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I didn't see any option in the Universal Netboot Installer for specifying the overlay partition a specific size. Should I try with another USB image installer?
Location: Montreal, Quebec and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia CANADA
Distribution: Arch, AntiX, ArtiX
Posts: 1,364
Rep:
Hi mabo11 - Welcome to LQ.
From the looks of the messages on that screenshot, the main issue seems to be that the live Knoppix session is trying to mount a file system (/KNOPPIX-DATA) on /dev/sdb3, which it reports as non-existant. Then it reports that the partition doesn't have enough space (less than 400MB) for that file system.
We would need to know why the live session is trying to do this and how your USB drive is partitioned ...
If you could start there, we can maybe figure it out.
I used a program called Universal Netboot Installer. The knoppix site suggests "Win32 Disk Imager or similar". I thought the Universal Netboot Installer WAS similar. But, tomorrow, I will try the Win32 disk imager and see if results are different.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rickkkk
Hi mabo11 - Welcome to LQ.
From the looks of the messages on that screenshot, the main issue seems to be that the live Knoppix session is trying to mount a file system (/KNOPPIX-DATA) on /dev/sdb3, which it reports as non-existant. Then it reports that the partition doesn't have enough space (less than 400MB) for that file system.
We would need to know why the live session is trying to do this and how your USB drive is partitioned ...
If you could start there, we can maybe figure it out.
Cheers.
Thanks Rickkkk. Your guess is as good as mine. First time I've ever tried to use Knoppix. Installed the USB iso image, and selected "default" option when booting. That is the screen I get. No idea why the live session is trying to do that. My understanding is that the image includes a "4MB Reiserfs Empty Linux file system which, in case of a writable medium, will automatically get expanded to maximal available size and is used as writable overlay. Invisible on DVD." I don't know, from the program I was using, how to specify a larger partition. I will try again tomorrow with Win32 Disk Imager and if it has an option to specify a larger expandable partition, I will choose one much bigger."
Maybe the following from a Knoppix 8.1 boot will be useful. I doubt there's any material difference in 8.6. I put Knoppix on the stick too long ago to remember how I did it.
Code:
# ls -al /
drwxr-xr-x 23 root root 680 Nov 19 03:57 .
drwxr-xr-x 23 root root 680 Nov 19 03:57 ..
drwx------ 3 root root 60 Nov 19 03:57 .cache
drwx------ 3 root root 60 Nov 19 03:57 .config
drwx------ 3 root root 60 Nov 19 03:57 .local
drwxr-xr-x 22 root root 4096 Jan 14 2017 KNOPPIX
drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 280 Nov 18 22:56 KNOPPIX-DATA
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 2048 Sep 11 2017 KNOPPIX1
drwxr-xr-x 33 root root 280 Nov 18 22:56 UNIONFS
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Nov 18 22:56 bin -> /UNIONFS/bin
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Nov 18 22:56 boot -> /UNIONFS/boot
drwxr-xr-x 23 root root 19460 Nov 19 03:56 dev
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Nov 18 22:56 etc -> /UNIONFS/etc
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 72 Dec 16 2017 home
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 46686 Sep 18 2017 init
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Nov 18 22:56 lib -> /UNIONFS/lib
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 Nov 18 22:56 lib64 -> /UNIONFS/lib64
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Nov 18 22:56 libx32 -> /UNIONFS/libx32
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 120 Nov 19 03:56 media
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 40 May 8 2008 mnt
drwxrwxrwx 5 root root 4096 Dec 31 1969 mnt-system
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 40 May 8 2008 mnt-user
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 40 May 8 2008 modules
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Nov 18 22:56 opt -> /UNIONFS/opt
dr-xr-xr-x 179 root root 0 Nov 18 22:56 proc
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 40 Nov 18 22:56 ramdisk
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Nov 18 22:56 root -> /UNIONFS/root
drwxr-xr-x 45 root root 1040 Nov 19 03:56 run
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Nov 18 22:56 sbin -> /UNIONFS/sbin
dr-xr-xr-x 13 root root 0 Nov 19 03:57 sys
drwxrwxrwt 3 root root 60 Nov 19 03:57 tmp
drwxr-xr-x 16 root root 2048 Sep 11 2017 usr
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Nov 18 22:56 var -> /UNIONFS/var
# fdisk -l /dev/sda
Disk /dev/sda: 7.5 GiB, 8004304896 bytes, 15633408 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x5ab3f44f
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 * 2048 13658111 13656064 6.5G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda2 13658112 15633407 1975296 964.5M 83 Linux
# df /dev/sda1 /dev/sda2
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1 6814704 4426048 2388656 65% /mnt-system
/dev/sda2 987612 8528 979084 1% /KNOPPIX-DATA
# mount | grep sd
/dev/sda1 on /mnt-system type vfat (rw,relatime,fmask=0000,dmask=0000,allow_utime=0022,codepage=850,iocharset=utf8,shortname=winnt,utf8,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/sda2 on /KNOPPIX-DATA type reiserfs (rw,relatime)
# blkid
/dev/cloop0: UUID="2017-09-18-02-30-40-81" LABEL="KNOPPIX_FS" TYPE="iso9660"
/dev/cloop1: UUID="2017-09-13-18-09-11-00" LABEL="KNOPPIX_ADDONS1" TYPE="iso9660"
/dev/zram0: UUID="b5269691-4239-44cf-846d-ebf894e51478" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda1: LABEL="KNOPPIX" UUID="BEEB-2C20" TYPE="vfat" PARTUUID="5ab3f44f-01"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="KNOPPIX-DATA" UUID="a73d1a4d-4903-43f0-abb5-6807a3827f1e" TYPE="reiserfs" PARTUUID="5ab3f44f-02"
This is from an old Core2Duo PC booted with no connected HDs. Booted with one connected SATA HD, the stick is /dev/sdb.
I thought the Universal Netboot Installer WAS similar.
Unetbootin is similar and I always had good luck with it. Lately I have seen comments from a number of users that it is not as reliable as previously. I haven't used it recently so don't have an opinion but I'm sure the Knoppix people have a reason for their recommendations for windows and Linux software.
Unetbootin is similar and I always had good luck with it. Lately I have seen comments from a number of users that it is not as reliable as previously. I haven't used it recently so don't have an opinion but I'm sure the Knoppix people have a reason for their recommendations for windows and Linux software.
Understood, just remade the USB drive with the Win32 Disk Imager that Knoppix recommended. Interestingly, it did not give me an option and installed UEFI secure boot loader... so, we'll try that later today and see what happens.
Thanks for the suggestion on Etcher. I had actually seen this one mentioned when I was looking for a utility to create the bootable USB, but did not try it. If I fail again, I will try making the usb drive with Etcher.
Not 100% sure on the specs for the laptop. It was a mid-range IBM thinkpad at the time.
So, I created a new bootable USB using the recommended Win32 Disk Imager and have a similar problem, instead of puking all over the /sdb3 it just hangs. I tried it on another laptop and it seemed to boot fine, so now I'm wondering if it is hardware problem.
Perhaps I need a recommendation for a smaller/lightweight distribution that could run on the older hardware. Primarily need ability to move files and run PhotoRec, as this is a data rescue mission.
Location: Montreal, Quebec and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia CANADA
Distribution: Arch, AntiX, ArtiX
Posts: 1,364
Rep:
Quote:
Originally Posted by mabo11
So, I created a new bootable USB using the recommended Win32 Disk Imager and have a similar problem, instead of puking all over the /sdb3 it just hangs. I tried it on another laptop and it seemed to boot fine, so now I'm wondering if it is hardware problem.
Perhaps I need a recommendation for a smaller/lightweight distribution that could run on the older hardware. Primarily need ability to move files and run PhotoRec, as this is a data rescue mission.
Thanks.
Ah.
In that case, I can recommend Puppy Linux - particularly the 2.14x Classic Pup variant - as being good on old hardware. AntiX is also often recommended for older machines.
Another option is just to remove the hard drive from the laptop and connect it to another system - that way you won't be dependent on the rest of the outdated hardware of the 2006 laptop and all the challenges that brings.
I ended up trying puppyLinux and it booted and I was able to access the drive. Still have some questions regarding that system, but I'll play around with it for a while before asking for help.
Hopefully I can find what I need and not have to resort to taking the drive out and connecting it to another system.
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