Debian/Knoppix 7.3 live CD install network question
 

hello linux users; long time no .c

Booting with a live Knoppix 7.3 disk on a Dell Precision m4700, Windows Boot Manager sees the disk and displays:

Windows 7
Debian GNU/Linux - Continue with install process

Selecting Debian takes me to the Debian installer main menu. Everything goes well until I get to the option to detect network hardware.

Modules to load: usb storage - check
Auto-configure networking - no (yes is not successful)

manually:

static ip - 192.168.11.7
netmask - 255.255.255.0
gateway - 192.168.11.1
name sever addresses: I leave this blank. Is the install routine expecting the number of a DNS server like 8.8.8.8 for google or is the name sever something else entirely?

Currently configured network parameters:

interface = eth0
ipaddress = 192.168.11.7
netmask = 255.255.255.0
gateway = 192.168.11.1
pointtopoint = <none>
nameservers =

..hit enter on <Yes>

hit enter on wait time 3 sec.

hit enter on hostname BASS (beneath a steel sky)

now it asks for a domain name and I dont have one so I dont use one. I leave this field blank.

Choose mirror - Protocol for file downloads:

http

archive mirror country: United States

Debian archive mirror: lug.mtu.edu

error message: Bad archive mirror - possible reasons for the error are: incorrect mirror, not available (due to connection), mirror broken, etc. etc.

I have tried several other mirrors and I have tried other live cds like ubuntu but all are debian based and the end result is still the same. This is were the install dies. It was acting like it was downloading and then failing. Now it just comes back instantly with the bad archive mirror. Why does Knoppix think it needs a mirror and a network anyway?

I was really just trying to do the live cd thing and was kind of surprised to find that debian takes me down this path to begin with.

Anway - here I am feeling like a noob again thanks to linux.

If anybody out there can help me, that would be great.

tayl

I'm curious about what your intentions are. You initially indicate you are bootin a Knoppix disk and that the windows boot manager sees it and displays options for windows 7 and Debian. If you set your BIOS to boot the DVD as first boot priority, there is no reason and no way the windows bootloader could be involved unless there is a failure in the BIOS, change not saved or something?? When you boot the Knoppix DVD, you should see options to boot Knoppix. Although Knoppix is based on Debian, it's not Debian. Not sure what you are trying to do.

Are you trying to do a Debian netinstall?

I agree I am confused also. Knoppix should just boot up to a live environment. Not sure it should ever go into a debian network installer. Continue with installer makes me think that as some point you did try to boot or install debian. Or this disc you have is very odd.

Just trying to boot a live cd, that's all. :)

dvd drive is second in line. USB drive is first in line for boot priority, disk drive is last.

No netinstall. Just thought I would live boot a distro. When the install happened to go down as mentioned above, I took Knoppix 7.3 distro out of Linux Pro Magazine to see if I would get the same behavior and, sure enough, it acted just like Ubuntu 13.10 and just like Kali 1.0.7. Same scenario each time.

All the disk are just straight out of the magazines that I have lying around the room. As per above, I didn't expect this to happen either.

This Dell Precision M4700 had the option to have Red Hat installed on it but I ordered it with win7 x64. I personally have not ever tried to install another O/S on this machine. It was 51% off retail when I mail ordered it slightly less than a year ago. Maybe Dell has something additional installed or left over that is faking out the boot loader.

I have a hardware level password set prior to loading the windows interface as opposed to an admin level password. Does it make any sense to think that disabling the initial hardware level password might make a difference?

I will live boot on my old HP Pavilion just to see. Maybe there is something odd about the dell.

I'd make a disc from trusted online download iso.

It is possible that you could run a free virtual machine to test out and try linux. An as bought win 7 system should be OK for a vm.

It was the bios. I selected the order in which things should boot as mentioned above however, there is another option which allows you to select either legacy or uefi or UEI or whatever. If legacy is not selected your boot order selection gets covered up and is no longer in effect. I switched to legacy and then picked the order in which boot devices should be seen (again) and rebooted and it worked. Don't know why it wanted to take me down the path for a debian network install but everything works as expected.

The boot order simply did not get saved because I changed more than one thing at a time in the bios I guess.

thanx anyway,
party on...

Hello, I also used Knoppix Live CD, the version 7.2, though. In order to start from CD or DVD, adjust the boot selection menu or your computer's BIOS setup in order to start from the desired device. Set the one holding the Knoppix Live CD to 1st priority.

If you close the BIOS by pressing "F10" and choose "Yes", the changes you made in the Boot Menu will be saved. Good luck! :D