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Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
9:45 PM EDT 10/27/05
Hi folks,
I'm setting up some catalogues PCs to run off a linux kiosk CD, with the browser pointing to a fixed IP of our catalogue server.
I've run into problems however, as our IT department purchased a bunch of Dell PCs, with Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controllers as their onboard NIC. The problem is that these NICs seem notoriously uncompliant with Knoppix - which looks like the only kernel that these kiosk CDs are based on.
I'm wondering if anyone's aware of an alternative kiosk CD, using a version of Linux that might be compatible with this hardware - it's probably a long shot, but...
My problem probably stems from the close relationship that Dell and Microsoft have, thereby making these network cards conveniently proprietary to Microsoft products!
Cheers,
Tom
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Re: Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
12:55 PM EST 10/30/05
as a reply to Tom Edwards.
You could try here -
http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php
Broadcom makes a Linux driver for multiple platforms, including i386 -
http://www.broadcom.com/drivers/downloaddrivers.php
But it looks like they are fairly recently updated, so the latest kernel may not include them. If I understand it correctly though there is a way to "roll your own" Knoppix to include additional pieces if you want to. That is way beyond me, but that is what i have read other places. (http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_id=6855430&forum_id=4708 - discussion of Knoppix from OSS4Lib)
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Re: Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
12:59 PM EST 10/30/05
as a reply to Tom Edwards.
This might be what you are looking for if you are wanting to tackle bundling in the Broadcom drivers for those NICs -
Building Your Own Live CD
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7246
The article comes recommended from none other than Dan Chudnov (http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=11118313)
" Fyi, the latest linux journal has an article that demonstrates just how easy it is to customize knoppix... basically you can mount the compressed iso locally and chroot into it, then apt-get install/remove and configure whatever packages you want (it"s debian, after all), and then write your new environment back out to a new iso for further copying and redistribution. Way cool. And, there are plenty of other
approaches... boot off knoppix via usb drive, keep a writable /home partition, that kind of thing."
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Re: Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
12:25 AM EST 11/3/05
as a reply to Chris Jowaisas.
Thanks very much for that, I looked on the knoppix forums and discovered that the general consensus is to buy a cheap, linux-compliant NIC to get around it - sounds like a cop-out, but until I can get more clever with Linux it might have to do!
Meanwhile those instructions on tailoring a CD look really good, I'll play around with them.
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Re: Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
11:51 AM EDT 9/7/06
as a reply to Tom Edwards.
Tommy,
Could you post a reply with info on the Kiosk cd you are using such as where to get it, how to configure it, etc?
Thanks
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Re: Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
6:31 PM EDT 9/21/06
as a reply to Tom Edwards.
>The problem is that these NICs seem notoriously
> uncompliant with Knoppix - which looks like the only
> kernel that these kiosk CDs are based on.
A small correction: Knoppix is merely the name of a particular GNU\Linux distribution built around the Linux kernel. Granted, each distro rolls their own unique Linux kernel, but support for most mass-market NIC's, which would almost certainly include any recent Broadcom product, is usually part of any
major distro such as Knoppix or Fedora Core.
I would suggest compiling in support for your NIC from the vanilla kernel, then rolling the bzImage back into Knoppix. The 'make config' stage of a kernel compile will prompt you for inclusion\exclusion of various NIC drivers, and allows for fine tuning of networking parameters.
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Re: Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
11:01 AM EDT 6/5/07
as a reply to Tom Edwards.
PCPAC is an open source project that supports easier, far more
cost efficient, more reliable and safer PACs. It is based on a full version of PCLinux2007 http://www.pclinuxos.com and so is easily modifiable, e.g. after changes to make a new CD of your changes, log on as root and enter
./mkcd
http://www.lccdigital.com/content/view/72/64/
I'm still coordinating the web stuff for
- my site above and http://www.lccdigital.com
- sourceforge http://www.sourceforge.dom/projects/pcpac
- Ibiblio.org for hosting downloads
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/pcpac/
PCLinuxOS is getting pretty popular and has pretty good documentation for use, customizing and remastering.
If you give it a try I'd appreciate feedback.
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Re: Linux kiosk CDs not based on Knoppix? (I'm having NIC issues...)
4:19 PM EDT 7/20/07
as a reply to Tom Edwards.
Some vendors do not provide Linux NIC drivers. Yet, there is a way to use the available Windows drivers from within Linux using ndiswrapper. I've been successful enabling what Dell calls their "Wireless 1370 WLAN Mini-PCI Card" (which is a Broadcomm device) using this method with a Dell Latitude D810.
Here's the link...
http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/joomla/index.php
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