Difference between revisions of "Install FAQ"


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Return to [[Knoppix FAQ]]
 
Return to [[Knoppix FAQ]]
 
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=== Install Questions ===
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==== Q: What is a "HD Installation"? ====
 
==== Q: What is a "HD Installation"? ====
 
A: Boot with Knoppix CD and select 'Preferences/ KNOPPIX HD installation'. You will get a Debian-like installation in a free partiton with GRUB legacy as bootmanager.
 
A: Boot with Knoppix CD and select 'Preferences/ KNOPPIX HD installation'. You will get a Debian-like installation in a free partiton with GRUB legacy as bootmanager.
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With "Flash disk Installation", "Poor man harddrive Installation" or "Basic Poor man Installation" you will be asked to create persistent memory. A image file '/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.img' will be created respectively '/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.aes' in case of encryption. At the next boot, Knoppix will scan for any image file named knoppix-data.img or knoppix-data.aes.
 
With "Flash disk Installation", "Poor man harddrive Installation" or "Basic Poor man Installation" you will be asked to create persistent memory. A image file '/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.img' will be created respectively '/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.aes' in case of encryption. At the next boot, Knoppix will scan for any image file named knoppix-data.img or knoppix-data.aes.
 
  
 
==== Q: What is "UNIONFS"? ====
 
==== Q: What is "UNIONFS"? ====
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On the other hand, if you installed something which works well, you will not have to do it again.  You can save it and it can be made available at the next session – see below.
 
On the other hand, if you installed something which works well, you will not have to do it again.  You can save it and it can be made available at the next session – see below.
 
=== Other Questions ===
 
==== Q: Why does "df" not list my root partition ("/")? ====
 
A: The entry for "/" is somehow missing in /etc/mtab. Either edit that file and add a correct line for "/" or better replace /etc/mtab with a link to /proc/mounts, thn everything should be shown.
 
*'''su -c "ln -sf /proc/mounts /etc/mtab"
 
 
 
==== Q: Is there a way that does not use so much space? ====
 
 
A: There is the "[[Poor Mans Install]]", where you can copy some files from the CD to the harddisk. It will run like from CD, but the CDROM is free for other use and its a bit faster. Although you'll need a bootfloppy or change the  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bios Bios] options to boot first the hard disk with Knoppix (i.e. the second hard disk or d: unit).
 
 
==== Q: Is there other way that does not use so much space? Perhaps by having a compressed file system? ====
 
 
A: Yes, you can install Knoppix in 700 megs instead of 2.3 gigs for the real install, but it will run as if it were from a physical CD, so you cannot install anything, unless you do a 'normal' install. Each time you boot your hardware will need to be redetected. This is not for novices. For more information see the HOWTO for the [[Hd Based HowTo]] hard drive based install.
 
 
==== Q: Why doesn't my sound work? ====
 
 
A: Just run "/etc/init.d/alsa-autoconfig" as [[root]] once and you'll be fixed up nicely. To have the sound levels set at boot (alsa defaults to muted) edit the file "/etc/init.d/bootmisc.sh" and add '''aumix -w 75 -v 75''' to the bottom of the file.
 
 
==== Q: How do I install the latest Gnome? ====
 
 
A: Comment all the lines in /etc/apt/sources.list except the unstable ones.
 
*'''apt-get update
 
*'''apt-get install gnome
 
 
In order to have gnome-session working you must execute the following and choose metacity
 
*'''update-alternatives --config x-window-manager
 
 
Optionally you can also install gdm, galeon, evolution, etc.
 
 
  
 
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Revision as of 12:08, 24 February 2012


Return to Knoppix FAQ


Q: What is a "HD Installation"?

A: Boot with Knoppix CD and select 'Preferences/ KNOPPIX HD installation'. You will get a Debian-like installation in a free partiton with GRUB legacy as bootmanager.

Q: What is a "Flash disk Installation"?

A: Boot with Knoppix CD and select 'Preferences/ Install KNOPPIX to flash disk'. You will get an installation of the compressed filesystem image on the flash device. This installation uses Syslinx to boot. While booting this installation you have the chance to create persistent memory.

Q: What is a "Poor man Installation"?

A: Nowadays a Flash disk Installation is also called "poor man installation".

Q: What is a "Poor man harddrive Installation"?

A: Some people select 'Preferences/ Install KNOPPIX to flash disk' and do the installation not on an flash device but on a partiton of a harddrive and call it "poor man harddrive installation".

Q: What is a "Basic Poor man Installation"?

A: Boot Knoppix CD with cheatcode "knoppix tohd=<path to some hard disk>" and "knoppix fromhd=<path to the disk you used>" respectively (see also Cheat Codes ).

Q: What is "persistent memory"?

This is one of the most useful features in Knoppix, and together with unionfs, makes Knoppix very versatile indeed. The entire unionfs can be saved, so that configuration changes, settings, user data, packages which have been downloaded and installed etc can all be saved and will be available at subsequent sessions.

With "Flash disk Installation", "Poor man harddrive Installation" or "Basic Poor man Installation" you will be asked to create persistent memory. A image file '/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.img' will be created respectively '/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.aes' in case of encryption. At the next boot, Knoppix will scan for any image file named knoppix-data.img or knoppix-data.aes.

Q: What is "UNIONFS"?

One of the limitations of a Live CD is that most of the system area is read-only – in particular, /usr where most executable programs are kept. Some programs can run from /home, which is writable, but many programs need to change and access components into standard locations like /lib or /usr/lib are read-only. Fortunately there are solutions.

Unionfs is another important development introduced into Knoppix from Version 3.8 onwards. Unionfs is a virtual filesystem. It creates a writable system file area in ram with all the system directories such as /etc /usr and so on. This is then seamlessly merged with the read-only system files on the CD. A very readable description of unionfs can be found here: Kyle Rankin on unionfs

With unionfs, it becomes possible to "write" to the system area. Knoppix can then be treated almost like it is installed on a writable media. You can do install programs with apt-get or synaptic, download and install .deb packages, compile and install new drivers, edit config files in /etc and so on.

Of course, you may still download an incompatible package which upsets Knoppix's delicate balance and break Knoppix, just like in a hard disk install. But this is a Live CD! The problems go away at the next reboot.

On the other hand, if you installed something which works well, you will not have to do it again. You can save it and it can be made available at the next session – see below.


Return to Knoppix FAQ