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Re: VMWare

On Thursday 05 June 2003 04:27, mavi-net internet hizmetleri wrote:
> I am a Windows User, I want to learn GNU/Linux Debian, but all of my
> special docs and project in Win32 platform. So I tried to use VMWare to
> learn Debian, after that, if I can success that, I will transfer all of my
> projects to Linux. Now; I have a problem about Debian in VMware, graphical
> sytem does not run. I tried a lot of screen config on XF86Config file but
> noting change. So, if anybody now, can you help me about using Debian in
> VMware on Win32 machine?
>
> Thanks

Try Knoppix.  It isn't a straight install of Debian, but it is Debian based, 
and has the apt package manager which works if you decide to install to the 
hard disk.  I wouldn't recommend the knoppix hard disk install though, as it 
requires a ridiculous 2.2+ GB in /.

You can try the distro out by simply downloading and burning the iso image of 
knoppix, or buying it from one of the distributors for a few dollars if you 
don't have a broadband connection or cd burner.  If you can boot from the cd 
or floppy drive, this is an ideal distro to try out, as it doesn't alter your 
hard drive (unless you decide to install it to hard disk), and once you log 
out of knoppix, it ejects the cd, and nothing is changes on your hard drive.  
If you can spare a bit of space, a couple hundred MB in your home directory 
of your windows installation, you can save your settings, so that you don't 
have to re-enter your networking info (ethernet card, ip address or dhcp, 
nameservers, new passwords, etc), it saves it all for you in a single file, 
which you can delete from windows at any time later if you need the space.

If you do decide to use knoppix, make sure it can use your windows swap 
partition, if you have one, or create some swap space (temporary file on your 
windows drive), and allocate enough space (at least a couple hundred MB if 
possible, more if you have less than 128 MB Ram) for the swap file.  If you 
save your settings in the configuration file you created, you can also save 
the swap space, if you can spare the room.

To boil it down, if you have the space, save configuration info in one file, 
save a knoppix/debian home directory (for your debian files and for your 
windows files you'd like to edit under knoppix/debian), and save a swap file.  
When you boot up the disk, it may ask you (especially if low on ram) how much 
space you'd like to allocate for swap.  Once the desktop appears, go to 
"start" (lower left icon on bottom taskbar), then "Knoppix" then choose among 
the handful of directory choices there.  One or more of the sub-directories 
will allow you to do all I mentioned above, another will allow you to set up 
your network if not using dhcp, and another will allow you to start your ssh 
daemon if and when needed.

Once that is all done, remember to save your settings before logging out.  The 
next time you want to practice with knoppix/debian, all you have to do is 
type: knoppix myconfig=scan  at the boot prompt, and it will pick up all your 
previous settings and find your home and swap directories if/when created.

To see your windows files, you'll need to "mount" the indicated partitions 
(should show up on your desktop), and then you can browse your windows files 
by opening konqueror browser (or other favorite), and typing /mnt/hda1 or 
/mnt/hda2 or /mnt/hda3 or whatever your hard drive partitions show up as.  If 
you have more than one ide hard disk, you'll have hda and hdb, and the cdrom 
may be among these, hdb, hdc or whatever, or it may show under /mnt/cdrom as 
well.  If you have scsi drives, or a raid card with ide drives, the 
partitions will show up as sda1, sda2, etc.

Don't forget that the partitions may be mounted read only, so that you don't 
run the danger of writing to your windows partitions.  If you need to change 
this, you'll have to mount as root, and possibly edit the fstab file as well 
(don't remember right now).

Get on Knoppix's mailing list, and check the archives, and faqs.  It's  a 
little sparse right now, but the faq helps, and after checking the archives, 
if you don't have an answer you're looking for, post the question.

One of the good things about knoppix is that it picks up a lot of hardware 
that other distros have difficulty with.  This may help with your graphics 
problem.

Now if knoppix would only fix their hard disk installer (ridiculous / space 
requirement, non-partitioning, non ReiserFS unless already existing)...

Good luck.

Bing.
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