How to: Knoppix 3.4 Install Guide

Draft 1: Knoppix 3.4 Hard Drive Install Guide

Author: Kylie Davies
Date: 09/06/04

Overview

This guide is designed to give a quick overview of installing
Knoppix on computers in the CBV environment. The guide is also
useful for those wishing to install Knoppix on computers at home.

The guide does not explain Linux command line usage or the Linux
file system, it is to be used as a set of basic instructions for
the installation of Knoppix 3.4.

Getting Started

Ensure you have a computer that meets the current CBV spec,
current Knoppix 3.4 (10-05-2004) CD and a network connection

Note: The network connection is not necessary, but it helps with
the configuration of the network card.

Change the BIOS for the computer so that it boots from CD ROM.

Note: Some of our computers, ie...the 300PL IBM's do not boot
from CD ROM and will require a boot floppy (can someone in
WFD...ie DA/JS? get onto that)?

Booting Knoppix 3.4

Put the Knoppix 3.4 CD in the CD ROM drive  so the computer can
boot from it. If it loads successfully you will see a Knoppix
boot screen.

To look at the Knoppix boot options, press the F2 and F3 keys. If
  Knoppix can't boot due to unmet memory requirements, or weird
hardware, boot options can be passed at the boot prompt.

For example, if Knoppix hangs on AGP device detection we can boot
Knoppix by entering "knoppix noagp" or, to boot with minimal
hardware detection (often very handy for systems with interesting
hardware), try entering "failsafe" at the Knoppix boot prompt.

There are more boot options available, they can be explored using
the F2 and F3 keys.

Note: In the event that Knoppix can't figure out the best display
settings to run, press enter twice. Most of the time this works
and Knoppix will boot.

When Knoppix boots, it should present the KDE desktop. If the
KDE desktop doesn't appear, it is likely that the TWM (Tiny
Window Manager) will appear. While Knoppix can be installed using
TWM, people new to Linux could find it a bit too minimalistic and
not very intuitive (ie every time you get a new window you need
to click to place it on the desktop).

Configuring Knoppix using KDE Desktop and Knoppix Root Shell

If Knoppix isn't running to it's optimal configuration for X (the
display), or if the soundcard and network card have not been
setup correctly they should be configured before starting the
hard drive install. (Take Knoppix for a test drive to find out if
devices work; load up the browser and try to find Google, play
xgalaga to see if the sound works.)

X can be configured by launching "kxconfig" from the command line
using the Knoppix root shell. This can be found by clicking on
the K Menu ->Knoppix Menu->Root Shell or by clicking on the
penguin menu located on the panel (next to the K menu).

The soundcard is configured using a utility called
"soundcardconfig" and the network card can be configured using
"netcardconfig".

The Knoppix root shell is also used to start the Knoppix install
on the hard drive.

Preparing for the Hard Drive Install

The process for the install will vary depending on the state of
the hard drive partition table.It could be that the HDD doesn't
have a partition table, or the current partition table on the HDD
(created during Desktop Penguin Install) fails to meet the
minimum requirement for a the install (usually this is the swap).

Note: For a Knoppix install the minimum amount of swap is 128MB.
In most of the installs I have done, I have set the Linux swap
(file system type 82) at 150MB, as this was a nice easy number to
work with (although it is probably overkill). :)

The minimum amount of disk for Linux (file system type 83) is
2gig. So, while yes, you can install Knoppix on a 2.2g hard
drive,it doesn't leave a lot of room for anything else.

With the two disk systems it would be wise to allocate a minimum
2.5g to the first disk (for the install) so there is room for
upgrades/additional software to be added at later data. The
Knoppix build can also be stripped back to free up more space
(see notes at end of guide).

As root, and before the install, check the partition table with
"cfdisk" from a root shell. If there are no changes to be made,
exit "cfdisk". If the partition table needs to be recreated, use
"cfdisk" to do this. Navigate "cfdisk" with keyboard keys
(arrows/enter) to select options and apply changes.

Note: Remember that Linux swap is type 83 and Linux is 82. Make
Linux bootable. The swap should be between 128MB-150MB. You can
accept the defaults for most other questions. The install seems
to work independent of the swap location. It doesn't seem to
matter where it goes as long as the size allocation is correct
(others may like to correct me here? or shed light re swap and
where it should go?).

After creating the partition table, write it to the disk. Reboot
the computer if a message advises to do so.

Starting the Install

 From the Knoppix root shell type the magic words (drum roll...)

#knx2hd
        or
#knoppix-installer
                or
#IGNORE_CHECK=1 sudo knoppix-installer

There are slight differences between each script, (apparently...
but I don't know?), however, the end result is Knoppix on the
hard drive. :)

If you find that you need to partition the disk (during the
knoppix install) because it fails to meet the requirements, try
the qtparted program that Knoppix presents during the install.

Note: Qtparted seems to be buggy at times, I haven't had a lot of
success with it.

Note: Sometimes the Knoppix installer gets 'stuck' at HDD
partitioning and needs a little coaxing. Try rebooting, try
setting the swap at the end of the disk and rewriting the
partition table, try using qtparted to define partitions, try
different variants of the knoppix hard drive install command (see
above)...try anything! [Qn: Can someone research this problem, i
had a brief look on knoppix.net, but couldn't find anything.]

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Update, Problem solved thanks to Jeremiah Job. :)

On your website you asked why the knoppix installer will keep asking
you to partition your hard-drive even after you finished.  I figured it out.
  It's because if you have below a certain amount of ram, the rest of the
memory is being occupied by the live CD and therefore doesn't believe it has
enough room.  The solution ofcourse is a swap partition which we just added.
  Well actually, we partitioned it, but knoppix doesn't use our swap without
us telling it to.  So Here's the solution.

After using the regular knoppix partitioner and WRITING the partition
tables.  Quit out of the knx2hd installer and save the settings when it asks
you.  Then do this depending on where your swap is:

mkswap /dev/hda2
swapon /dev/hda2

(CHANGE hda2 to the position of your swap partition[could be hda1 or hda5])
This will activate your swap partition.  Then you can run knx2hd again
without rebooting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Persevere until the Knoppix Hard Drive Installer Menu with 6 menu
options appears. The most important menu option is 'Start
Installation', choose this when it appears.

When asked to install beginner, Knoppix or the Debian way, choose
the Debian method.

When asked to select the file system type, select reiserfs.

The next series of questions require the input of information
about the user and the system.

1- The users full name:  Computerbank User
2- The users login name:  user
3- The user password: cbvsys
4- The root password: cbvsys
5- The Hostname: the cbvid number from the tech spec form, ie: if
cbv1890, the name would be cbv1890

When asked where to install LILO, accept the default option, the
master boot record (mbr).

Before the install starts, a dialog box will appear to confirm
the install options, clicking on Next..or hitting the enter key,
will start the install.

A progress dialog box will appear, and remain, on the screen
during the install.

Note: The install can take around 20-40 mins depending on the
capacity of the system.

Just before the install finishes, another dialog box will
appear to ask if a rescue floppy disk should be made. Select no.

Finally a dialog box that announces "knoppix has been
successfully installed" will appear and the installation is
complete.

When done, reboot the computer so that Knoppix loads from the
hard drive instead of the CD ROM (take the CD out) and login as
the user created during the install.

Customising the User desktop

Note: A basic knowledge of KDE and the KDE Control Centre
(Kcontrol) are required to perform some of the changes mentioned
below.

The user desktop needs some customising because some of the icons
on the desktop don't work (Floppy and CD ROM devices are
misconfigured), or, point to irrelevant information (eg Linux
Tag). A link to the home directory can also be placed on the
desktop. Be sure to leave the trash can.
.
Further configuration of the desktop (ie themes/icons/mouse
operation/color/file associations/menu editing) can also be
performed.

Trimming down and adding packages to Knoppix using Debian
Advanced Package Management (APT) Tool

Note: It is outside the scope of this guide to explain the APT
tool. This guide gives the commands that need to be issued while
using APT to remove and add software to the system. While using
APT you will need to be the root user.

It is essential to change the sources list that the Knoppix
install writes in /etc/apt/sources.list as this points to a
comprehensive list of German Debian Sources.

The sources should point to Debian Unstable, so it will be
necessary to comment out (put a # in front of a source line) any
the other sources. When at CBV, Debian sources should point to
the internal CBV Debian repository on rasterman, and, when out in
the wild, the sources should point to US or AU sources, and not
the German ones.

[Perhaps we can have some suggestions for reliable sources from
people using Debian at home?] [Could someone post the rasterman
sources URL on list?]

Before updating packages, always be sure to run an apt-get update.

In order to remove packages from the system, a knowledge of what
to remove, and when to remove it, is required. If you are unsure
about what to do when using APT, ask someone to help.

To remove a whole lot of superfluous and unnecessary software,
(research indicates this selection works), type the following at
a root shell prompt: [Yep...we need a script!]

apt-get remove --purge kdevelop3* kdevelop3-data
kdevelop3-plugins kompare xfig apache apache-common apache-utils
python-tk chromium chromium-data enigma gnuchess imaze bochs xtel
emacs* nedit larswm* twm* xbattle xawtv xawtv-plugins zile jpilot
xfce fluxbox falconseye falconseye-data netris samba ding
linneighborhood nxclient airsnort dillo mutt qtparted slrn k3b
wavemon wmaker wmakerconf ethereal* ethereal-common* joe kdat
kpilot isdnutils rosegarden xaos gnomemeeting csh sash radio
kbackup

In the event that APT suggests the removal of other packages, do
not proceed with the removal of the software. If all looks okay,
enter Y to continue to remove the software.

When APT has finished the shell prompt will be returned and the
software has been removed from the system.

[Note: Ideally we would like to remove nessus and nessusd but
these packages return errors. If you know what you are doing when
using APT, remove nessus and it's associated components.]

Note: Removing nessus requires users to recreate or delete
directory paths in order to trick APT into removing the packages.
It is only advisable to do this if you know what you are doing.

To add software, in particular, ktouch and tuxpaint, enter the
following command, "apt-get install ktouch tuxpaint"

When APT returns to the prompt, the new software will be
available to use.

And Wallah...a near ready Knoppix install has been built!