing and starting Knoppix from flash disk is recommended and
 +
much faster than running from CD or DVD.
 +
(Read also "More explanations" → testdvd)
  
==== Kernels ====
+
(4) In case of a failing hardware autodetection, try booting with any of
For a complete listing of the kernels and kernel labels, see the isolinux.cfg file on the CD.
+
the "no-" options as shown in the table above, like in
 +
  knoppix nodrm nomodeset no3d noaudio noapm noapic nolapic
 +
          acpi=off pci=bios pnpbios=off nodma nopcmcia noscsi nousb ...
 +
to skip some critical parts of the autodetection system.
  
;knoppix or linux : Default settings
+
(5)(6) The "noswap" and/or "forensic" boot option is useful for a
# cat /proc/cmdline
+
forensic analysis without touching existing swap partitions.
ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791
+
initrd=minirt.gz nomce quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix BOOT_IMAGE=linux
+
<br>
+
;knoppix26 or linux26 : Boot the 2.6 kernel for use with the new Knoppix 3.4 and 3.4 c't Edition.
+
<br>
+
<!-- *NOT AN EXISTING KERNEL IMAGE*
+
;knoppix-txt : No framebuffer at startup
+
# cat /proc/cmdline
+
ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=normal
+
initrd=minirt.gz nomce quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix BOOT_IMAGE=linux
+
<br> -->
+
;fb1280x1024 or fb1024x768 or fb800x600 : Use fixed framebuffer graphics
+
# cat /proc/cmdline
+
ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=794
+
xmodule=fbdev initrd=minirt.gz nomce quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix BOOT_IMAGE=linux
+
<br>
+
;failsafe : Boot with (almost) no hardware detection
+
# cat /proc/cmdline                                             
+
ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us vga=normal atapicd
+
nosound noapic noacpi pnpbios=off acpi=off nofstab noscsi
+
nodma noapm nousb nopcmcia nofirewire noagp nomce nodhcp
+
xmodule=vesa initrd=minirt.gz BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix BOOT_IMAGE=linux
+
<br>
+
;expert : Interactive setup for experts, The "expert" mode provides a very simple and not yet well tested interface to loading additional Kernel modules from floppy disks (ext2 or vfat), plus interactive configuration of mouse/keyboard/soundcard/xserver. "expert" mode supports the same boot options as "knoppix".
+
# cat /proc/cmdline                                             
+
ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791
+
initrd=minirt.gz nomce BOOT_IMAGE=expert BOOT_IMAGE=linux
+
<br>
+
;expert26 : The same as above only with 2.6 kernel - Knoppix V3.4
+
<br>
+
;memtest : Run memtest86 instead of Linux - Knoppix V3.4
+
<br>
+
;debug : Pauses at various stages in the boot and shutdown processes.  Type 'exit' to move on to the next stage.
+
# cat /proc/cmdline
+
ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off
+
vga=normal initrd=minirt.gz debug BOOT_IMAGE=debug BOOT_IMAGE=linux
+
;userdef : useful kernel alias if you use knoppix-customize.  Type 'man knoppix-customize' for more information. Very experimental.
+
<br>
+
  
----
+
(7) Some Boards apparently don't pass the proper memory size to the
 +
linux-kernel. It may cause the message "Panic: cannot mount root file
 +
system" and the system hangs. Use "knoppix mem=512M" to solve that
 +
problem if your system has 512MByte memory for example (caution:
 +
you MUST use a capital "M" here).
 +
 
 +
When installing to read/write media, such as flash disks (using
 +
flash-knoppix), you can add a swap file in order to replace missing
 +
physical RAM by persistent storage space. You can create this swap
 +
file like this from the running system:
 +
  dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix.swp
 +
  mkswap /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix.swp
 +
  swapon /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix.swp
 +
Please be aware that swapping on flash media can be painfully slow, and
 +
is no perfect replacement for real RAM. The zram ram-compression feature
 +
(available from Knoppix 7.0.1) can extend the usable ram range to a
 +
certain degree.
 +
 
 +
---
 +
 
 +
If you need additional modules for starting controllers needed at boot
 +
time, just copy the corresponding *.ko files from /lib/modules/* over to
 +
/modules in the initial ramdisk (remaster needed).
 +
 
 +
If you place an update*.zip or update*tar.gz file on the medium holding
 +
the KNOPPIX data, it will be unpacked onto the overlayed filesystem
 +
before starting "init", thus allowing quick reconfiguration of the
 +
system.
 +
 
 +
The file "knoppix.sh", if residing in the main KNOPPIX directory, will
 +
be execuded after autoconfiguration and before starting the graphical
 +
desktop. It can be used in order to start additional services.
 +
 
 +
If you wish to remaster the CD, please don't forget to specify
 +
    -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \
 +
    -b boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin -c boot/isolinux/boot.cat
 +
as option to mkisofs. Otherwise your CD or DVD won't be bootable. The
 +
directory KNOPPIX, containig the compressed filesystem file "KNOPPIX",
 +
must be located in the top level directory of the CD.
 +
 
 +
Caution: X-Screensaver: Don't start xlock or any screensaver that
 +
requires a password. There are no default passwords on KNOPPIX,
 +
i.e. all accounts are LOCKED unless you explicitly set a password.
 +
See also "SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR KNOPPIX" (README_Security.txt)
 +
about this issue.
 +
If you accidentially hit the screensaver button in KDE,
 +
switch to one of the textconsoles by Control-Alt-F1 and kill
 +
the screensaver (or just set a password for the knoppix user).
 +
 
 +
If you would like to edit your X-Server configuration manually
 +
(config file /etc/X11/xorg.conf), use "knoppix 2" to boot
 +
into runlevel 2 (textmode only) and, after changing the X
 +
configuration, start the X environment with "init 5". Note that
 +
you can always leave the graphical environment with "init 2", and
 +
restart it later with "init 5".
 +
</pre>
 +
 
 +
<center>[[#top|Top]]</center>
 +
 
 +
== Tips ==
 +
Cheatcodes are used to pass options to KNOPPIX to help with getting it working on difficult hardware. In the initial boot phase you'll see the Knoppix emblem with the little penguin and the '''commandline at the bottom of the screen'''. Type your cheatcodes after "boot: " in the commandline and press [Enter]. With [F2] and/or [F3] you can see some of the most usefull cheatcodes.
 +
 
 +
The format is "kernel option option option ...". Usually "'''knoppix'''" is the right selection for the "kernel".  You can type more than one cheatcode before pressing enter. Also note that some options can take on values. Example:
 +
 
 +
  boot: knoppix mem=512 tz=America/Toronto
 +
 
 +
;<span id="memtest">memtest</span> : To run memtest86 instead of Knoppix only type this cheatcodes after "boot: " in the commandline and press [Enter]. With memtest86 you can determine if your memory is good (and if you have as much memory as you think you have). Press [Esc] after some hours to finish the test or when you see the first error messages.
 +
 
 +
;<span id="testdvd">testdvd</span> : Using this cheatcode Knoppix calculates the sha1sum of the most important files of the ISO and compares it with the values in the file „sha1sums”. If you cannot boot with the Knoppix CD/DVD and therefore you cannot use this cheatcode, then mount the CD/DVD within your OS and use
 +
  md5sum /dev/sr0
 +
:Compare the value you get with the content of the KNOPPIX_V...iso.md5 file.
 +
 
 +
;<span id="noapic">noapic nolapic</span> ... : Skip parts of Hardware-detection, In case of a failing hardware autodetection, try booting with any of the "no-" options as shown in the table above, like in
 +
  boot: knoppix noagp noapm noapic nodma nopcmcia noscsi nousb
 +
:to skip some critical parts of the autodetection system.
 +
 
 +
;noswap : This option is useful for a forensic analysis without touching existing swap partitions.
 +
 
 +
;tohd : You can do a → [[:Category: Hard_drive_Installation#Poor_man.27s_install | Poor man's install]] on vfat and ext-Partitions.
 +
 
 +
;fromhd : With this cheatcode the CD-Roms are ignored, so you can finally boot your "Poor man's install".
 +
 
 +
;toram : Knoppix will load the contents of the CD/DVD into RAM and run from there. After boot up, the CD/DVD can be removed and the DVD drive will be available for other uses.
 +
 
 +
: Note: Because this will take up a lot of RAM, it is recommended for those with at least 8 GB of RAM (2 GB for CD version). Cheatcode "toram" and "fromhd" work now together.
 +
 
 +
: Just remember to use "knoppix64 toram" for the DVD version, if you want to copy the entire 4.1 GB into your ramdisk, since the "knoppix" keyword would be the 32bit kernel, which can't handle memory addressing larger than 4GB.
 +
 
 +
;bootfrom : Access Image then boot from previously copied CD/DVD-Image (enables booting from  NTFS / ReiserFS). After boot up, the CD/DVD can be removed.
 +
 
 +
: Note: "bootfrom" needs access to a running Knoppix-System with the same Kernel as the Bootkernel, before it is able to mount the 'partition/ISO-Image'. This should allow a → [[:Category: Hard_drive_Installation#Poor_man.27s_install |Poor man's install]] from NTFS-partitions and makes it also possible to boot an ISO-Image directly; so you can test remastered Knoppix iso files before committing to a burn. 
 +
 
 +
;debug : Pauses at various stages in the boot process. → [[#Kernel_panic|Kernel panic]]
 +
 
 +
;knoppix64 : With DVD version 7.4.0 and upward the bootloader will start the 64bit kernel automatically if a 64bit-capable CPU is detected (if not manually specified otherwise).
 +
 
 +
;utc : You can only use UTC, if BIOS clock is set to UTC. Within '/etc/adjtime' you'll find the entry "LOCAL" instead of "UTC". Exchange this value if you want to use UTC and reboot. Knoppix uses the value of '/etc/timezone' for system (panel) clock. Perhaps you have to change the value for '/etc/timezone'; if so, have a look at '/usr/share/zoneinfo' for possible values.
 +
: You can check the proper settings with
 +
 
 +
timedatectl status
 +
 
 +
;mkimage : If Knoppix isn't started in forensic mode and if no persistent image or partition is found, then Knoppix DVD version 7.4.1 and upward only offers the option to create persistent image (ext2-formatted file, not partition) by this new cheatcode.
 +
 
 +
<center>[[#top|Top]]</center>
 +
 
 +
== Micro-Remastering ==
 +
Boot options like "adriane" can easily be preset by changing '/mnt-system/boot/syslinux/'''syslinux.cfg'''' after having copied the CD to a bootable memorystick using "Knoppix => Install KNOPPIX to flash disk":  Change the upper line
 +
DEFAULT knoppix
 +
to:
 +
DEFAULT adriane
 +
for automatically starting ADRIANE on boot. This is already default in all ADRIANE iso files.
 +
 
 +
To change '''other boot options''' look within the file 'syslinux.cfg' for the LABEL line of the way you always start with Knoppix. If you for example always use "knoppix" (and not "knoppix64") then look for "LABEL knoppix". Don't change the following KERNEL line but insert additional or change existent cheatcodes within the APPEND line. An example:
 +
 
 +
  LABEL knoppix
 +
  KERNEL linux
 +
  APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 lang=en keyboard=es xkeyboard=es apm=power-off ...
 +
: Note: If you are using Knoppix 64 bit, you have also to change the settings within '/mnt-system/boot/syslinux/'''syslnx32.cfg'''' and '/mnt-system/boot/syslinux/'''syslnx64.cfg''''
 +
 
 +
<center>[[#top|Top]]</center>
 +
 
 +
== Download Knoppix ==
 +
moved to → [[Downloading_FAQ#How_do_I_get_the_current_DVD.3F|How do I get the current DVD?]]
 +
 
 +
== Check the ISO ==
 +
moved to → [[Downloading_FAQ#What_are_these_md5_files.3F|What are these md5 files?]]
 +
 
 +
== Exclude forgery ==
 +
moved to → [[Downloading_FAQ#What_are_these_asc_files.3F|What are these asc files?]]
 +
 
 +
== Use CD/DVD without burning it ==
 +
Have a look →[[Knoppix_Remastering_Howto#Test_CD_Image_Without_Burning_a_CD|Test without burning a CD]]
 +
 
 +
<center>[[#top|Top]]</center>
 +
 
 +
== Cannot boot ==
 +
=== The burned DVD will not boot ===
 +
 
 +
* You possibly only got a partial download or the download was corrupt. If you checked the → [[Downloading_FAQ#What_are_these_md5_files.3F|md5 file]] and know that you have a good download of the ISO, then be sure that you burn the CD at a slow speed, either 4x or as slow as your burner will let you go.
 +
 
 +
* Problems are often seen booting with discs that have been burnt at a high speed. You my try the cheatcode → [[#testdvd|knoppix testdvd]] to check the DVD for defects. If you get an error message, then the ISO image is defective and the CDR burn of Knoppix is also defective.
 +
 
 +
* If the ISO is good but Knoppix doesn't seem to be able to boot on your hardware, you may need to use one or more → [[#noapic|cheatcodes]] to help Knoppix if it can't determine your hardware configuration on its own.
 +
 
 +
=== Memory problems ===
 +
 
 +
It's worth mentioning that you just might have a memory problem. The Knoppix disc includes the bootable memory test → [[#memtest|memtest86]]. If you can't even boot into memtest86 then something is very wrong with the disc that you made or with your system.
 +
 
 +
=== Kernel panic ===
  
==== Tips&Tricks ====
 
 
If you are unable to boot Knoppix (i.e. the screen goes blank, you see a kernel panic message, the screen flickers, you are dropped into a minimal shell, Knoppix simply freezes while booting, etc.), try these boot commands in order:
 
If you are unable to boot Knoppix (i.e. the screen goes blank, you see a kernel panic message, the screen flickers, you are dropped into a minimal shell, Knoppix simply freezes while booting, etc.), try these boot commands in order:
# '''boot: knoppix vga=0'''
+
* '''boot: knoppix vga=0'''
# '''boot: knoppix acpi=off pnpbios=off noapic noapm''' Helpful for laptops
+
* '''boot: knoppix acpi=off pnpbios=off noapic noapm'''
# '''boot: knoppix vga=0 debug -b 3''' Using this boot command will cause Knoppix to pause at various stages in the boot process. Just type 'exit' at each shell prompt to move on to the next stage. You will know that you are at the final stage when typing 'exit' does not do anything. If you get that far, type 'init 5' to go into graphics mode.<br>
+
* '''boot: knoppix vga=0 debug'''
# '''boot: failsafe debug -b 3''' That will do the same as the previous boot command, except turn off most of the hardware detection.
+
Using the cheatcode 'debug' will cause Knoppix to wait at various stages in the boot process. Just type '''exit''' after each shell prompt "... job control turned off".
If you still have issues, please post in the [http://www.knoppix.net/forum/ Hardware & Booting] forum, tell us which of the above boot commands you tried, and how far in the boot process you were able to get.
+
* '''boot: failsafe debug'''
 +
That will do the same as the previous boot command, except turn off most of the hardware detection.
  
Information for further troubleshooting:
+
If you still have issues, please post in the [http://knoppix.net/forum/forums/13-Hardware-Booting Hardware & Booting] forum, tell us which of the above boot commands you've tried, and how far in the boot process you were able to go.
 +
 
 +
=== Troubleshooting ===
  
 
Most of the boot options are parsed by different programs and scripts during the booting process, roughly in this order:
 
Most of the boot options are parsed by different programs and scripts during the booting process, roughly in this order:
Line 208: Line 301:
 
* the isolinux bootloader
 
* the isolinux bootloader
 
* the linux kernel
 
* the linux kernel
* /linuxrc , which can be found in /cdrom/boot/isolinux/miniroot.gz -> linuxrc
+
* "init", which can be found in /mnt-system/boot/isolinux/minirt.gz -> init
 
* /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig
 
* /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig
* /etc/init.d/xsession
+
* /etc/init.d/knoppix-startx
* /usr/sbin/mkxf86config
+
* /etc/X11/Xsession.d/45knoppix
 
* /etc/init.d/knoppix-halt
 
* /etc/init.d/knoppix-halt
* /etc/init.d/knoppix-reboot
 
  
 
For more information on passing boot parameters to the kernel, see 'man boot' and 'man bootparam'.
 
For more information on passing boot parameters to the kernel, see 'man boot' and 'man bootparam'.
  
----
+
<center>[[#top|Top]]</center>
  
==== Updates ====
+
== Security considerations ==
; Updated for Knoppix 3.1 2003-01-05<br>
+
from Knoppix CD/DVD
; Updated for Knoppix 3.2 : desktop=gnome is no longer available... (use [http://www.gnoppix.org Gnoppix]).
+
<pre>
; Updated for Knoppix 3.8.2
+
                      SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR KNOPPIX
----
+
                      ====================================
  
==== Links ====
+
1.) There is no automatic start of external accessible services.
* http://lists.debian.org/debian-knoppix/2009/11/msg00018.html -- Cheatcodes version 6.2.0 (From Klaus 20091111)
+
 
* http://www.knoppix.nl/5.3/knoppix-cheatcodes.txt -- Cheatcode version 5.3.
+
2.) There are no default passwords. All accounts are locked by default.
* http://www.kernel.org/pub/dist/knoppix-dvd/knoppix-cheatcodes.txt  --  KNOPPIX V5.0.1  (last update: 12.05.2006)
+
    Even local logins are not possible (unless you set a password or create
* http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO.html
+
    new user accounts as root).
* http://www.cheatworld.net -- cheat codes library
+
 
* http://www.wlug.org.nz/bootparam%287%29
+
3.) Therefore, all local interactive processes are started by init without
* [[kernel-parameters-2.6.11]]
+
    authorization.
* [[User:Ml#miniroot_changes]]: i added some new cheatcodes for exotic boot media (nocloop, fromiso, nbd, nfs etc). they're not supported by default so a new miniroot.gz is needed.
+
 
 +
    The graphical desktop is started with the unprivileged user id
 +
    "knoppix". Programs that only work for root are started using sudo
 +
    without password. This has the advantage of making faults caused by
 +
    defective software very unlikely, but does not enhance local
 +
    security, since it is fairly easy to switch between the "knoppix"
 +
    and "root" account. The knoppix user should never be allowed for
 +
    external logins (in the case that sshd or similar servers are being
 +
    launched).
 +
 
 +
4.) You can create valid passwords using "sudo passwd [username]" from the
 +
    Shell, individually.
 +
</pre>
 +
 
 +
<center>[[#top|Top]]</center>
 +
----
  
[[Category: Cheat Codes]]
+
Return to '''[[Main Page]] of the Wiki'''.

Latest revision as of 08:46, 3 May 2016

Cheatcodes and hints

from Knoppix DVD

                     CHEATCODES AND HINTS FOR KNOPPIX V7.6
==============================================================================
                         (last update: 26.01.2016)

These options (can be combined) work from the boot prompt:

### General ###
adriane                             Start blind-friendly, talking desktop
debug                               Debug boot process step-by-step [→ Tip]
expert                              Interactive setup for experts [→ Tip]
knoppix                             Knoppix w/ 32bit Kernel
knoppix64                           Knoppix w/ 64bit Kernel [→ Tip]
knoppix 2                           Runlevel 2, Textmode only
knoppix init=/bin/bash              Start bash as process 1 instead of init

### Language/Country ###
knoppix lang=ch|cn|de|da|es|fr|it   specify language/keyboard [Hint: 1]
knoppix lang=nl|pl|ru|sk|tr|tw|us   specify language/keyboard
knoppix keyboard=us xkeyboard=us    Use different keyboard (text/X)
knoppix utc                         Use Universal Time [→ Tip]
knoppix tz=Europe/Berlin            Use this timezone for TZ
                                    (default: tz=localtime)

### Hardware/Workarounds ###
knoppix ide1=reset                  Try this if knoppix can't find the
                                    CD/DVD drive on old computers [Hint: 4]
knoppix no{apic,lapic,acpi,apm}     Skip parts of HW-detection (1)
knoppix no{hwsetup,udev,dhcp,fstab} Skip parts of HW-detection (2)
knoppix no{pcmcia,sound,swap}       Skip parts of HW-detection (3)
knoppix nousb                       Skip parts of HW-detection (4)
knoppix nolapic                     Disable local APIC (differs from noapic)
knoppix noideraid                   Disable IDE-Raiddisk detection
knoppix pnpbios=off                 No PnP Bios initialization
knoppix acpi=off                    Disable ACPI Bios completely
knoppix acpi=noirq                  Disable ACPI IRC routing only
knoppix acpi=force                  FORCE ACPI Bios initialization
knoppix noacpid                     Do not start ACPI even daemon
failsafe                            Boot with (almost) no HW-detection
knoppix pci=irqmask=0x0e98          Try this, if PS/2 mouse doesn't work [Hint: 2]
knoppix pci=bios                    Workaround for bad PCI controllers
knoppix ide2=0x180 nopcmcia         Boot from PCMCIA-CD-Rom (some notebooks)
knoppix mem=512M                    Specify Memory size in MByte [Hint: 7]
knoppix wheelmouse                  Enable IMPS/2 protocol for wheelmice
knoppix nowheelmouse                Force plain PS/2 protocol for PS/2-mouse

### Desktop ###
knoppix desktop=kde|gnome|icewm     Use specified WM instead of LXDE (1)
knoppix desktop=fluxbox|openbox     Use specified WM instead of LXDE (2)
knoppix desktop=larswm|evilwm|twm   Use specified WM instead of LXDE (3)
knoppix no3d                        Don't use compiz 3d fuctions
knoppix 3d                          Try compiz even on slow cards w/o dri

### Graphics ###
knoppix screen=1280x1024            Use specified Screen resolution for X
knoppix hsync=95                    Use 95 kHz horizontal X refresh rate
knoppix vsync=60                    Use 60 Hz vertical refresh rate for X
knoppix xmodule=fbdev|vesa|svga     Use specified Xorg-Module (1)
knoppix xmodule=nouveau|radeon      Use specified Xorg-Module (2)
knoppix xmodule=intel|vmware|s3     Use specified Xorg-Module (3)
knoppix norandr                     Disable Xorg RandR feature (may be
                                    useful if wrong resolution was detected)
knoppix noddc                       Don't query monitor for resoution
knoppix nocomposite                 Don't use Xorg Composite extension
knoppix vga=normal                  No-framebuffer mode, but X
knoppix nodrm                       Don't load graphics acceleration modules
knoppix nofb                        Don't load framebuffer modules
knoppix nomodeset                   Don't use Kernel Mode Settings for X
fb1280x1024                         Use fixed framebuffer graphics (1)
fb1024x768                          Use fixed framebuffer graphics (2)
fb800x600                           Use fixed framebuffer graphics (3)
fb640x480                           Use fixed framebuffer graphics (4)

### Configuration / Persistent image ###
knoppix nonetworkmanager            Don't start network manager
knoppix toram                       Copy to RAM and run from there [→ Tip]
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 [→ Tip]
knoppix knoppix_dir=KNOPPIX         Directory to search for on the CD.
knoppix knoppix_name=KNOPPIX        Cloop-File to search for on the CD.
knoppix noswap                      Don't use existing swap partitions
knoppix nozram                      Don't use zram compressed swap-in-ram
knoppix forensic                    Don't use swap and mount read-only [Hint: 6]
knoppix secure                      Disable root access
knoppix mkimage                     Create persistent image as needed [→ Tip]
knoppix noimage                     Ignore persistent image or partition

### Knoppix Terminalserver/Client ###
knoppix nfsdir=hostip:path          Use nfsdir as /mnt-system for TS client
knoppix hostname=name               Set TS client hostname
knoppix hostname=auto-mac           Set TS client hostname from MAC address
knoppix hostname=auto-clock         Set TS client hostname from clock

### Various ###
knoppix noeject                     Do NOT eject CD after halt
knoppix noprompt                    Do NOT prompt to remove the CD
knoppix testcd|testdvd              Check live medium for defects [→ Tip]
knoppix splash                      Use splash.ppm in initrd as boot pic
knoppix trace                       create an open() trace in /open.trace

==============================================================================
Hint:
(1) Using the default DE-bootimage, SYSLINUX boots with german
keyboard layout. The '=' letter is located at Shift-0 on this keyboard
(just in case you want to change keyboard and language with lang=us). If
you need to change the keyboard layout later in X, and can't find a
convenient tool in the preferences, use "setxkbmap 'ca(multi)'" in order
to set up a new (multi-language canadian, in this example) keyboard
layout

(2) Try "knoppix pci=irqmask=0x0e98" if (you have an old notebook and)
your PS/2 mouse doesn't work, Possibly caused by a BIOS-flaw on your
board, BIOS updates can sometimes help.

(3) If your KNOPPIX CD produces strange noises during boot, or you see
frequent errors like "cloop: read error", or programs on your desktop
are crashing randomly, then your CD image is probably defective or
incomplete, or your CD-burner created a defective CD due to wrong
writing speed or bad media. This is actually the most common error
reported. Please boot with "knoppix testcd" to check if the CD or DVD is
OK. Installing and starting Knoppix from flash disk is recommended and
much faster than running from CD or DVD.
(Read also "More explanations" → testdvd)

(4) In case of a failing hardware autodetection, try booting with any of
the "no-" options as shown in the table above, like in
   knoppix nodrm nomodeset no3d noaudio noapm noapic nolapic
           acpi=off pci=bios pnpbios=off nodma nopcmcia noscsi nousb ...
to skip some critical parts of the autodetection system.

(5)(6) The "noswap" and/or "forensic" boot option is useful for a
forensic analysis without touching existing swap partitions.

(7) Some Boards apparently don't pass the proper memory size to the
linux-kernel. It may cause the message "Panic: cannot mount root file
system" and the system hangs. Use "knoppix mem=512M" to solve that
problem if your system has 512MByte memory for example (caution:
you MUST use a capital "M" here).

When installing to read/write media, such as flash disks (using
flash-knoppix), you can add a swap file in order to replace missing
physical RAM by persistent storage space. You can create this swap
file like this from the running system:
  dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix.swp
  mkswap /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix.swp
  swapon /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix.swp
Please be aware that swapping on flash media can be painfully slow, and
is no perfect replacement for real RAM. The zram ram-compression feature
(available from Knoppix 7.0.1) can extend the usable ram range to a
certain degree.

---

If you need additional modules for starting controllers needed at boot
time, just copy the corresponding *.ko files from /lib/modules/* over to
/modules in the initial ramdisk (remaster needed).

If you place an update*.zip or update*tar.gz file on the medium holding
the KNOPPIX data, it will be unpacked onto the overlayed filesystem
before starting "init", thus allowing quick reconfiguration of the
system.

The file "knoppix.sh", if residing in the main KNOPPIX directory, will
be execuded after autoconfiguration and before starting the graphical
desktop. It can be used in order to start additional services.

If you wish to remaster the CD, please don't forget to specify
    -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \
    -b boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin -c boot/isolinux/boot.cat
as option to mkisofs. Otherwise your CD or DVD won't be bootable. The
directory KNOPPIX, containig the compressed filesystem file "KNOPPIX",
must be located in the top level directory of the CD.

Caution: X-Screensaver: Don't start xlock or any screensaver that
requires a password. There are no default passwords on KNOPPIX,
i.e. all accounts are LOCKED unless you explicitly set a password.
See also "SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR KNOPPIX" (README_Security.txt)
about this issue.
If you accidentially hit the screensaver button in KDE,
switch to one of the textconsoles by Control-Alt-F1 and kill
the screensaver (or just set a password for the knoppix user).

If you would like to edit your X-Server configuration manually
(config file /etc/X11/xorg.conf), use "knoppix 2" to boot
into runlevel 2 (textmode only) and, after changing the X
configuration, start the X environment with "init 5". Note that
you can always leave the graphical environment with "init 2", and
restart it later with "init 5".
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Tips

Cheatcodes are used to pass options to KNOPPIX to help with getting it working on difficult hardware. In the initial boot phase you'll see the Knoppix emblem with the little penguin and the commandline at the bottom of the screen. Type your cheatcodes after "boot: " in the commandline and press [Enter]. With [F2] and/or [F3] you can see some of the most usefull cheatcodes.

The format is "kernel option option option ...". Usually "knoppix" is the right selection for the "kernel". You can type more than one cheatcode before pressing enter. Also note that some options can take on values. Example:

 boot: knoppix mem=512 tz=America/Toronto
memtest 
To run memtest86 instead of Knoppix only type this cheatcodes after "boot: " in the commandline and press [Enter]. With memtest86 you can determine if your memory is good (and if you have as much memory as you think you have). Press [Esc] after some hours to finish the test or when you see the first error messages.
testdvd 
Using this cheatcode Knoppix calculates the sha1sum of the most important files of the ISO and compares it with the values in the file „sha1sums”. If you cannot boot with the Knoppix CD/DVD and therefore you cannot use this cheatcode, then mount the CD/DVD within your OS and use
 md5sum /dev/sr0
Compare the value you get with the content of the KNOPPIX_V...iso.md5 file.
noapic nolapic ... 
Skip parts of Hardware-detection, In case of a failing hardware autodetection, try booting with any of the "no-" options as shown in the table above, like in
 boot: knoppix noagp noapm noapic nodma nopcmcia noscsi nousb
to skip some critical parts of the autodetection system.
noswap 
This option is useful for a forensic analysis without touching existing swap partitions.
tohd 
You can do a → Poor man's install on vfat and ext-Partitions.
fromhd 
With this cheatcode the CD-Roms are ignored, so you can finally boot your "Poor man's install".
toram 
Knoppix will load the contents of the CD/DVD into RAM and run from there. After boot up, the CD/DVD can be removed and the DVD drive will be available for other uses.
Note: Because this will take up a lot of RAM, it is recommended for those with at least 8 GB of RAM (2 GB for CD version). Cheatcode "toram" and "fromhd" work now together.
Just remember to use "knoppix64 toram" for the DVD version, if you want to copy the entire 4.1 GB into your ramdisk, since the "knoppix" keyword would be the 32bit kernel, which can't handle memory addressing larger than 4GB.
bootfrom 
Access Image then boot from previously copied CD/DVD-Image (enables booting from NTFS / ReiserFS). After boot up, the CD/DVD can be removed.
Note: "bootfrom" needs access to a running Knoppix-System with the same Kernel as the Bootkernel, before it is able to mount the 'partition/ISO-Image'. This should allow a → Poor man's install from NTFS-partitions and makes it also possible to boot an ISO-Image directly; so you can test remastered Knoppix iso files before committing to a burn.
debug 
Pauses at various stages in the boot process. → Kernel panic
knoppix64 
With DVD version 7.4.0 and upward the bootloader will start the 64bit kernel automatically if a 64bit-capable CPU is detected (if not manually specified otherwise).
utc 
You can only use UTC, if BIOS clock is set to UTC. Within '/etc/adjtime' you'll find the entry "LOCAL" instead of "UTC". Exchange this value if you want to use UTC and reboot. Knoppix uses the value of '/etc/timezone' for system (panel) clock. Perhaps you have to change the value for '/etc/timezone'; if so, have a look at '/usr/share/zoneinfo' for possible values.
You can check the proper settings with
timedatectl status
mkimage 
If Knoppix isn't started in forensic mode and if no persistent image or partition is found, then Knoppix DVD version 7.4.1 and upward only offers the option to create persistent image (ext2-formatted file, not partition) by this new cheatcode.
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Micro-Remastering

Boot options like "adriane" can easily be preset by changing '/mnt-system/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg' after having copied the CD to a bootable memorystick using "Knoppix => Install KNOPPIX to flash disk": Change the upper line

DEFAULT knoppix

to:

DEFAULT adriane

for automatically starting ADRIANE on boot. This is already default in all ADRIANE iso files.

To change other boot options look within the file 'syslinux.cfg' for the LABEL line of the way you always start with Knoppix. If you for example always use "knoppix" (and not "knoppix64") then look for "LABEL knoppix". Don't change the following KERNEL line but insert additional or change existent cheatcodes within the APPEND line. An example:

 LABEL knoppix
 KERNEL linux
 APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 lang=en keyboard=es xkeyboard=es apm=power-off ...
Note: If you are using Knoppix 64 bit, you have also to change the settings within '/mnt-system/boot/syslinux/syslnx32.cfg' and '/mnt-system/boot/syslinux/syslnx64.cfg'
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Download Knoppix

moved to → How do I get the current DVD?

Check the ISO

moved to → What are these md5 files?

Exclude forgery

moved to → What are these asc files?

Use CD/DVD without burning it

Have a look →Test without burning a CD

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Cannot boot

The burned DVD will not boot

  • You possibly only got a partial download or the download was corrupt. If you checked the → md5 file and know that you have a good download of the ISO, then be sure that you burn the CD at a slow speed, either 4x or as slow as your burner will let you go.
  • Problems are often seen booting with discs that have been burnt at a high speed. You my try the cheatcode → knoppix testdvd to check the DVD for defects. If you get an error message, then the ISO image is defective and the CDR burn of Knoppix is also defective.
  • If the ISO is good but Knoppix doesn't seem to be able to boot on your hardware, you may need to use one or more → cheatcodes to help Knoppix if it can't determine your hardware configuration on its own.

Memory problems

It's worth mentioning that you just might have a memory problem. The Knoppix disc includes the bootable memory test → memtest86. If you can't even boot into memtest86 then something is very wrong with the disc that you made or with your system.

Kernel panic

If you are unable to boot Knoppix (i.e. the screen goes blank, you see a kernel panic message, the screen flickers, you are dropped into a minimal shell, Knoppix simply freezes while booting, etc.), try these boot commands in order:

  • boot: knoppix vga=0
  • boot: knoppix acpi=off pnpbios=off noapic noapm
  • boot: knoppix vga=0 debug

Using the cheatcode 'debug' will cause Knoppix to wait at various stages in the boot process. Just type exit after each shell prompt "... job control turned off".

  • boot: failsafe debug

That will do the same as the previous boot command, except turn off most of the hardware detection.

If you still have issues, please post in the Hardware & Booting forum, tell us which of the above boot commands you've tried, and how far in the boot process you were able to go.

Troubleshooting

Most of the boot options are parsed by different programs and scripts during the booting process, roughly in this order:

  • the isolinux bootloader
  • the linux kernel
  • "init", which can be found in /mnt-system/boot/isolinux/minirt.gz -> init
  • /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig
  • /etc/init.d/knoppix-startx
  • /etc/X11/Xsession.d/45knoppix
  • /etc/init.d/knoppix-halt

For more information on passing boot parameters to the kernel, see 'man boot' and 'man bootparam'.

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Security considerations

from Knoppix CD/DVD

                       SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR KNOPPIX
                       ====================================

1.) There is no automatic start of external accessible services.

2.) There are no default passwords. All accounts are locked by default.
    Even local logins are not possible (unless you set a password or create
    new user accounts as root).

3.) Therefore, all local interactive processes are started by init without
    authorization.

    The graphical desktop is started with the unprivileged user id
    "knoppix". Programs that only work for root are started using sudo
    without password. This has the advantage of making faults caused by
    defective software very unlikely, but does not enhance local
    security, since it is fairly easy to switch between the "knoppix"
    and "root" account. The knoppix user should never be allowed for
    external logins (in the case that sshd or similar servers are being
    launched).

4.) You can create valid passwords using "sudo passwd [username]" from the
    Shell, individually.
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