Trouble with HD install & touchpad (Compaq Presario 700)

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Youngblood
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Trouble with HD install & touchpad (Compaq Presario 700)

#1 Post by Youngblood »

Hi there. I am trying to install Puppy Linux to my mom's laptop, to free up the disc drive. I chose this distribution because of the fact that she is used to Windows, and this looked great for her. I accidentally must have erased Windows Xp off of the laptop when I tried the Knoppix Live-CD, so currently there isn't any OS permanentally on the laptop (Compaq Presario 700). When I try to put it on the harddrive, it comes up with "Puppy cannot find a sitable partition for your personal data file......The USB Flash or hard drive must have a MSDOS or VFAT partition...." Can anyone tell me how to load it on the hard drive so personal settings will be able to be saved on the laptop. Thanks in advance.

Youngblood
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#2 Post by Youngblood »

Also, I am finding that the touchpad only allows me to go left and right (the cursor stays at the bottom of the screen). I tried connecting a PS/2 mouse and choosing that option, but no luck.

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Flash
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#3 Post by Flash »

Let's start with the easy ones first. The touchpad we'll get to later. :)

It sounds to me like you haven't partitioned or formatted the hard drive in the laptop. Is that right?

Youngblood
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#4 Post by Youngblood »

I suppose, considering I have no idea on how to do so. :oops:

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Ian
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#5 Post by Ian »

Does the touchpad work with Knoppix.

Youngblood
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#6 Post by Youngblood »

Yes, the touchpad works fine with Knoppix.

Bruce B

#7 Post by Bruce B »

According to my understanding, Puppy with a type 1 install, which is what I think you are attempting will only install on FAT32 or Linux ext2.

Maybe KNOPPIX is not on either of those two partition types. Maybe something else.

I think you should boot Puppy and run a utility called probepart, it will tell you what you got in terms of partitions.

nduanetesh
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#8 Post by nduanetesh »

If the laptop came with XP pre-installed, the chances are very good that the drive is formatted NTFS. Puppy is giving the error that it can't find a suitable partition because it can't natively write to an NTFS partition. So, you have several options here...

To save your personal settings, you don't have to completely install puppy to the hard drive.

You can either figure out some way to copy a blank pup001 file to the hard drive, so that puppy can create its home partition there are save your personal settings. You can then continue to boot from a live CD, but your personal settings will be saved to the hard drive. (you can download the pup001 file from the same site where you download puppy, but getting it onto your hard drive without a working windows install might be tricky).

You can try the multisession Cd, which will save all of your settings back to the CD when you shut down. thus your settings are saved, and no hard drive is required.

You can store your pup001 file on a usb key.

OR, I think there's a utility built into puppy (nearly positive, but it's late and my brain is fried) that will allow you to reformat your hard drive. Someone with a bit clearer head will have to walk you through it (if nobody's posted about it by tomorrow night, I'll type it up). Once you reformat the drive as MSDOS or VFAT, puppy should install with no problems.

Sorry if this post is not so user friendly...as I said, it's late.

ND

Youngblood
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#9 Post by Youngblood »

Thanks for the help, I shall try and see if any of the suggested will help. Personally, I would prefer to free up the CD drive, but if it's not likely to happen, I will have to settle with what I'm given.

Youngblood
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#10 Post by Youngblood »

I've constantly been searching for the reason why QTParted only shows the laptops hard drive as read only, preventing me from formatting and partitioning it.

Maud_Dib
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#11 Post by Maud_Dib »

Hey Youngblood
I might be able to help you with that one ! ( it's Knoppix live right ? )
with the Penguin Icon Menu , select " root shell "
into this root shell, type " knoppix-installer"
this will give you an info requester , hit "OK"
( there might be one more info requester with just one option = " OK " )
Then you'll get a list of options .... select " Partition Hard disk "
this will run Qparted with root privies ! :)
make your changes and quit Qparted
you'll be back at the install Options pop up ... select Quit with out saving configuration ....
DONE
Folding for TeamMacOSX

Youngblood
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#12 Post by Youngblood »

Maybe I did something wrong while in QTParted. Here's what Root comes up with "Warning: Unable to open /UNIONFS/dev/hdc read-write (Read-only file system). /UNIONFS/dev/hdc has been opened read-only."

Maud_Dib
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#13 Post by Maud_Dib »

Being New to Linux , It is very frustrating to have Knoppix set all Storage media to Read Only ! Why they do that , I haven't a Clue ! :twisted:
I have Knoppix 3.8 installed to HDD on my Celeron D , and running Live on my new AMD 64.
The first HDD partition and install went OK
since the second install attempt , I haven't been able to get the second HDD fixed yet ! It was running Win 98 .... partitioned to ext3 and installed ubuntu Linux .. which wouldn't boot fully .... live booted Knoppix and it HOSED the Partitioning scheme .....
This weekend , I hope to get that straight ... We'll see .....
Folding for TeamMacOSX

Rich
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#14 Post by Rich »

Youngblood wrote: Personally, I would prefer to free up the CD drive, but if it's not likely to happen, I will have to settle with what I'm given.

Puzzled here ??

Running the Puppy Live CD doesn't tie up the CD at all.
Once the system is up and running, everything is in Ram and your data is written to the Pup001 file on the hard drive. The CD can be removed/replaced with no consequences.

( or have I missed the point )

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Flash
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#15 Post by Flash »

Maud_Dib wrote:Hey Youngblood
I might be able to help you with that one ! ( it's Knoppix live right ? )
with the Penguin Icon Menu , select " root shell "
into this root shell, type " knoppix-installer"
this will give you an info requester , hit "OK"
( there might be one more info requester with just one option = " OK " )
Then you'll get a list of options .... select " Partition Hard disk "
this will run Qparted with root privies ! :)
make your changes and quit Qparted
you'll be back at the install Options pop up ... select Quit with out saving configuration ....
DONE
I think that might be wrong. If you quit without saving configuration, does qtparted write the changes you made to the hard drive partition table? :?

Getting root in Knoppix is tricky. It was too complicated for me. That's one of the reasons I like Puppy.

Youngblood, Considering your lack of experience, perhaps your best bet at this point is to get a copy of Partition Magic 8. You can boot from the Partition Magic CD and make the changes you want from a GUI. It is even possible that you can be a hero and save the Windows XP, if it hasn't been overwritten, by repairing the partition table. :) You can then use Partition Magic to resize the Windows partition (after first defragmenting Windows,) and create a new ext2 partition for Puppy to install to.

The reason Knoppix allows read-only access to the hard drive is to prevent unintentional damage. I wonder how Youngblood managed to get Knoppix to accidentally erase XP off his mom's laptop. :shock:

Youngblood
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#16 Post by Youngblood »

I honestly have no idea, but I shall try that. Thanks for all the support.

Guest

#17 Post by Guest »

In Knoppix if you right click on the hard disk icon and click on permissions you can change to write, you will have to go to the second tab I think.

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