Hi everyone! I'm new on the forum but I used Slax since some years now. I installed Slax on an old computer, on HDD. But I'm suprised that I can't download and active module like in live CD!
So, I wonder what is the interest to install Slax on HDD? Moreover, I can't use my wifi USB dongle on my HDD Slax. I installed ndiswrapper (Slackware package) and used my .inf drivers but I can't connect my PC on my box (freebox, router) while I can in live CD!!
So, someone can tell me how to have Slax on HDD and use it as easily as live CD please? Because I don't like to boot everyday on a CD, configure my wifi etc... I want an "autonomous" system, which start fast and work fast!
Slax can be run in three different ways of behavior change in the system.
1) add configuration module with WiFi to Slax.iso and burn it on CD
2) Using UNetbootin to copy the Slax.iso to the HDD and run it as a second system next to Windows
Slax to HDD will continue to act as a Live CD
3) Make a normal-installing Slax to HDD
With a record of your own module should not be any problem.
Create directory Zapis_Zmian
Copy the contents of / mnt / live / memory / changes
and build this module with the changes in the system.
"But I'm suprised that I can't download and active module like in live CD! "
When Slax is normally installed on the HDD does not work to install lzm module
The module must unpack and copy the contents of the module to the system
:niekumaty
2) Using UNetbootin to copy the Slax.iso to the HDD and run it as a second system next to Windows
Slax to HDD will continue to act as a Live CD
---> I just need to use UNetbootin, choose my HDD like destination for the iso and it's ok? And that works like live CD? I can save my configuration anyway? If I add a module AFTER the installation in /slax/modules, they will be present at next start of my PC?
"The module must unpack and copy the contents of the module to the system"
I did it, but some command doesn't work. Example: I downloaded ndiswrapper, unpack it and copy to the system. I has need to do "modprobe ndiswrapper" but the result was "FATAL: module not found"
Thanks for all the informations! Help me very much :)
It's very convenient to just copy the cd contents to a hd folder, and use it that way. It retains all the features of a cd version. I have it 'installed' that way on several computers, find it is not slower or more awkward than a standard slack install, which is what you appear to have, i.e., when you do an uncompressed install of slax612 it is the equivalent of a standard install of slack 12.1 rev.
If you do this [frugal/ poor man's] install on a fat32 filesystem, then you should also unzip one of the slaxsave.dat files and use it to store changes.
If you search this board on 'frugal' and 'slaxsave.dat' you'll find all you need to know about it.
You can test this easily if you have a copy of the cd; just copy the /slax folder to a hd partition, reboot with the cd in the drive, highlight the first menu item, hit Tab, and then add 'from=/dev/sda1/slax' -- and slax will then find it's modules on the hard disk. [change sda1 to whatever partition you copied /slax to]
"If you do this [frugal/ poor man's] install on a fat32 filesystem, then you should also unzip one of the slaxsave.dat files and use it to store changes."
Why use FAT32? In order to use slaxsave.dat? I will try that tomorrow (it's time to sleep in France :P )
If you do a live /frugal installation of slax , meaning the original file structure of slax is kept intact (inside /slax still have all the base lzm files) , Then slax on the hard disk behave just like in a livecd. You can click and activate and use module as normal.
If you do a real installation where the base lzn is umcompressed the you can use the base lzm as normal.
Why use FAT32? In order to use slaxsave.dat? I will try that tomorrow (it's time to sleep in France :P ) >jon08
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You don't have to use fat32; you'll notice I started that sentence with "If ..."
The problem with storing changes on vfat is that it can't natively reproduce linux's file attributes, e.g., sym links and permissions; but those must be stored, which then calls into play the very buggy posixovl system -- the cause of most complaints of corruption when using slax. Using a container file [like slaxsave.dat] is a workaround that solves the corruption problem. Most usbsticks come formatted in vfat, so that's where the problem commonly appears [which has nothing to do with usb, but rather with vfat].
If you have a linux filesystem then you can indeed use the 'changes=slax' as Tomas intended, works fine. Just copy /slax and /boot to your hard disk, and then make it bootable with /boot/bootinst.sh or /boot/liloinst.sh.
Which method you are refering to ?.
Either way a frugal installation of slax using a slaxsav.dat or saving to a linux partition , doesn;t stop slax from using swap. If a swap partition is available , then slax should recognise and use it.
I haven't used unetbootin to boot the iso file -- but that is a backwards way to use slax, and you probably can't add any modules to it if you boot the iso file.
If you'll tell us exactly what your system is like then specific recommends can be made.
-- format the 10gb partition... #mkfs.reiserfs /dev/sda1
-- run cfdisk, delete the 20gb partition
-- still in cfdisk, create a 2gb swap partition in the free space
-- still in cfdisk, create a data partition of whatever remains of the free space
-- save that [choose Write in cfdisk] and reboot
-- copy /boot and /slax to the /dev/sda1 partition
-- cd to /boot and run liloinst.sh
at that point, you should be able to reboot into slax. You will have a 2gb swap, and you can format the data partition as you like -- probably vfat.
After it's running, you can go to the slax modules page and pick a recent nvidia module that matches your vid card; copy it to /slax/modules, and reboot to get the full speed from the vid card.
I have two HDD: 10Go and 20Go. I want to install slax on the 10Go, so why did you say "delete the 20gb partition"?
And the swap will be on the 10 or 20Gb HHD?
The data partition will be on the 20Gb? Why format it to vfat?
Sorry for all theses questions, but I want to be sure about what I will make :)
BTW, thanks for this precious step by step!
EDIT: I saw that the liloinst.sh add a slaxchanges. What is it size? Do I need a big slaxchange?
Ok, so I installed /boot and /slax on my 10Gb HDD with reiserFS filesystem and SWAP on a 2Gb partition from my 20Gb HDD, rest (~17Gb) is reiserFS too and is for my data.
But 2 Problems:
1) I put Nvidia module that matches with my video card but at start I have 800x600 and like 16 or 8 bits colors. If I delete the module, I have 1280x900 and good colors. So, do I need to put a module or it's good like that? (I can play movie with VLC, look video on the Internet...)?
2) When I close my session, I have message:
kded : ERROR: : couldn't create slave : Impossible to dialog with KLauncher
kded : ERROR: : couldn't create slave : Impossible to dialog with KLauncher
kded : ERROR: : couldn't create slave : Impossible to dialog with KLauncher
startekde: Running shutdown scripts...
startkde: Done.
1) I put Nvidia module that matches with my video card but at start I have 800x600 and like 16 or 8 bits colors. If I delete the module, I have 1280x900 and good colors. So, do I need to put a module or it's good like that? (I can play movie with VLC, look video on the Internet...)?
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Look under the K menu [maybe System?] for an 'nvidia settings' item, under that you can choose any resolution and depth your card is capable of producing.
Of course you don't have to use it, but it's faster than the supplied 'nvidia' driver and offers many options. You could delete the nvidia.lzm you added, or just move it to /slax/optional from where you can choose to run it at boot with a load=nvidia cheatcode.
I don't recall the exact cheatcodes specified in liloinst.sh, but if your bootup stops at a text login, then try first running #xconf;startx to see if that will auto set resolution. That's what xconf is supposed to do, but it isn't always successful. With either driver, resolution can probably be manually coerced with edits to /etc/X11/xorg.conf if necessary.
As for the size of /slaxchanges, you don't need to concern yourself so long as your filsystem is a linux type [e.g., reiserfs]. It'll grow and shrink as necessary to accomodate your changes to the stock system.
I suggest that you study the slax.cfg file to understand the various different bootups, they are basically all the same except for adding/deleting a cheatcode. This is useful for the day you add something that prevents the system from booting; by booting with no previous changes being restored you have an opportunity to correct the error.
VLC is a very nice media player, I use it here -- but you can also do a good job with the included Mplayer.
