Using the Help System

The boot loader online help is context sensitive. It gives information about the selected menu item or, if you are editing boot options, it tries to look up information about the option in which the cursor is positioned.

Navigation Keys

Up Arrow: highlight previous link
Down Arrow: highlight next link
Left Arrow, Backspace: return to previous topic
Right Arrow, Enter, Space: follow link
Page Up: scroll up one page
Page Down: scroll down one page
Home: go to page start
End: go to page end
Esc: leave help

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Splash Mode Selection

F3 lets you change the splash screen mode. You can use the splash kernel option directly, if you prefer.

splash suppresses all kernel and boot messages and shows a splash.

verbose shows nice picture and kernel and boot messages

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Language and Keyboard Layout Selection

Press F2 to change language and keyboard layout the boot loader uses.

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Choose Profile

Press F4 to select a profile. Your system will be started using the configuration saved in this profile.

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Boot Options

K A N O T I X



About -- short introduction to KANOTIX.
ACPI -- advanced configuration and power interface
Alsa -- Use ALSA sound driver (at your own risk).
APM toggle power management
Bootoptions Turn on some boot options.
Desktop -- Use specified WM instead of KDE.
Floppyconfig -- Run "knoppix.sh" from a floppy.
FromHD -- Boot from previously copied CD-Image
/home -- Mount loopback file.
HRate -- Use specified horizontal refresh rate for X.
IDE2 -- Boot from PCMCIA-CD-Rom.
Keyboard -- Use different keyboard (text/X)
Language -- specify language/keyboard.
Mem -- Specify Memory size in MByte.
Myconf -- Run "knoppix.sh" from a specified position.
No-eject -- Do NOT eject CD after halt
no -- Skip specified parts of HW-detection.
No-Prompt -- Do NOT prompt to remove the CD
PCI -- some PIC settings.
Runlevel -- Runlevel 2, Textmode only
Splash -- influence the behavior of the splash screen.
TestCD -- Check CD data integrity and md5sums
ToHD -- Copy CD to HD partition and run from there
ToRAM -- Copy CD to RAM and run from there
VGA -- Framebuffer settings.
VRate -- Use specified vertical refresh rate for X.
Wheelmouse -- Turn wheelmouse on/off
WM Screen -- Use specified Screen resolution for X.
X Module -- Use specified XFree4-Module.

KANOTIX : About

KANOTIX

This is a Linux Live CD based on KNOPPIX technology using mosty pure Debian/sid. Most tools follow the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE.If you are in doubt, look at the specific docs.

Boot-Options can be changed using GRUB's edit mode (E,E,add options,Enter,B)

In order by importance: nosmp, noapic, noscsi, nopcmcia, noapm, screen=1280x1024, vsync=60, home[=scan|partition], myconf[=scan|partition]

Disclaimer

The CD was designed to run with modern hardware (i586 and above). It uses swappartitions (or swap files) on HD by default, if detected. Otherwise no changesare made to your HD.If you have problems,use "nodma" or "noacpi" options first.I am not responsible for any loss of data you may have by improper usage of thetools included! If you experience high CPU heat with laptops turn off the PC immediately - in that case ACPI is not working correctly with your system!

Have fun with KANOTIX!

Joerg Schirottke aka Kano (master@kanotix.de)

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KANOTIX: ACPI

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is a standard that defines power and configuration management interfaces between an operating system and the BIOS. By default, acpi is switched on when a BIOS is detected that is newer than from year 2000. There are several commonly used parameters to control the behavior of ACPI:

acpi=off -- switch off ACPI completely
pci=noacpi -- do not use ACPI to route PCI interrupts
acpi=oldboot -- only the parts of ACPI that are relevant for booting remain activated
acpi=force -- switch on ACPI even if your BIOS is dated before 2000

Especially on new computers, it replaces the old apm system.

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KANOTIX: Alsa

For using Alsa just type

alsa or alsa=es1938

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KANOTIX: APM

APM is one of the two power management strategies used on current computers. It is mainly used with laptops for functions like "suspend to disk", but it may also be responsible for switching off the computer after power down. APM relies on a correct working BIOS. If the BIOS is broken, APM may have only limited use or even prevent the computer from working. Therefore, it may be switched off with the parameter

apm=off -- switch off APM completely

Some very new computers may take more advantage from the newer ACPI.

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KANOTIX: Bootoptions

Turns on some boot options:

bootscsi -- loads scsi modules to boot from scsi devices
bootusb -- loads usb 1.1 modules to boot from usb devices
bootusb2 -- loads usb 1.1 + 2.0  modules to boot from usb 2.0 devices
bootfirewire -- loads firewire modules to boot from firewire devices

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KANOTIX: WindowManager

You can change the Window Manager (default=KDE):

desktop=fluxbox - uses Fluxbox as windowmanager (only DVD)
desktop=gnome - uses Gnome as windowmanager (only DVD)
desktop=icewm - uses icewm as windowmanager
desktop=kde - uses KDE (default) as windowmanager
desktop=larswm - uses larswm as windowmanager (only DVD)
desktop=twm - uses twm windowmanager
desktop=wmaker - uses wmaker as windowmanager
desktop=xfce - uses xfce as windowmanager (only DVD)

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KANOTIX: IDE

Needed for some Notebooks.

ide2=0x180 nopcmcia - Boot from PCMCIA-CD-Rom.

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KANOTIX: Floppyconfig

Run "knoppix.sh" from a floppy.Use

floppyconfig

to enable this modus.

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KANOTIX: fromHD

Use the command

fromhd=/dev/hda1 (hda2,hda3,...)

to boot from previously copied CD image to this partition.

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KANOTIX: home

Mount KANOTIX homedir.

home=/dev/sda1/knoppix.img - Mount loopback file as /home/kanotix.

home=scan - Automatic search for kanotix homedir.

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KANOTIX: Horizontal refresh rate

You can set your horizontal refresh rate with:

xhrefresh=80 (or hsync=80) - Use 80 kHz horizontal refresh rate for X

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KANOTIX: Keyboard

Keyboard settings:

keyboard=us xkeyboard=us - Use different keyboard (tet/X)

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KANOTIX: Language

Specifies a language for your keyboard. Possible are:

lang=cn - layout
lang=de - German layout
lang=da - layout
lang=es - Spanish layout
lang=fr - layout
lang=it - Italian layout
lang=nl - Netherland layout
lang=pl - Polish layout
lang=ru - Rusk layout
lang=sk - layout
lang=tr - layout
lang=tw - Taiwan layout
lang=us - US layout
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KANOTIX: Memory size

Specify Memory size in MByte.

mem=128M

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KANOTIX: Myconfig

Run "knoppix.sh" from a specified position.

myconf=/dev/sda1 - Runs "knoppix.sh" from a partition.

myconf=scan (or
config=scan) - Try to find "knoppix.sh" automatically

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KANOTIX: No eject

Do NOT eject CD after halt

noeject

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KANOTIX: No!

Skip specified parts of HW-detection.Available are:

(select one for more informations)

noapic - turns APIC off.
noacpi - Disables ACPI module scanning (ACPI still active).
noagp - turns AGP off.
noapm - turns APM off.
noacpi - turns ACPI off.
noaudio - turns AUDIO off.
noddc - turns DDC off.
nodma - turns DMA off.
nofirewire - turns FIREWIRE off.
noisapnpbios - turns ISAPNPBIOS off.
nopcmcia - turns PCMCIA off.
noscsi - turns SCSI off.
noswap - turns SWAP off.
nousb - turns USB off.

To turn almos everything off see failsafe off.

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KANOTIX: No prompt

Do NOT prompt to remove the CD

noprompt

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KANOTIX: PCI

Some PCI settnigs:

pci=noapic - Turns off noapic.
pci=bios - Workaround for bad PCI controllers.

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KANOTIX: runlevel 2

Instead of a windowmanager you'll start into a console with: .

2

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KANOTIX: splash options

The splash screen is the picture shown during system start-up.

splash=0
The splash screen is switched off. This may be useful with very old monitors or if some error occurs.

splash=verbose
Activates splash, kernel and boot messages are still shown.

splash=silent
Activates splash, but no messages. Instead a progress bar is drawn.

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KANOTIX: testCD

With the command

testcd

you can check CD data integrity and md5sums.

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KANOTIX: toHD

Use the command

tohd=/dev/hda1 (hda2,hda3,...)

to copy the whole CD to specified partition and boot from there.

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KANOTIX: toRAM

Use the command

toram

to copy the whole CD to RAM an boot from there.

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KANOTIX: VGA

Framebuffer setting.

vga=normal - No framebuffer, but X.

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KANOTIX: Vertical refresh rate

You can set your vertical refresh rate with:

xvrefresh=60 (or vsync=60) - Use 60 Hz vertical refresh rate for X.

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KANOTIX: Wheelmouse

Enable/Disabel wheelmouse:

nowheel - force plain PS/2 protokol for PS/2 mouse

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KANOTIX: Screen resolution for X

Sets the Screen Resolution for X (for your windowmanager).

screen=1280x1024 - to use for a resolution of 1280x1024
screen=1024x768 - to use for a resolution of 1024x768

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KANOTIX: X Module

Its possible to use different modules, also posiible to combine them:

xmodule=ati - uses ati module.
xmodulef=fbdev - uses fbdev module.
xmodule=i810 - uses i810 sound module (intel compatible).
xmodule=mga - uses mga module.
xmodule=nv - uses NVidia module.
xmodule=radeon - uses Radeon module.
xmodule=savage - uses Savage module.
xmodule=s3virge - uses Savage module.
xmodule=vesa - uses Vesa module.
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