While
it isn't always possible to install Knoppix on its
own empty hard drive, it certainly removes a lot of the complications
that make installation tricky. These steps guide you through
installing Knoppix on a drive that is unpartitioned and brand-new, or
that you are willing to commit entirely to Knoppix.
From a terminal window, start the installer by typing:
knoppix@ttyp0[knoppix]$ sudo knoppix-installer
If this is an unpartitioned hard drive, you are prompted to create a
root and swap partition for Knoppix. Choose the Partition option from
the menu that appears to launch
qtparted.
Once qtparted starts, select your hard drive
from the list of disks on the left side of the window
(/dev/hdb for our example). If you have any
partitions that you need to delete before you can install Knoppix,
select them and click Operations→Delete, then click on the
gray free space labeled hda-1 and select Operations→Create.
The Knoppix installer requires that you create a swap partition, so
select linux-swap from the Partition Type drop-down menu, and then
choose a size for the swap as shown in .
The current rule of thumb is to pick a swap size, ranging from your
amount of RAM to twice that amount, so for a system with 256 MB of
RAM, you should choose a swap size between 256 MB and 512 MB. Click
OK, and qtparted shows a new swap partition at
the beginning of the disk.
Figure 1. Create a swap partition with qtparted
To create your root partition, click on the gray free space after the
swap partition, and select Operations→Create again.
Qtparted defaults to creating an ext3 partition
that spans the rest of the free space. Knoppix also supports
installing to ReiserFS partitions, but only for the Debian install
type. This example is for the beginner system, so click OK to create
the partition. After you partition the drive (as shown in ), click File→Commit to save the
changes to the disk. Once the changes are saved, close
qtparted and the main installer menu should
appear.
Figure 2. A partitioned hard drive ready to install
To start the configuration process, select Configure Installation and
click OK. Select the beginner system type, and press Enter or click
Next. The installer then asks you to choose the partition on which to
install Knoppix. In our example, there is only one partition, so
simply click Next.
At this stage of the install, set up user accounts. At the first
window, enter your full name. The next window prompts you for a
username; the default is your first initial and last name. If that is
fine for you, then continue to the next window—otherwise,
change the username. You are then asked to enter a password for your
user. You can uncheck Hide typing if you're having
trouble entering your password twice.
The next window looks like the previous, but this password is for the
root account. The root account is a special account that has the
ability to change and delete any file on the system, so choose a good
password. You will use this account only when changing system
settings, installing packages, or other potentially dangerous things.
Once your accounts are set up, it
is time to enter a few system settings. The first setting is the
hostname. This is the name your computer goes by on the network. You
are asked to accept the default hostname or enter one of your
choosing. Next, you choose where to install the boot loader. This is
the only operating system on the disk, so choose MBR. This installs
the boot loader on the boot sector of the Master Boot Record, the
first 512 bytes on any hard drive that contains the boot code and the
partition table. Now the configuration is done, and you are ready to
install.
To install Knoppix on your hard drive based on this configuration,
select Start installation and click OK. Read over the list of
configuration options Knoppix presents you, and make sure everything
is configured to your liking. Click Next to start the installation.
TIP
Knoppix formats your hard drive and then copies all the files to the
system, but you can still play games or run other programs during
this process to pass the time.
Once Knoppix is finished copying files, you are prompted to create a
boot floppy. Boot floppies are important in case you accidentally
delete your Linux kernel or otherwise damage parts of the boot
process. Insert a floppy into your drive, and click Yes to create a
boot floppy or click No to skip creating it. Once the installer
exits, log out and reboot the system. Be sure to remove the CD-ROM
when it ejects, and at reboot, you should be presented with the boot
screen for your brand new Knoppix install.
