If I install Knoppix to my HD, can I set lilo so that I can boot knoppix directly from lilo ? How ?

Thanks.

Vijay

I did my first Debian installation about two years ago using Knoppix. The installer may have changed since then, but in theory you have two choices: either you can install lilo into MBR (the Master Boot Record) or into the beginning of the root (/) partition where Knoppix is installed. If you install lilo into the MBR, you give lilo the power to control and boot all operating systems in your computer. But if you decide to install lilo into the "super block" in the beginning of the Knoppix root partition, then you'll need another boot loader to select which operating system you actually boot into. If Knoppix will be the only operating system in your computer, you'll want to install lilo into the MBR.

Personally, I dual boot between two operating systems and I've decided to install a third party boot loader, called GAG, into MBR http://gag.sourceforge.net/. I've installed Debian's boot loader (Grub in my case) into the super block at the beginning of my Debian root partition. Then I can select Debian from GAG, and GAG delegates to Grub the task of booting my Debian system.

Before I scrapped Windows entirely, I dualbooted Knoppix and Windows. It was easy! I just installed Windows first, leaving some space on the hard drive for Knoppix. Then I used knoppix-installer from Knoppix to do a Debian style install.

I selected to install lilo on the MBR, and it just plain worked! On boot-up, Knoppix's default lilo allowed selection of any partition to boot from (including the Windows partition). The default selection would be Knoppix, but Windows could easily be selected with the arrow keys.

Perhaps I was not clear in my first post. I did a Poor man's install of Knoppix. Basically this is just about 700MB and is almost like a copy of the CD image on the HD. All files are still compressed. Can I still boot this install with Lilo ?
There is no root for this until boot, after which its root becomes the SWAP partition.

Thanks.

Vijay

Hmm... 700 MB is about the disk space Knoppix takes in compressed form, but it should give you about 2,5 MB of software when installed on the hard drive. Are you sure you did the "sudo knoppix-installer"? If the Knoppix installation didn't go as planned, then I'm afraid lilo cannot boot Knoppix from the hard drive.

BTW, Knoppix has an excellent forum of its own and people there are more familiar with the hard drive installation problems than most people (including me) here at this Debian forum.

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/

The poor man's install takes up the amount of space as the CD; that is right.

Knoppix.net has a lot of documentation about Knoppix, as well as the forums.

Try this link to start with:

How to use lilo to boot to Knoppix CD image

BTW, it beats me why anyone would mess around with the "poor man's install" rather than a "beginners style install" (better) or a "debian style install" (best!).

Thanks your response encouraged me to retry Debian itself and install it on my PC. I had some problems but they were overcome.

Vijay