Boot Floppy HowTo

2006-03-07T17:20:45Z

Rd51016967: test

This is an explanation on how to make two floppy disks to boot.

Also see: [http://debian.tu-bs.de/knoppix/CeBit]

Boot Knoppix on a machine where it works from CDROM. Then execute these commands to create two floppies. Leave out the "$" when entering the commands, the "cat" commands goes over several lines, down to EOF, in between is what the file /mnt/floppy/boot/grub/menu.lst should contain afterwards.

''#Floppy 1: grub + kernel'' 
''$ mkfs -t vfat /dev/fd0'' 
''$ grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/floppy /dev/fd0'' 
''$ cp /cdrom/boot/isolinux/linux24 /mnt/floppy/'' 
''$ cat >/mnt/floppy/boot/grub/menu.lst <<EOF'' 
''default 0'' 
''timeout 3'' 

''title Knoppix Floppies initrd'' 
''kernel (fd0)/linux24 ramdisk''size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=ch apm=power-off vga=791 nomce BOOT''IMAGE=knoppix'' 
''pause Insert floppy with miniroot and press ENTER'' 
''module (fd0)/minirt24.gz'' 
''EOF'' 

''#Floppy 2: miniroot'' 
''$ mkfs -t vfat /dev/fd0'' 
''$ cp /cdrom/boot/isolinux/minirt24.gz /mnt/floppy/'' 

The Kernel 2.6 does not fit on the same floppy as GRUB. In that case, copy the initrd26.gz on the boot floppy with grub and the kernel on a separate floppy.

the menu.lst file will then look like this (noscsi added):

''title Knoppix Floppies initrd'' 
''pause Insert floppy with kernel (disk 2) and press ENTER'' 
''kernel (fd0)/linux26 ramdisk''size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=ch apm=power-off vga=791 nomce noscsi BOOT''IMAGE=knoppix'' 
''pause Insert floppy with miniroot (disk 1 again) and press ENTER'' 
''module (fd0)/minirt26.gz'' 

= Obselete Document: =

You make a KNOPPIX Boot Floppy by one of these procedures.

!It is not correct to just copy files onto the floppy. 

*!!If you have KNOPPIX or a other linux distribution started: 
Insert an empty, formatted floppy disk and the KNOPPIX CD. 
K --> KNOPPIX --> Root Shell --> cd /mnt/cdrom/KNOPPIX --> ls 
Now you should see a file name ''boot.img'' . 
In some versions the file may have a language name attached. 

Enter the following line from the shell: 

: ''dd if=/mnt/cdrom/KNOPPIX/boot.img of=/dev/fd0 bs=1440k'' 

This will erase the floppy and the KNOPPIX boot disk. 

; Or for the lazy : ''cat /mnt/cdrom/KNOPPIX/boot.img >/dev/fd0''

*!!If you are in Windows: 
Insert an empty, formatted floppy disk and the KNOPPIX CD. 
Open a DOS Window, open the KNOPPIX directory on the CD. 
: d: 
: cd \KNOPPIX 
create a boot floppy using the command: 
: mkfloppy.bat 

: '''*''' actual path on Knoppix 3.3 CDROM: ''/cdrom/KNOPPIX/mkfloppy.bat''
----
: Is this also possible in Knoppix 3.4?? 
: At least with 3.4 2004-05-04, no. The file boot.img is not there, neither is the mkfloppy.bat or rawwrite2.exe. This might be due to the use of isolinux. I '''need''' this, badly enough to continue investigating it.

-----
Hi, look here [http://debian.tu-bs.de/knoppix/[[Ce] Bit]]/ for a boot.img and make''floppy''3.4.sh. Hope this helps. MTH
-----
If you just need to boot Knoppix on a PC that has no BIOS support for booting from the CD-ROM drive, try Smart Boot Manager. It allows you to install it to a floppy and allow you to select the CD-ROM drive for booting. It works fine on my Toshiba Tecra 740CDT which has no support for booting from the CD-ROM. The homepage for Smart Boot Manager is here: [http://btmgr.webframe.org/]

= Two Bootfloppies for Knoppix 3.4 =

Check out the mkbootfloppy script (Knoppix->Utlities menu) thats on 2004-05-10 and newer. It wil create two bootfloppies with the currently running kernel.

----
Back to [[Setup Instructions]]
<div style="overflow: auto; height: 1px;">

[_pw8_]

[http://nv2006.com/ nv]

</div>

Knoppix Documentation Wiki - User contributions [en]

Boot Floppy HowTo