I want to run Knoppix, a Free and Open Source Live Linux. Knoppix is a GNU/Linux distribution that boots and runs completely from cd.
I downloaded and burned the huge .iso file to a cd. My BIOS are set to boot from floppy/cd/hd in that order. I have the Knoppix CD in the drive but Windows XP always comes up loading off the hd.
System is a newer HP model, Athlon chip, 700+MB RAM and working CD drive.
Any Knoppix gurus care to tell me what I’m doing wrong? 
My old 350 mhz K-6 HP Pavilion will boot off the Knoppix CD so it’s unlikely to be a question of BIOS capability given yours is newer. I would suggest making the CD precedent to the floppy in the BIOS setup and burning the CD on another brand of media. Sounds off but some CDRWs are picky about what media they will boot off of even if the can read that media once the OS is fully loaded. You might also want to check your CD boot drive’s jumper assignment and change it to “master” (assuming it’s the master drive on the secondary IDE channel) if it’s currently set to “cable select”.
On some systems when you put in a bootable CD, you’ll get a brief menu telling you to press a key to boot from CD and that otherwise the system would boot from the hard drive.
SMTWTFS has a good point. Defeat the HP graphic splash sceen (if it’s on) by enabling the boot time “diagnostic screen” mode in the HP BIOS.
What software did you use to burn the .iso file? I used Nero (free) http://www.nero.com/us/index.html to burn Mandrake bootable CDs and it worked.
Per ccwaterback’s note, not to ask a stupid question, but does the CD contain a huge file with an *.iso extension, or did you specifically choose the “burn from CD image” opinon in your burner software so that the CD is full of different Linux OS files and sub-directories?
Thanks Astro. It is just one file the .iso file I downloaded of the FTP server.
Well there you go! Choose the “burn from image” option (however labeled) in your burner software to convert the .iso image to a CD full of files and burn a bootable CD. Credit ccwaterback with the insight to the fix!
Thanks again for the guidance. The boot CD now has three folders and an autorun file. Still won’t boot from it. I’m burning with whatever comes with XP Home and don’t know if that gives me an option to make a bootable CD. I’m confused by making a bootable CD in the windows OS that is supposed to work with Linux??? I assume I’m still missing some files on the CD ?
The Knoppix CD I created the other day from the Knoppix ftp website link has Three folders on the root directory
Demos
KNOPPIX
Talks
and 4 files
autorun.bat
autorun.inf
cdrom.ico
index.html
Do you see the CD being accessed at all when the machine boots?
a1997xf11, you need to use special software to burn an .iso file into a bootable CD. Here’s some documentation on the subject. I had the same problem, don’t feel lonesome. 
Great ccwaterback - appreciate the link and will work on that later today. Part of me thinks: Cripes, I can’t even burn the CD in windows - what business do I have messing with Linux? But I’ll keep hammering away at it. I remind myself the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Does anyone know if knoppix or other live linux distro’s will work on Macs?
Knoppix will not, but there is a Gentoo live CD for Macs w/ Power PC prcocessors.
http://linux.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/download/gentoo-mirror/releases/ppc/2004.0/livecd/ppc/
cool thanks!
The new Linux systems I have messed around with are very “windowish”, so that helps out a bit. I was working with Unix way before Windows was even a gleam in Mr. Gates eye though.
You will need to know more about IP in general to mess with Linux networking, but that won’t hurt you. I’m am sure there are many Linux gurus onboard the SDMB to help out. Lots of privilege and protection issues both for your network and your file system to think about too.
Good luck. Just remember a random string of characters typed into a Linux prompt may destroy the world, so be careful.