indestructible DSL from DOS (loadlin, restoreConf)
Forum: User Feedback
Topic: indestructible DSL from DOS (loadlin, restoreConf)
started by: y23
Posted by y23 on Aug. 01 2004,10:10
PREFACE Often I encounter people with DEAD or (virus-) crippled windows 98 machines who have broadband.. (in germany 1mbit flat rate costs 50euro, 2mbit 60euro, 3mbit 70euro).
In order NOT to spend hours on helping them recovering them from their Windows monstrocity, just to be able to write a text-file and surf the internet for their favourite soccer-chat-room,
I WISH I could just install some linux system that runs from a DOS prompt and remembers their adsl-login settings, and saves their files onto their HDD, accessable by Win98 lateron.
It should stay FOOL PROOF for ever, i.e. everything is read-only, power failures or children pulling the power-plug must not kill the system.
Right now I am successfully running DSL from a DOS prompt, I extracted the bootimages from the ISO using WinISO and started linux with LOADLIN, via a batch file.
I find the desktop of DSL un-usable for windows users who barely learned to use the clipboard. (why doesn't CTRL-C Ctrl-V not work.. arrrgh), so I presume I will try MORPHIX, which featuers a desktop windows-users can handle.
I presume the LOADLIN would work the same.
Questions:
When starting with LOADLIN from hda1, I cannot access it (i.e. save something to HD). I solved it for myself by using PQMAGIC and putting DSL/LOADLIN onto hda5.
How would we stop loading Win2k or XP, in order to get a DOS prompt in order to start DSL/Morphix?
Will LOADLIN work on NTFS?
How about NTFS-writing then, to save user-files? (myDSL?)
Finally... a big ZIP file, and instructions.txt
Why not use a booting-CD? too slow and not all machines boot from CD, and CD break or get scratched or get lost or the kids get hold of it or are left in the sun or the cd-drive is broken. Nearly everyone has 50-250 megs on the HDD.
Please do not suggest to HD-install. We want a system that can take a power failure, i.e. never needs fsck, i.e. readOnly, thanks.
I also think the above system would be a great SERVER/UNATTENDED machine, if started via win98 CONFIG.SYS MENU (menuitem,menudefault,batch-stuff). It could never NOT recover from a power failure, right?
Posted by mikshaw on Aug. 01 2004,13:12
If you want it "fool proof forever", you might consider using a proper linux filesystem rather than dos. Using a bootloader such as LILO or Grub also does away with the need for first booting another operating system.
Posted by y23 on Aug. 02 2004,08:32
what a USELESS reply. I tried to exclude this possibility, but today comprehending others is not an activity to engage in. #$%^& ... I am on my own.Tried to hd-install morphix-lite yesterday... xserver fails to start. It has a beautiful desktop. I wish DSL would have a usable desktop for beginners option.
How will linux ever become poopular if everything is soooo cumbersome.
problem:
I extracted
vmlinuz 921572bytes
knoppix 48209893bytes
loadlin.exe 32225
miniroot.gz 490891
into d:\knoppix
added
d:\knoppix\KNOPPIX.SH
but knoppix.sh does not execute properly...
start with go.bat
loadlin vmlinuz initrd=miniroot.gz
DSL WORKS.
but the KNOPPIX.SH does not.
(I am setting the network card with
ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2
and
route add default gw 192.168.1.1
and
echo nameserver 62.26.26.62 > /etc/resolv.conf
)
all of which works fine when executed from a shell
It goes through the lines, I can because I have added
echo NOW DOING THIS AND THAT
and I can see them ECHO LINES display during boot-up...
but the executing commands do NOT work.
I added a
ls -al
and it give AT LEAST a funny error msg, something like
-- illegal syntax
but I didn't use a double hyphen...
is it a problem with using DOS edit.com?
or do I have to add a special line so it knows what shell
to use?
harrrgnnn.
Posted by mikshaw on Aug. 02 2004,14:03
You're welcome 
I just think you're making a lot of unnecessary work for yourself in order to save a little effort elsewhere. Live CDs are ideal for this sort of thing.
There are a few things that could be causing trouble in a script. It could be the DOS edit thing you mentioned (which changes the end-of-line character).
It could be that no interpreter was put as the first line of the script, such as: #!/bin/sh
It could be a permissions/mode issue, but it's unlikely since Windows makes everything executable.
Posted by cbagger01 on Aug. 07 2004,21:54
FYI,I could be wrong, but I think that the 'knoppix.sh' file is supposed to be in the root directory instead of the subdirectory. So it would be in D:\ instead of in D:\KNOPPIX\
I know that this is true for the floppy-based knoppix.sh file.
Also, if you wish to use DSL with a "Windows-like" interface, try adding the "icewm.dsl" extension to your installation.
Icewm navigation is very similar to MS Windows ™ since there is a "Start" button-like menu launcher in the lower left hand corner and a task bar at the bottom of the screen. There are some downloadable IceWM themes out there that create a Windows-like graphical appearance, including imitations of Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or Windows XP styles.
Good Luck.
Posted by thesumis41666 on Aug. 07 2004,23:39
have you tried knoppix? it has a "windows like" interface. works well if you dont have a winmodem. if you do, or you dont have a linux compatable router, then no internet for you, of couirse this is thesame for all linux distros
Posted by AwPhuch on Aug. 09 2004,16:54
Either < KNOPPIX > or < PCLinuxOS > would be a good choice...and please dont come to our forum bagging on us...you will get alot better responses if you loose your poor attitude...Brian
AwPhuch
Posted by Rapidweather on Aug. 12 2004,22:52
I have had difficulty getting DSL to start using loadlin, except on a Win 98 machinewhere Windows is started with "F8", then using choice 6. This is hard to do, so I use System Commander to start Windows 98, and then the "F8" works every time.
If the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys are allowed to run, then loadlin will not fully work, I get all kinds of problems, usually a blank screen and unresponsive DSL at that point, leading to a reboot as only way out. (Turn box off, and turn back on).
I tried just using a Windows 98 boot floppy, and that didn't work either.
---
Only way I can get a /knoppix to get discovered and run is with a boot floppy.
(I'm using 0.6.2) Or, with a complicated Windows 98 startup "F8", almost too much
trouble.
---
I tried the dsl-hdinstall and that mostly fails to get all the way through to a
booted up X. Sometimes, lilo won't run on some boxes, even with a small
420 MB HDD, for instance. I can do a hard drive install of Redhat 6.1, for
instance on the same box and HDD, and it will work. Too many lilo perameters
in the dsl-hdinstall script, and I cannot edit them out and then run "lilo" to
correct it, if I boot from the CD, and try and fix the hdd install.
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So, I am always having to use a boot floppy! (Or run from the CD, like I am
supposed to)
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