============================= Using the Knoppix Linux CDROM ============================= -Ian! D. Allen idallen@idallen.ca The Knoppix CDROM for DAT2330 comes from: http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/ The version used is: KNOPPIX_V3.6-2004-08-16-EN The Knoppix version of Linux is based on the Debian Linux distribution, and it runs entirely in memory, without using any part of your hard disk. You can use Linux commands to mount Windows or Unix partitions from your hard disk; but, these mounts are not done by default. Everything you do in the Knoppix file system is lost when you shut down Knoppix. The file system is an in-memory file system that disappears when the system shuts down. Nothing in a Knoppix file is saved. You must copy your work from Knoppix to another machine before shutting down Knoppix. Getting a CDROM --------------- Your first Knoppix CDROM is given to you free (obtain one from your instructor). Bring it to all your Lab sessions. If you forget, lose, or damage your CDROM, you must replace it. You can copy one from another classmate, download it from Knoppix (see the version information above), or see your instructor to pay for a duplicate to be made. Booting in the T111 Lab and at Home ----------------------------------- Insert the Knoppix CDROM and reset or reboot your computer. (At home, you may need to adjust your BIOS so that your computer boots from a CDROM before the internal disk drive.) The Knoppix CD drive should light up. When you see the "boot:" message, you may press RETURN to speed up the boot process; otherwise, it will time out and continue on its own after a half minute or so. Pay attention to the boot messages! Reboot if you see any errors (e.g. I/O error, or CRC error). If the errors persist, get a new Knoppix CDROM and try again. If the errors persist, label this computer as having a bad CDROM, tell your instructor about the computer with the bad CDROM, and move to a new computer. Do not use a Knoppix system that has shown any CRC or I/O errors during the boot process. The system may appear to work; but, it may crash without warning due to the corrupted CDROM image loaded into memory. Booting from CDROM at Algonquin College --------------------------------------- Algonquin ITS has disabled all public computers on campus so that they cannot boot from the CDROM or Floppy disk. ITS computers only run Microsoft Windows; Algonquin College only supports Microsoft Windows. You will not be able to boot your Knoppix CDROM in any of the ITS labs. Shutting down KNOPPIX --------------------- To gracefully end your Knoppix Linux session and eject the CDROM, either use the GUI "logout" button or become the root Super User and type "shutdown -h now" at a root shell prompt. You *must* do a graceful shutdown if you have mounted any real disk partitions; otherwise, you will lose data and possibly corrupt data on your hard disk. Technically, if you haven't mounted any real disk partitons, since nothing from Knoppix is saved, you can just hit the RESET button to reboot your computer; but, don't get into the habit of doing this with a Unix system that has a real hard disk or that has a hard disk mounted! If Knoppix refuses to surrender the CDROM and open the CDROM tray, push the reset button and try the CDROM button before Knoppix reboots. Virtual Consoles ---------------- You can access four text-only Linux virtual consoles from the GUI by using a special key sequence: CTRL-ALT-F1 or CTRL-ALT-F2 or CTRL-ALT-F3 or CTRL-ALT-F4 From the text-only virtual consoles, you can switch consoles using just the ALT-F1 keys (do not use CTRL as well). ALT-F5 returns you to the Knoppix GUI and the X11 windows system, where you need to use the CTRL-ALT modifiers to return to the text consoles again. The virtual consoles in Knoppix are all logged in as the system administrator "root". Accounts under KNOPPIX ---------------------- The GUI interface to Knoppix comes up logged in as userid "knoppix" (no password). The text virtual consoles are all logged in as the root account, also with no password. Do not enable remote connections to your computer until you assign passwords to these accounts. Knoppix has remote connections disabled by default. Remember that *NOTHING IS SAVED* when you shut down Knoppix. The Knoppix file system is RAM-based; it disappears when you power off. If you do important work directly on the Knoppix in-memory file system, you must copy your work from Knoppix to another computer before you shut down. The partitions of your existing hard disk are not mounted or available by default when Knoppix boots. If you use the GUI interface running as user "knoppix", you cannot do anything to alter or damage your existing hard disk if you leave your existing disk partitions unmounted. If you run commands on the root console or as the super-user "root", be aware that you can execute commands to re-format or otherwise damage information on your hard disk. Don't play around as "root". A Better Browser ---------------- Knoppix starts up with the KDE Konqueror browser open. I recommend closing this browser and using Mozilla instead. Mozilla is available under the Dragon icon in the task bar at the bottom of the screen. Don't use the default Konqueror browser; it doesn't handle some web pages well. Booting without the window system --------------------------------- You can boot Knoppix quickly to a text console without the X11 GUI Window system using this method: Wait for the Knoppix "boot:" prompt. Pay attention - the prompt only appears for a few seconds before the machine takes over and comes up with the full windowing system. When you see the "boot:" prompt from Knoppix, type this after the boot prompt: knoppix-txt 3 (Remember to press RETURN after each line you enter at a prompt.) The Knoppix system will continue to boot. Again, watch for errors. When you get a "root@tty1" prompt on the console, Knoppix has booted successfully in non-GUI mode. No window system is running; however, you can use ALT-F2, ALT-F3, etc. to change to alternate text consoles, and you can use SSH and FTP to login to other systems. None of the X11 GUI programs will work in console mode.