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Old 10-17-2013, 09:49 PM   #31
passinthru
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Having followed what works for you the best that I can, I can not boot anything using the pmagic syslinux.cfg file. It works well enough for me using the Knoppix syslinux.cfg with the pmagic label. I may mess with it some more later on, but for now I'm happy with what works. (I'm wondering if it's not a difference in the versions we are using.)

Thanks again for helping me.
 
Old 10-18-2013, 02:42 PM   #32
yancek
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Quote:
But when I boot I get a message that the menu.c32 kernal or initrd (can't remember) could not be found
The above from your earlier post (27) would indicate to me that you do not have that file copied to your flash directory. It is in the /boot/syslinux directory on my version of PMagic. You should have copied the directories from the PMagic /boot directory to the flash boot directory with the exception of the syslinux directory. If you do not do that you will not be able to use some of the programs which come with PMagic. Check the PMagic /boot directory for the folder names and that should be clear to you. You should have copied all the files in the PMagic syslinux directory to the flash /boot/syslinux directory with the exception of memdisk, memtest and the syslinux.cfg. If you want to use the PMagic syslinux.cfg, I would first copy the Knoppix syslinux.cfg file out of that folder and rename it before putting the PMagic syslinux.cfg file there.

Quote:
None of the "F" keys returns anything; not ideal
You have to have each key entry pointing to the file you want. The key (F1, F2,...) entries you show on your menu from post 27 for PMagic should stay. Mine are different, different release. You can add the Knoppix key entries, just change the numbers. The PMagic entries have the full path whereas the Knoppix ones don't but they all show on the appropriate key entry. I am posting my syslinux.cfg file which I copied from PMagic and modified to boot Knoppix. It works for all the entries I have tried. Explanation for some entries shows below the menu.

Quote:
UI /boot/syslinux/menu.c32
F1 /boot/syslinux/message.txt
F2 /boot/syslinux/message2.txt
F3 /boot/syslinux/message3.txt
F4 /boot/syslinux/message4.txt
F5 boot.msg
F6 f2
F7 f3
DISPLAY boot.msg
PROMPT 0
TIMEOUT 200
ONTIMEOUT pmagic

MENU DEFAULT pmagic
MENU TABMSG Press <TAB> to edit options or <F1> for more information
MENU AUTOBOOT Automatic boot in # second{,s}...
MENU TITLE Parted Magic - A Free Partitioning Tool
MENU color title 1;36;44 #ffffffff #00000000 std
MENU color sel 7;37;40 #FF000000 #FFC0C0C0 all
MENU color hotsel 1;7;37;40 #FF000000 #FFC0C0C0 all
MENU ROWS 12
MENU HELPMSGROW 21

LABEL pmagic
MENU LABEL ^1. Default settings (Runs from RAM)
TEXT HELP
Default mode intended for 312MB+ based systems.
* Version: 2012_05_30, (C) 2012, Patrick Verner
* Disclaimer: Author excluded from any liability.
ENDTEXT
COM32 linux.c32
APPEND /pmagic/bzImage initrd=/pmagic/initrd.img edd=off load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw vga=normal loglevel=9 max_loop=256 vmalloc=256MiB

LABEL adriane
MENU LABEL ^7 Knoppix adriane
KERNEL linux
APPEND lang=en apm=power-off video=640x480 initrd=minirt.gz nomce libata.force=noncq hpsa.hpsa_allow_any=1 loglevel=1 adriane

LABEL knoppix
MENU LABEL ^8 Knoppix
KERNEL linux
APPEND lang=en apm=power-off initrd=minirt.gz nomce libata.force=noncq hpsa.hpsa_allow_any=1 loglevel=1

MENU BEGIN
MENU TITLE + Language
#MENU TITLE Language
If you don't have the menu.c32 file from Parted Magic in the /boot/syslinux directory, it won't boot.
The F1, F2, F3 and F4 entry lines are directly from Parted Magic syslinux.cfg and the four files the path points to are located in the /boot/syslinux directory. So if I hit the F1 key on boot, I see the message.txt file options from PMagic. If I hit the F2,, F3 or the other F keys, I see the respective file, the one it is pointing to. Since Knoppix also had F1, F2 and F3 entries pointing to files, I changed them to F5, F6 and F7 respectively as you can see above. When I boot and hit any of these keys, I see the expected output of the different files.

I also changed the 'normal' entries to 'pmagic' at the these three lines: ONTIMEOUT pmagic MENU DEFAULT pmagic LABEL pmagic

If you have the LABEL knoppix entry only without MENU LABEL, it will show in the menu and will boot when highlighted, same for the adriane Knoppix entry. The MENU LABEL entry simply aligns these two entries with the others, it's just for appearance and does not affect booting. There were 6 numbered entries in the PMagic syslinux.cfg file which is why the two Knoppix are 7 and 8.

MENU LABEL ^7 Knoppix adriane
MENU LABEL ^8 Knoppix

This entry:
Quote:
MENU TITLE + Language
when you scroll down to it and highlight it and hit Enter, gives you a list of different languages to use for Parted Magic.
I only copied the 2 Knoppix entries, adriane and knoppix although there are a lot of others. Could make for a really long boot menu.
 
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Old 10-18-2013, 06:00 PM   #33
passinthru
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Thanks for that. I think I am getting my thick head around the concepts. I've got it fully working now. I'm not sure what the problem was. I think that I got in too big a hurry and made multiple changes at once (which in my experience is a "no-no"; make one change at a time).

I'm going to need to start over. I chose the minimum size (I think it is 400MiB) for the overlay file, and it left me without enough room to install the software I want. (Or at least I think that is the problem; I still don't begin to understand UNIONFS, or however whatever it is works.) I did that because I wanted to shrink sdb1 (KNOPPIX) to the smallest size possible, leaving the largest amount of unallocated space possible between sdb1 and sdb2 (KNOPPIX-DATA) to create my data partition without having to move sdb2. I assume moving sdb2 (KNOPPIX-DATA) would mess it up.

It's been a learning experience. I know more than I did at first (but not yet enough to be sure of myself).

Thanks again!
 
Old 10-18-2013, 07:32 PM   #34
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Making changes one at a time and testing limits the possible errors to check for. Found that through experience.

Quote:
I'm going to need to start over. I chose the minimum size (I think it is 400MiB) for the overlay file,
My KNOPPIX folder disappeared yesterday, I have no idea why that happened. The overlay file option as I remember is a minimum of 200MB and a maximum of 4000MB (4GB), maybe you have an oldeer version of Knoppix than 7.2?

Quote:
Or at least I think that is the problem; I still don't begin to understand UNIONFS, or however whatever it is works
It's the overlay file. You should be able to verify that by comparing the size you create as overlay to the size of the UNIONFS directory. Not sure how it works or why the entire fileystem directories are there. If you create a file for test purposes in UNIONFS, it will show on reboot. I created a file to test under /media/sdc2, the data partition on the flash and when I opened the file manager from the Desktop link in Knoppix and navigated to /media/sdc2 it was not there. I opened the file manager as root: sudo pcmanfm and navigated there and could see the test file. Did not manually mount either time.
 
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Old 10-18-2013, 08:37 PM   #35
passinthru
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yancek View Post
My KNOPPIX folder disappeared yesterday, I have no idea why that happened. The overlay file option as I remember is a minimum of 200MB and a maximum of 4000MB (4GB), maybe you have an oldeer version of Knoppix than 7.2?
Wierd. I'm using KNOPPIX_V7.2.OCD-2013-06-16.iso. I no doubt remembered the size parameters incorrectly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yancek View Post
It's the overlay file. You should be able to verify that by comparing the size you create as overlay to the size of the UNIONFS directory. Not sure how it works or why the entire fileystem directories are there. If you create a file for test purposes in UNIONFS, it will show on reboot. I created a file to test under /media/sdc2, the data partition on the flash and when I opened the file manager from the Desktop link in Knoppix and navigated to /media/sdc2 it was not there. I opened the file manager as root: sudo pcmanfm and navigated there and could see the test file. Did not manually mount either time.
Yeah, as I said, I don't begin to understand it. It's part of the reason I want persistence with a large enough overlay to install some software, but all of my data on a separate partition. Even moreso if the overlay can just disappear! (I take it that the KNOPPIX directory is part of the overlay since it is not there in the live instance - as I recall).
 
Old 10-18-2013, 11:09 PM   #36
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Quote:
I no doubt remembered the size parameters incorrectly.
They will show in the window when you re-do. Below is a partial output the df -h command from Knoppix.

Quote:
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdc1 5.8G 4.8G 1002M 84% /mnt-system
/dev/cloop 2.0G 2.0G 0 100% /KNOPPIX
/dev/loop0 3.9G 26M 3.9G 1% /KNOPPIX-DATA
unionfs 3.9G 26M 3.9G 1% /UNIONFS
/dev/sdc1 5.8G 4.8G 1002M 84% /media/sdc1
/dev/sdc2 8.8G 20M 8.3G 1% /media/sdc2
sdc1 is the Knoppix and PMagic live cd files as well as the 4GB overlay. I don't know what the /KNOPPIX entry is at 2GB. The /KNOPPIX-DATA and /UNIONFS are identical in size, used and available . Not sure what that means? Also, there are two entries for /dev/sdc1 which are identical again in size, used and available?

I don't think the overlay will disappear. My comments in my last post were to the effect that viewing directories/files in some directories doesn't work as a user but everything is seen as root. I didn't mount other partitions on my other drives but could view the files in a file manager but only as root.

Edit: I just opened the file manager as user and was able to view files on different partitions which I was unable to do before. Well, confusing. I guess if next time it doesn't work as a user I'll know to try root.

Last edited by yancek; 10-19-2013 at 09:09 AM.
 
Old 10-19-2013, 05:36 AM   #37
passinthru
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Code:
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdb3        11G  1.1G  8.9G  12% /mnt/sdb3/mydata
/dev/sdb2       400M  340M   61M  85% /mnt/sdb2/KNOPPIX-DATA
/dev/sdb1       4.0G  1.9G  2.1G  48% /mnt/sdb1/KNOPPIX
I installed a few small programs without a problem. I went to install another program and got the message that there was not enough disk space. I got to poking around, and concluded that it is the size of KNOPPIX-DATA which determines the disk space available to the os for installation of applications. KNOPPIX is one file system on two partitions with a total capacity of 4.4G. But though the os resides on sdb1 and has plenty of disk space to install applications, the applications actually reside on sdb2. (The root of sdb2 contains /.wh..wh.orph, /etc, /home, /root, /usr and /var. /dev/sdb2/home/Knoppix is what displays in the filemanager as the user's directory. (I haven't attempted to add a user; there is no gui for doing so, and I have not yet attempted useradd on the system; don't know if it is possible to add users, or if so with the make directory option where it would create the directory.)

If I want to add another, or several more isos to the multiboot, I must put them on sdb1 and not sdb2. If I want to store personal data files to be used by applications I must put them on sdb2, not sdb1.

If I want to view the data I have put on sdb3 under /home/Knoppix, I must mount /dev/sdb3 at /dev/sdb2/home/Knoppix, not /home/Knoppix as I am accustomed to doing. I'm still trying to get my head around it.

Add that to trying to get my head around the whole boot sequence and process with grub and syslinux and the paths and appends and whatever to make it work, and I get easily and quickly overloaded.

I wanted to add the recently released Xubuntu 13.10 iso to the flash. I mounted /dev/sdb1 and loop mounted the iso with the intention of following the procedure of copying the extracted iso files to the flash drive. I typically use rsync (sudo rsync) to make such transfers. But when I did so, I got "operation not permitted" or "permission denied" errors. So I tried cp -R and got an error that some symlinks in the iso could not be copied.

While the failed copy is going on, I mean to add the necessary labels to syslinux.cfg and realize that I do not have a clue how to proceed. If I can copy the extracted iso (as with pmagic), then I can figure it out, but the copy won't take with either rsync or cp. If I copy the iso to the flash, I do not know how to loop mount it in syslinux.

It got late and I was blurry-eyed, so I aborted and went to bed.

I don't understand it all. But my plan is to re-install KNOPPIX to the flash with a larger overlay and smaller os, then attempt to learn what I must to add isos to the multiboot.

All of this and what I want is not so much to learn all of this, but to have the ability to actually use the device. I find myself asking if it's worth it to me and others (like you). We'll know in time, if we have it. I appreciate everyone's patience with me, and if you have further thoughts to help me along the way I will be grateful to you for them.
 
Old 10-19-2013, 10:15 AM   #38
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I believe the KNOPPIX-DATA is the overlay file. Looking at my last post, I see that KNOPPIX-DATA and UNIONFS are identical. Not sure about the purpose of that.

I recall there were two options for creating an overlay file. The one I selected was the first which creates the overlay on the same partition on which I have Knoppix and PMagic, minimum size showed 200MB, maximum 4000MB and I selected 4000MB and this shows up in the df-h output in my last post for sdc1 as 4.8GB, the size of the Knoppix iso plus 4GB overlay. I haven't tried the second overlay option, I think it creates the overlay on a second partition? Unless you are going to install an awful lot of software, a 4GB overlay should be more than enough.
Using the overlay method I chose, everything is on the first partition. Knoppix, KNOPPIXDATA, UNIONFS and Parted Magic. The second partition is empty except for the few files I copied there to test. It is only used for data.

I think it would simplify things for you if you created the overlay on the same partition on which Knoppix and PMagic reside. Since you have the same release 7.2 of Knoppix, you should have the 4GB option. Then create the second partition to be used only for data.

I'm not sure why you would wsnt to create another user, you have the user knoppix and root?

Quote:
If I want to view the data I have put on sdb3 under /home/Knoppix
You need to do that as user knoppix but should be able to view files in a terminal or filemanager as root user without mounting. I found this out accidentally yesterday.

Quote:
Add that to trying to get my head around the whole boot sequence and process with grub and syslinux
Are you speaking in general terms about bootloaders? Grub should not be involved in booting this flash.

I'm not sure why you are getting the permission denied errors trying to copy Xubuntu. If you get it copied, you can add an entry to the syslinux.cfg in Knoppix by going to Xubuntu. In Xubuntu when loop mounted, you have an isolinux directory in the / of the filesystem and inside are a number of files. The one you need is txt.cfg. Open that and copy the entry or entries to the knoppix syslinux.cfg.

Quote:
If I copy the iso to the flash, I do not know how to loop mount it in syslinux.
You can't! This only works with a limited number of Linux distributions (mostly Ubuntu and derivatives) and with their Grub2.

Quote:
All of this and what I want is not so much to learn all of this, but to have the ability to actually use the device.
And for me it is the exact opposite. I have no actual use for it but it's interesting. One thing I would suggest is you check during the overlay creation as I'm quite sure there are two options and putting it on the same partition seems to me to be a better method. If you are going to use syslinux to boot, anything you add should be on the first partition, Xubuntu, etc. You should be able to add as many as the size of the partition allows. It would be a lot simpler if you didn't need the overlay to create persistence. I had a 16GB partition on which I installed PMagic, SystemRescueCD and 20 other Linux Live CDs ranging from TinyCore to Ubuntu Studio. I used Grub Legacy in the mbr to boot and created a second partition for the Ubuntus and chainloaded from Grub Legacy to Grub2 on the second partition. It's a handy device in certain circumstances but they are all read-only so no changes can be made.
 
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Old 10-19-2013, 11:33 AM   #39
passinthru
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Quote:
I believe the KNOPPIX-DATA is the overlay file. Looking at my last post, I see that KNOPPIX-DATA and UNIONFS are identical. Not sure about the purpose of that.
I think so as well.

Quote:
I recall there were two options for creating an overlay file. The one I selected was the first which creates the overlay on the same partition on which I have Knoppix and PMagic, minimum size showed 200MB, maximum 4000MB and I selected 4000MB and this shows up in the df-h output in my last post for sdc1 as 4.8GB, the size of the Knoppix iso plus 4GB overlay. I haven't tried the second overlay option, I think it creates the overlay on a second partition? Unless you are going to install an awful lot of software, a 4GB overlay should be more than enough.
Using the overlay method I chose, everything is on the first partition. Knoppix, KNOPPIXDATA, UNIONFS and Parted Magic. The second partition is empty except for the few files I copied there to test. It is only used for data.

I think it would simplify things for you if you created the overlay on the same partition on which Knoppix and PMagic reside. Since you have the same release 7.2 of Knoppix, you should have the 4GB option. Then create the second partition to be used only for data.
I agree that it would simply things. However, the reason I chose the second option is that the first time around I chose the first option. KNOPPIX created a single partition which used the entire disk. I attempted to resize the partition so that I could create a separate data partition. I can not remember now whether t would not boot, or whether I lost persistence. But something did not work. So I tried again using the second option. This allowed me to resize the KNOPPIX partition, leaving it at the beginning, and to leave the KNOPPIX-DATA partition in the same location. After resizing /dev/sdb1 (KNOPPIX) I had unallocated space between sdb1 and sdb2 which I formatted ext2 and created sdb3.

It appears that I'm going to need to leave the size of KNOPPIX at 4G, and make KNOPPIX-DATA about the same size. This reduces sdb3 from 11G to 7-8G, but it's still plenty of room to install what I want on KNOPPIX partitions and on the data partition. (If not, I'll use a 32G or 64G usb or sdd. I understand the 4G limit on KNOPPIX, but I would then have additional room for storing and accessing personal data.)

Have you successfully resized the KNOPPIX partition installed with option 1? If so, how did you do it please? It would not only be much easier, but would make better use of the unused space on the disk.

Quote:
I'm not sure why you would wsnt to create another user...
The point was not that I want to create another user. In the context of expressing my ignorance about the file scheme I was wondering out loud where in the overlay/UNIONFS/reiserfs scheme KNOPPIX would create the user directory, if KNOPPIX allows for adding users and one wanted to add a user. User and root are all I need or want.

Quote:
Quote:
Add that to trying to get my head around the whole boot sequence and process with grub and syslinux
Are you speaking in general terms about bootloaders? Grub should not be involved in booting this flash.
Speaking in general terms. Not knowing any better, I attempted to install grub to this flash, and while it did not appear to adversely affect it, I could not get it to boot. So as you say, grub has nothing to do with this project. It is "grubless".

Quote:
I'm not sure why you are getting the permission denied errors trying to copy Xubuntu. If you get it copied, you can add an entry to the syslinux.cfg in Knoppix by going to Xubuntu. In Xubuntu when loop mounted, you have an isolinux directory in the / of the filesystem and inside are a number of files. The one you need is txt.cfg. Open that and copy the entry or entries to the knoppix syslinux.cfg.

Quote:
If I copy the iso to the flash, I do not know how to loop mount it in syslinux.
You can't! This only works with a limited number of Linux distributions (mostly Ubuntu and derivatives) and with their Grub2.

I had a 16GB partition on which I installed PMagic, SystemRescueCD and 20 other Linux Live CDs ranging from TinyCore to Ubuntu Studio. I used Grub Legacy in the mbr to boot and created a second partition for the Ubuntus and chainloaded from Grub Legacy to Grub2 on the second partition. It's a handy device in certain circumstances but they are all read-only so no changes can be made.
I was learning about the multiboot usb, and had Ubuntu, Xubuntu and Linuxmint all booting using grub. But I could not get persistence using anything - the *buntu start up disk creator, unetbootin, yumi, multiboot, etc. It was when I saw the potential and benefit to me of having a persistent, portable KNOPPIX, which included Parted Magic (for its utilities) and personal data storage that I got into trouble.

So knowing that I can give up on loop mounting anything with syslinux is very helpful.

With regard to extracting Xubuntu, I got the permission denied error using rsync, and the failed to copy symlinks error using cp. I can copy the iso to the KNOPPIX partition, just not extract it using rsync or cp. I have not run into this problem before now.

So if I can get that figured out, your thoughts are my salvation. Otherwise, it's just good to know. Thanks again!

Last edited by passinthru; 10-19-2013 at 12:14 PM. Reason: corrections
 
Old 10-19-2013, 01:47 PM   #40
passinthru
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Quote:
(yancek #38) ...add an entry to the syslinux.cfg in Knoppix by going to Xubuntu. In Xubuntu when loop mounted, you have an isolinux directory in the / of the filesystem and inside are a number of files. The one you need is txt.cfg. Open that and copy the entry or entries to the knoppix syslinux.cfg.
Xubuntu 13.10 /isolinux/txt.cfg:
Code:
default live
label live
  menu label ^Try Xubuntu without installing
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --
label live-install
  menu label ^Install Xubuntu
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --
label check
  menu label ^Check disc for defects
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  boot=casper integrity-check initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --
label memtest
  menu label Test ^memory
  kernel /install/mt86plus
label hd
  menu label ^Boot from first hard disk
  localboot 0x80
Labels added to KNOPPIX /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg (which is actually the pmagic syslinux.cfg):

Code:
label live
  menu label ^7 Try Xubuntu 13.10 without installing
  kernel /xubuntu/casper/vmlinuz
  append  file=/xubuntu/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=/xubuntu/casper initrd=/xubuntu/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --

label live-install
  menu label ^8 Install 13.10 Xubuntu
  kernel /xubuntu/casper/vmlinuz
  append  file=/xubuntu/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=/xubuntu/casper only-ubiquity initrd=/xubuntu/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --
As you can see, the path is the only thing I modified (with "/xubuntu", which is the directory in which I extracted the xubuntu 13.10 file). I began with the kernel entry; it would not boot. I removed it from the kernel and tried it in the file path of the append line, then with the initrd path; followed this procedure with every possible combination. (I'm going to wear the flash and a computer out rebooting!) No joy. (And I think it's five o'clock somewhere, if you know what I mean.)

Where am I going wrong (aside from trying to work this out)?
 
Old 10-19-2013, 03:33 PM   #41
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Quote:
I attempted to resize the partition so that I could create a separate data partition.
I didn't have any problem resizing the Knoppix partition and creating a second. I have Ubuntu 12.04 on one of my partitions which has gparted and I used that to resize and then create a second partition, no problem. I haven't tried the second option. The first partition I have is about 6GB and that is where I have Knoppix, PMagic and the persistent file. This includes KNOPPIX-DATA and UNIONFS when using the first persistence option.

I would guess that if one were to be able to create a user, the directory would show in KNOPPIX-DATA/UNIONFS my might be under mnt-system. Haven't tried it.

The system should be booting only with syslinux.

I had an Xubuntu iso on my hard drive and loop mounted it from within the Knoppix flash drive and then copied all the directories/files from the / of Xubuntu to the /mnt-system directory. I did not copy the boot directory or any of its files from Xubuntu as they are not needed. I then copied the Xubuntu entry from its isolinux/txt.cfg to the Knoppix syslinux.cfg file. After copying I rebooted Ubuntu on my hard drive and checked the size of sdc1 which previously had shown as 4.8GB and now showed as 5.5GB which looked right. I then rebooted the flash drive and Xubuntu was in the menu and I selected it and its splash screeen showed but ended with the error 'unable to find medium containing live system'. After some googling, the solution I found was to copy a hidden directory which is in the Xubuntu iso. When loop mounting Xubuntu if you enable hidden files, you will see a directory named disk. I copied that to the / of the Knoppix flash drive and rebooted.

I would suggest you not put Xubuntu in a sub-directory of the Knoppix /, rather than "kernel /xubuntu/casper/vmlinuz", your entry should be kernel /casper/vmlinuz. I've tried this before and putting casper in a sub-directory always caused problems. There should be no conflicts with files or directories you currently have for Knoppix/PMagic on the flash. The only one would be the Xubuntu boot directory which is not needed. The entry in syslinux.cfg for Xubuntu which worked for me is below:

Quote:
LABEL xubuntu
MENU LABEL ^9 Try Xubuntu
KERNEL /casper/vmlinuz
APPEND file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --
Running the ls command on the Knoppix now shows its / directories/files as well as the PMagic and Xubuntu:

Quote:
ls /media/KNOPPIX/
boot/ dists/ install/ KNOPPIX/ md5sum.txt pics/ pool/ README.diskdefines
casper/ efi/ isolinux/ ldlinux.sys mkgriso pmagic/ preseed/
 
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Old 10-19-2013, 04:08 PM   #42
passinthru
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Location: Mid-Atlantic USA
Distribution: various debians and *buntus
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Well, I do not know what to think about what went wrong the first time, but based on what you say I'm giving option one another try.

This is the root of my flash:
Code:
/mnt/usb/
├── boot
├── efi
├── KNOPPIX
├── pmagic
└── xubuntu
Am I understanding you to say that it should be:
Code:
/mnt/usb/
├── boot (containing the syslinux directory and modified pmagic syslinux.cfg file)
├── efi
├── KNOPPIX
├── (eliminate the pmagic parent and move the children to root?)
│── pmodules
│── scripts
└── (eliminate the xubuntu parent and move the children to root, eliminating the boot directory?)
├── casper
├── dists
├── EFI
├── install
├── isolinux
├── pics
├── pool
└── preseed
EDIT - No, I see that I still got it wrong (sorry). You said:
Quote:
ls /media/KNOPPIX/
boot/ dists/ install/ KNOPPIX/ md5sum.txt pics/ pool/ README.diskdefines
casper/ efi/ isolinux/ ldlinux.sys mkgriso pmagic/ preseed/
Got it (I think).

Last edited by passinthru; 10-19-2013 at 04:13 PM. Reason: spoke too soon
 
Old 10-19-2013, 05:16 PM   #43
yancek
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Quote:
ls /media/KNOPPIX/
boot/ dists/ install/ KNOPPIX/ md5sum.txt pics/ pool/ README.diskdefines
casper/ efi/ isolinux/ ldlinux.sys mkgriso pmagic/ preseed/
Yes. That's exactly what mine looks like. The ubuntus usually need the casper directory in the / of any filesystem and if you put it a level down (as in an xubuntu directory) it probably won't boot. I've never been able to get any ubuntu to boot with casper in a sub-directory. Read that on the ubuntu forums somewhere. With that setup and modifying the syslinux.cfg entry to what I have in my last post, it should boot. Don't forget to copy the hidden .disk directory from Xubuntu and remember you do not need anything from the Xubuntu boot directory. Good luck.

Last edited by yancek; 10-20-2013 at 02:02 PM.
 
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Old 10-19-2013, 06:19 PM   #44
passinthru
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It works! Knoppix (32 and 64), Parted Magic (and all of its options), Xubuntu (live and install), persistence and storage. Just what I was hoping to get. Furthermore, through the process I've learned enough to hopefully make other bootable disks and add isos to this one if I want them.

BTW, for the sake of others, I'm using a 15G Sandisk Cruzer Pop.

So far as the rsync and cp problems I was having: I got them copied by opening the folders in pcmanfm as root! That's odd for me, because I'm sort of a command line freak when it comes to that sort of thing.

And in addition to the hidden .disk directory of Xubuntu 13.10, there is an Ubuntu symlink that I could not copy and is apparently not needed (best I could tell it pointed to the root directory; it's own directory).

I have one final question: I noticed in the txt.cfg file of the Xubuntu iso that the last label was suppose to boot the first hard drive. I tried it and it did not work. I would like that option and wonder what would make it work.

All that's left is to wipe the disk and install KNOPPIX with the first option. I've made a duplicate of the set up and should be able to copy it to the new partitions. I do not anticipate any problem with that.

Thanks for all of your help. I hope others might find the thread useful.

Last edited by passinthru; 10-19-2013 at 06:22 PM.
 
Old 10-19-2013, 11:51 PM   #45
yancek
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Since you are booting from a usb flash drive, the BIOS might see it as drive 0x80 so you could try changing it to localboot 0x81.

Another option would be:

Quote:
LABEL HD
MENU LABEL Boot HD
KERNEL chain.c32
APPEND hd0 0
You might need to experiment with the hd0 0, hd1 0, etc. There is a similar entry in the PMagic syslinux.cfg also, half way down the menu. I haven't tried it but I think it is identical.

Tried the above options including changing the hd0 0 several times. Found a site which suggested the following which did work and boot the first hard drive mbr on several computers:

Quote:
LABEL localboot
MENU LABEL ^5. Local boot
localboot -1

Last edited by yancek; 10-20-2013 at 02:05 PM.
 
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