# Installing Gentoo from Knoppix

## LumiNousiT

Hi, I've been a lurker for quite a while, yet only post occasionaly.  I thought I might toss out my experience from installing from Knoppix.  I found to be better for me as I was still able to use my computer during the long time that it takes for the bootstrap and base system compile.

1.) Boot from the Knoppix CD.   It generally does a really good job of hardware detection. (Be warned you may have to add some boot options.  I ended up passing "knoppix wheelmouse xvrefresh=75 screen=1600"

2.) By default Knoppix boots into a KDE 3.0 desktop.  The first thing I did was open a konsole and typed "sudo passwd root".  This lets you set the root password for Knoppix.

3.) Next, I su to root and typed "usermod -d /root -m root".  This sets user roots home directory to /root (the Gentoo way) from /home/root (the Knoppix way).  If you do not do this, then you will receive errors when emerging about "/home/root: not found" or something to that effect.

4.) I then typed "exit" and then su back into root.  This loads the change that was made with the usermod command.  At this point, you can pick up with the standard install documentation at step 6.

I hope someone else is able to make use out of this.  It makes the install much less "painful" as the computer is fully useable.  Thank you and good night.  :Very Happy: 

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## piquadrat

Thank you! Might use that way for the next PC I'll go to install Gentoo  :Smile: 

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## chadders

I love knoppix as a rescue and install cd.  It is great to be able to user your computer for other stuff while compiling gentoo for 2 days   :Smile: 

Chad   :Very Happy: 

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## jmercer

I too have been using knoppix as my live cd although I hadn't set the root's home to /root or setup a password though. What I do once I boot into knoppix is "sudo su -" and then carry on. Best thing with this approach is that you can listen to music, have konqueror/fav browser open with the install instructions and goof around with the games while you fdisk, mount and install. You get the best of both worlds, a roll-up-your-sleeves gentoo installation and a fully functional kde environment with all the perks of home. Thanks LumiNousiT for starting this thread and making people aware of this alternate install method.

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## lannie

Using Knoppix is a great way of installing gentoo IMHO  :Smile:  (esp. for the modem users!) , why? because when i tried to use the 1.4RC2/RC3 boot cd, it always loved to stuff up at the cloop stage o_O (don't ask me why..) and u can use the computer as well   :Smile: 

so what did i do to install gentoo?  :Smile: 

1) pop knoppix cd into drive

2) boot computer

3) on the boot screen of knoppix, enter

 *Quote:*   

>  knoppix 2 

 

then, let the hardware detect itself, and then u'll end up with a nice terminal with root access to all ur hardware  :Smile: 

for extra use... which i find quite good considering that gentoo takes AGES to install..

just switch to a new virtual terminal (ALT + F2, F3 ...) just 

 *Quote:*   

>  startx 

 

kde should load up... and for me, i used kppp to connect myself onto the internet (wvdial didn't work for me) and yah... u can just browse the web or play a game of frozen bubble while u wait for gentoo to compile it self  :Very Happy: 

-Lan

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## Jimbow

I think this is a great idea.  Installing Gentoo from an existing X windowed Linux is much less painful.

The only downside I see is that we might get flooded with new users that have a lot to learn but don't want to.

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## chadders

Knoppix is great!  I have been installing with knoppix for awhile and never had any problems.

Chad   :Very Happy: 

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## iplayfast

What do you Knoppix installers think about this?

The idea is making a knoppix cd that is gentoofied. Knoppix can do a quick install to a hd. Do that, and then do a rebuild of the world.

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## joshmccormack

Do you use the info Knoppix generates from it's hardware detection? 

There's a way to install Knoppix (Debian) to the hd from the CD, isn't there? Anyone want to work on customizing that to do a Gentoo install? Ideally with compressed sources on the CD.

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## Jimbow

 *joshmccormack wrote:*   

> 
> 
> There's a way to install Knoppix (Debian) to the hd from the CD, isn't there? Anyone want to work on customizing that to do a Gentoo install? Ideally with compressed sources on the CD.

 

I am interested.   I've downloaded a knoppix iso.  I'm emerging burning tools now.  Any suggestions a good burner gui for KDE?  I tried xcdroaster but couldn't figure out how to burn a plain iso.

Edit:

Am burning now using cdrecord.  Added the following function to my .bashrc

```
burn () {

    sudo cdrecord -v speed=8 dev=0,0,0 -data $1

}
```

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## chaos2

A good burner gui is eroaster or Arson

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## iplayfast

 *joshmccormack wrote:*   

> Do you use the info Knoppix generates from it's hardware detection? 
> 
> There's a way to install Knoppix (Debian) to the hd from the CD, isn't there? Anyone want to work on customizing that to do a Gentoo install? Ideally with compressed sources on the CD.

 

That would be the idea. Possibly even setting USE and compile flags. The thing is that many people enjoy the manual install (I guess). And I found it fun myself the first 5 times.... Now I just want to plug in a CD and load up a generic gentoo, then rebuild the world.  

When Knoppix loads onto the HD it doesn't do a very good job (compared to running off the CD). I really don't know enough about Debian but apparently the Knoppix install to a HD is supposed to turn into a debian system.  It is close but not quite. Plus it seems that the configurations used on the CD aren't available after the HD Install.

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## TecHunter

i want to know if i can use adsl network connection after boot from the knoppix cd???

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## chadders

Yep you can.

Chad  :Very Happy: 

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## gsfgf

NOT: if you're reinstalling, knoppix mounts drives according to their device name (/mnt/hda3, etc.)  remember copying to dev/hda3 and /mnt/hda3 (however similar they look) is not the same.  However, the xfs utils do a good job of restoring a corrumpted drive.

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## tandoori

chadders:

or anyone else for that matter...

i've been playing aroudn with knoppix again so i can reinstall gentoo with a gui...anyway

i can't seem to get adsl working...i've searched all over the forums and internet the only docs i can find are in german and really dont make sense to me

with gentoo i just needed to adsl-setup 

adsl-start

i use sympatico high speed (standard adsl with a user name and password and server assigns everything else)

i was wondering if someone could tell me how to get it working in knoppix so i can not render my computer useless for 2 days during my install

thanks guys!

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## tandoori

haha sorry guys i feel really stupid now

just fyi those of you who dont yet know

click on the K>system>dsl>dsl/pppoe config

wow i feel stupid

haha

sorry to bug you guys

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## thinair

Don't forget to active dma and ata transfert rate this seem not to be done under the knoppix I am using :

 Code listing 3.4: Setting DMA

Replace hdX with your disk device.

# hdparm -d 1 /dev/hdX Enables DMA 

# hdparm -d1 -A1 -m16 -u1 -a64 /dev/hdX

(Enables DMA and other safe performance-enhancing options)

# hdparm -X66 /dev/hdX

(Force-enables Ultra-DMA -- dangerous -- may cause some drives to mess up)

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## splat1

thanks for this  :Smile: 

as the apci module in the live cd kernel hangs some net-cards knoppix is a nice way to get around this  :Smile: 

yes you can copy knoppix to a hdd but you will need to take out the sym links in /boot that point to the ram disk

hardwear dection based on the knoppix way of doing it for a gentoo live/install cd would get rid of this silly problem affecting most AMD uses

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## TecHunter

i've use knoppix to install gentoo several times,it's very good

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## Chadduss

I'm sorry to pull this thread out of the depths but to install gentoo through knoppix would you just boot "knoppix2" which will bring you to a command line and then just put in the gentoo live CD chroot and start the install?

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## TecHunter

 *Chadduss wrote:*   

> I'm sorry to pull this thread out of the depths but to install gentoo through knoppix would you just boot "knoppix2" which will bring you to a command line and then just put in the gentoo live CD chroot and start the install?

 i always boot from Knoppix 2 to command line env

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## Chadduss

Well if knoppix detects the hardware then would gentoo compile the module support into the kernel?

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## LumiNousiT

It has been a very long time since my last post.  I had some serious issues with a graphics card and a manufacturer that kept sending me the defective one back.  Anyhoo, things seemed to have changed in the current version of Knoppix.

1.) You no longer need to sudo passwd to set the root password.  Now all you need to do is type "su -" and you will switch to root user.  Be warned it has no password.  If this is a concern you should change it.

2.) Root's home in Knoppix is /root now and not /home/root so there is no longer any need for the usermod command.  Makes the whole thing even easier.   :Razz: 

I figured this out when I reinstalled after getting my replacement graphics card and hard drive.

Cheers,

LumiNousiT

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## XVaughnX

I'm about to give this a try, but.. well, pardon my n00b questions but...

Well, first off, my eth0 just wasn't working via the standard Gentoo install method, but with Knoppix autodetecting it (Knoppix runs off the CD 100%, asides from some sound problems) will Gentoo get it right too? If not, how do i look at Knoppix's settings and stick them in to Gentoo?

And I assume I can have the Knoppix CD in cda1, or whatever, and the Gentoo LiveCD with the tarballs in cda2, right?

 :Embarassed:  Sorry, I just want to make sure before I jump in head first again, wasted a few hours trying to get Gentoo to work with my NIC/Microsoft router already.. looking forward to finally getting Gentoo running  :Smile: 

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## OverrideX

Ok, I'm using an oldish (3.1) version of knoppix, so I'm not sure if this still applies but just in case it helps anyone trying to use LVM...

the lvutilies like vgscan were giving errors about creating stuff in /etc/lvmtab.d and other files, it was causing logical volumes to be created with the same minor number in /dev/vg/<name> which made them the same volume essentially.... to fix this i had to mount my root partition first, then make a etctemp directory and run:

cp -r /etc/* /mnt/gentoo/etctemp/.

mount --bind /etc /mnt/gentoo/etctemp

then run vgscan and create my volume group and logical volumes, hope this helps someone -Dan

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## kermitjunior

I have a Toshiba Satellite A15-S157 laptop.  The built in wireless works great with Knoppix, but not the Gentoo Live CD.

So I'm thinkig of doing a knoppix to gentoo install.  However, I don't have network which means I need to use GRP CDs.  But I can't eject the cd.  any ideas?  One issue with knoppix is it installs LILO, which I don't want.  

Also, since Knoppix detects the card, will gentoo upon reboot?

thanks!

KJ

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## Camulus

Ok. By the way seems that a Gentoo install from knoppix CD could be a good idea, but imagine a Gentoo hda install from other Gentoo in hdd. It can be possible? (from kde, of course, compiling new system while look my mail or read gentoo forums with mozilla,...). If it's possible (what about the problem of duplicating root?) wahat is the way to go?

Thanks

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## iplayfast

You folks might want to try out http://www.jollix.de/de/de_home.html which is supposed to be exactly what we are talking about.

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## abunai

I have a Toshiba Satellite 5105 S701 which has built in wifi.  I have been having trouble getting built in wlan to work with the gentoo live cd.  The wlan works fine with Knoppix.  I attempted to installed gentoo via knoppix.  Knoppix has great hardware detection.  I have got it installed and the boot loader configured.  I crashes on boot and drops me into  the built in shell (ash).  I cant see where it breaks cause it prints out too fast.  What I am left with on the screen is:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> attempt to access beyond end of device
> 
> 01:00: rw=0, want=4162, limit=4096
> ...

 

Somethine to note.  I used genkernel when it was time to configure my kernel.  I was hopping that it would use the hardware detected via knoppix when configuring the kernel.  I wonder if this is the cause of problems.

I removed the genkernel stuff (initrd, real_root, etc) from my grub.conf and I can boot into the system, just many errors occur, I guess when it is attempting to load the various kernel modules.

So I guess my question is, would the out come be any diffrent if I did not use the genkernel?

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## jj11888

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/altinstall.xml

i dont no weither to find it disgracefull or humurous that none of ya RTFM  :Razz: 

anyways, knoppix-like discs that are gentoo-based can be made via catalyst, just `emerge catatalyst` and have fun

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## Radon

My Knoppix cluster is running without HDD's.

How is is possible to turn on DMA for CD-ROM?  I tried 'linux26 dma' but it didn't turn DMA on.  Also since I don't have HDD's I couldn't do what you guys suggested on the previous page: "hdparm -X66 /cdrom"  (CD-ROM's used to run at ATA66 in WinXP).

I've got 2* XP 2500+ @11*220MHz with 8RDA3G nForce2 MB's.  Folding 24/7   :Very Happy: 

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## Japheth

so...  did anyone reply to Abunai with a solution?

'cause I'm getting the same errors, and I also installed using genkernell...  :S

a fix anyone?

 :Smile: 

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## codergeek42

Knoppix is nice t o install from, as it detects my wireless card quite well, and plus I can browse the ever-helpful forums with the Moz and play frozen-bubble while stuff compiles. :p

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## Lemming73

 *abunai wrote:*   

> attempt to access beyond end of device
> 
> 01:00: rw=0, want=4162, limit=4096
> 
> 

 

Looks like your ram-disk is too small.

2 Solutions:

- set the size of your ram-disk to 8MB ( menuconfig )

- cut your kernel down to 4 MB

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## rkv

when usin knoppix on mad64 i get the error when doin chroo /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash 

exec format error 

so i guess the kernel is not completely compatuble with 64 bit?

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## DrWoland

Can one get cups and stuff to work while doing this? If I could print stuff while installing gentoo, my productivity would be uninterrupted and I'd never have to boot into Windoze   :Shocked: 

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## davecs

I keep a spare partition so at any time I have Win98SE plus TWO Linux installs. My current Gentoo build was chrooted from another Gentoo build that I was not too happy with! That previous Gentoo build was built chrooted from a Mandrake install.

I read on the forum at PCLinuxOS that Texstar, the guy behind PCLOS, also has Gentoo on his drive, he built it chrooted in from PCLOS.

If I get a new computer, I will always get a fast-install distro (provided it includes compilers and stuff) and build Gentoo in a chrooted environment. That way I get to use my computer in the meantime, full functionality, etc.

Having two builds also means you can "steal" fonts, wallpapers, etc from one distro to another. I still have the Mandrake 9.0 wallpaper, the only official Mandrake Wallpaper I ever liked. I now have a Wallpaper stolen from PCLOS as my Gentoo wallpaper!

What fun!

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## Tipycol

This is my first time trying to install using Knoppix, but it doesn't seem to like any emerging I do. It chroots fine, but I always get an error emerging

```
Knoppix / # emerge gentoo-sources
```

downloads and checks md5 fine, then I see

```
ACCESS DENIED  open_wr:   /UNIONFS/dev/pts/1

ACCESS DENIED  open_wr:   /UNIONFS/dev/pts/1

>>> Unpacking source...

>>> Unpacking linux-2.6.11.tar.bz2 to /var/tmp/portage/gentoo-sources-2.6.11-r6/work

 * genpatches-2.6-11.09-base.tar.bz2 unpacked

 * genpatches-2.6-11.09-extras.tar.bz2 unpacked

 * Applying 1000_linux-2.6.11.1.patch (-p0+)...                                                                                     [ ok ]

```

continues to apply patches then

```
>>> Source unpacked.

--------------------------- ACCESS VIOLATION SUMMARY ---------------------------

LOG FILE = "/tmp/sandbox-sys-kernel_-_gentoo-sources-2.6.11-r6-6863.log"

open_wr:   /UNIONFS/dev/pts/1

open_wr:   /UNIONFS/dev/pts/1

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

Knoppix / #          

```

Just to see, I tried emerging grub, and it's the same, downloads and checks md5 fine, then I see

```
"ACCESS DENIED  open_wr:   /UNIONFS/dev/pts/1"
```

multiple times, it applies any patches then

```
--------------------------- ACCESS VIOLATION SUMMARY ---------------------------

LOG FILE = "/tmp/sandbox-sys-boot_-_grub-0.96-r1-5808.log"

open_wr:   /UNIONFS/dev/pts/1
```

with open_wr:   /UNIONFS/dev/pts/1 repeating multiple times again.

This is with v3.8.1, should I download an earlier version to install gentoo with? If so which version?

Thanks

Tipycol

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## Naveg

TipyCol, 

I am having the exact same error. Did you manage to find a solution. Or does anyone one else know of one for that matter?

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## tseliot

 *rkv wrote:*   

> when usin knoppix on mad64 i get the error when doin chroo /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash 
> 
> exec format error 
> 
> so i guess the kernel is not completely compatuble with 64 bit?

 

I have the same problem. Any ideas?

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## kimchi_sg

 *tseliot wrote:*   

>  *rkv wrote:*   when usin knoppix on mad64 i get the error when doin chroo /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash 
> 
> exec format error 
> 
> so i guess the kernel is not completely compatuble with 64 bit? 
> ...

 

You cannot do a install of Gentoo using the amd64 stage files from knoppix, as the knoppix CD boots a 32-bit kernel but the programs in the stage files are 64-bit only. Hence the "exec format error".

You might be able to install from knoppix if you are willing to do a fully 32-bit install. That means, DO NOT use the amd64 stage files, but download either the x86 stage 1 file if you want to do stage 1 install or the athlon-xp stage files if you want to do a stage 2 or stage 3 install.

That means, however, that you have to use the CFLAGS, ACCEPT_KEYWORDS and other portage settings suitable for an athlon-xp, not the ones for amd64.

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## Drone4four

 *LumiNousiT wrote:*   

> Hi, I've been a lurker for quite a while, yet only post occasionaly.  I thought I might toss out my experience from installing from Knoppix.  I found to be better for me as I was still able to use my computer during the long time that it takes for the bootstrap and base system compile.
> 
> 1.) Boot from the Knoppix CD.   It generally does a really good job of hardware detection. (Be warned you may have to add some boot options.  I ended up passing "knoppix wheelmouse xvrefresh=75 screen=1600"
> 
> 2.) By default Knoppix boots into a KDE 3.0 desktop.  The first thing I did was open a konsole and typed "sudo passwd root".  This lets you set the root password for Knoppix.
> ...

 

I think I lost what you were trying to say at the end of point 3).  Here are your commands inputted on my knoppix based elivecd:

```

root@elive[/home/elive]$ usermod -d /root -m root

root@elive[/home/elive]$ mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/gentoo

mount: mount point /mnt/gentoo does not exist

root@elive[/home/elive]$ mount -t proc none /mnt/gentoo/proc

mount: mount point /mnt/gentoo/proc does not exist
```

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## Drone4four

 *kimchi_sg wrote:*   

> You cannot do a install of Gentoo using the amd64 stage files from knoppix, as the knoppix CD boots a 32-bit kernel but the programs in the stage files are 64-bit only. Hence the "exec format error".

 

Hmm, I'm trying to to an amd64 install also.  I think I'd eventually run into the same problem even if I got passed the mount bash errors which I specified moments ago in an earlier post.  Damn.

edit:sp

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## bdm

Your little how-to seems very neat.  :Smile: 

But I installed Gentoo through Knoppix not too long ago and didnt seem to do your step #3. I simply setup my wireless connection using ndiswrapper and wlcardconfig. Then proceeded to make my partitions using fdisk, then made the directory /mnt/gentoo and /mnt/gentoo/boot as mount points, and started following from downloading the stage 3 tarbal.  :Smile: 

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## Jambonant

I know this post is very old but I figure if like me you find it using some search engine, you might find the following link usefull. I haven't test it yet but will do very soon, if someone as feedback about it keep us poster.

Thanks to the original treader it was quite a usefull post.

http://users.telenet.be/gentoo/

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## Eckos

I doubt he will return to this topic so I think imho it was pointless to bring up a dead topic   :Embarassed: 

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