I have been using the knoppix live cd for more than four years now and it has worked well to retrieve data off corrupt hard disks that will not boot windows anymore, read and write to file systems not natively supported by windows like xfs ext2 and ext3. I however have had problems using knoppix in Windows virtual pc as it would not capture the mouse.

Due to the inconvenience of having to hard reboot into knoppix to work on my projects then hard reboot again to access windows I started exploring my options as I am setting up a development environment to work on linux embeded OS’s on FFS (Flash File System) and modify my different linux based images. More rational to setup a colinux environment includes the tediouse process of creating a new dynamic vhd and imaging it with the image I want to work on each time
The Flash File System is used for routers, phones, usb devices and pretty much anything that uses flash based media

More on my reasoning and need for this environment later.

Here I will explain what I did:

First we downloaded and installed colLinux-0.7.5.exe
During the install when prompted to select a root filesystem I selected Gentoo Deluxe.

I then installed WinPCap_4_1_1.exe

I jumped ahead and configured my newly created network adapter in Windows by setting the ip address in properties>tcp/ip>options> to
read IP= 192.168.11.10 ; SUBNETMASK = 255.255.255.0 I did not set the gateway as the documentation said it may cause problems.
We will use this adpater later!

After the install I started it from the prompt in the directory I installed my colinux in, by typing
colinux-daemon.exe @colinux.conf
I seen that it worked and knew I must set up the conf file in the colinux directory for everything to work properly and make some adjustments to get internet and connect to my windows host.
So I exited the terminal and opened my conf file in notepad++, my source editor of choice.

To jump ahead again: I downloaded colinuxSwap_1024Mb.bz2 unzipped it to my colinux directory with winZip Made sure the unzipped file was not in its own subdirectory but directly in the colinux directory which is not neccasary depending how you set up your .conf file. Some may opt to put there mounted partition.fs files in a folder named drives and the swap in its own folder but I liked placing the swap in the root colinux folder as all other installs and filesystems will use the same swap partition

In the conf file I set the parameters for gentoo as outlined in the colinux get started wiki My first feet was to accomplish getting the host connection working so I commented out and disabled the swap partition in the conf and made eth0 = tuntap

Know that I specifically chose not to use the xml configuration, which is good as it has been deprecated.

Here is the current .conf

#########################################
#gentoo.conf for colinux

#########################################
# The default kernel
kernel=vmlinux

############################################
# File contains the root file system.
# The name of the root file system I used yours may be different
cobd0=C:\colinux\gentoo-root

################################################# Swap device, should be an empty file with 128..512MB.
# Inside coLinux run “mkswap /dev/cobd1 ; swapon cobd1″
# You can comment this out if you havent downloaded or created it yet
cobd1=C:\colinux\linux-swap

##########################################
# Tell kernel the name of root device (mostly /dev/cobd0)
# This parameter will be forward to Linux kernel.
# Take not this is slightly different than the standard linux hdaXX format
root=/dev/cobd0

############################################
# Initrd installs modules into the root file system.
# Need only on first boot. Should exist from installation
initrd=initrd.gz

############################################
# Maximal memory for linux guest Defaults if commented out to ?
# notsure, but it wont hurt it is just the memory allocated to colinux
#mem=768

##############################################
# Slirp for internet connection (outgoing) on second linux adapter.
# Inside running coLinux configure eth0 with this static settings:
# ipaddress 10.0.2.15 broadcast 10.0.2.255 netmask 255.255.255.0
# gateway 10.0.2.2 nameserver 10.0.2.3
# just using tuntap nto connect to windows host first
#eth0=slirp

##############################################
# Networking (tuntap as private network between guest and host)
eth0=tuntap

##############Did Not Change####################################
# Setup for serial device
#ttys0=COM1,”BAUD=115200 PARITY=n DATA=8 STOP=1 dtr=on rts=on”

# Run an application on colinux start (Sample Xming, a Xserver)
#exec0=C:\Programs\Xming\Xming.exe,”:0 -clipboard -multiwindow -ac”

I then rebooted but when doing that I also added the service for colinux this is the cmd to install the service from colinx directory dos

CMD colinux-daemon.exe @gentoo.conf –install-service “CoGentoo
Then if it hasn’t started do a
CMD colinux-daemon.exe @gentoo.conf

Now move on to makeing network settings and adjustments in gentoo Linux
CMD cd / (change directory) to root
CMD ls (list directory content) to see whats there
CMD cd /etc
CMD ls | less (I call this less is more)
CMD cd /conf.d
CMD ls

Before we edit any of the files here we should probably look at what adapters we have up, do this by:
CMD ifconfig

You may or may not see eth0 thats alright, but you should see
an interface for “lo” this is your local 127.0.0.1
CMD nano net

This opens the net file add the following interface for eth0 based on the .conf file I just specified, and the IP settings in WinPCap adapter
NOTE: Comment out the old one with #

config_eth0=( “192.168.37.20/24″)
config_eth1=( “dhcp” )

ctrl+0
ctrl+x

CMD exit

Now close the terminal window
(for help leave comments or use andLinux)
close the cmd prompt END

winKey+r
start dos cmd
CMD cd
CMD colinux-daemon.exe @gentoo.conf
(Make sure you use the directory and name you gave the .conf)
TERMINAL POPS UP
Runs Boot

CMD ifconfig

your interfaces should now be there

CMD ping 192.168.11.10

Does it work GOOD now

Go back and nano /etc/conf.d/net

And add the slurp adapter by commenting out the old one and
changing the interface number of the host you added last time
to eth2, change the dhcp to eth0 and make the slurp eth1 adjust
your gentoo.conf in the colinux directory to reflect these changes.

exit terminal, close and reboot

Do an ifconfig again you should see eth1 and eth2, eth0 is not in
the .conf file so it will not show up.

ping your home router that goes to the internet from colinux terminal or ping google or somthing typically

ping 192.168.1.1

Now you can get online.

then

CMD emerge world
CMD emerge xorg-x11

fails when downloading eselect, cant find it on any mirror I add and can’t find it on web for wget eather, but if I did you put it in a /portage/ directory not subject to emerg update or emerge –sync as it will just be overwritten the exact method I am unsure of but it has to do with versioning the files and nameing directories to directly corespond to eachother, files must be chmod -x to enable execute also you will unpackage with tar xvf file.tar.gz, this is a problem with not only this install but others as well. Though connections and everthing work, installing the xserver neccasary to display graphical interface in windows with x window protocol over tcp/ip was not possible. Suggestions are to wait untill the mirrors are updated.

I then tryed ubuntu, connected to internet and host by modifing configuration in /etc/networks/ and using other info from google and the .conf I used with gentoo.

I liked the command process and ease of browsing the file structure in this distro better, but had the same problems with apt-get install packages, then tryed fedora.

With fedora everything worked perfectly, I got the x-server up and running with yum and finnaly had a terminal in x-ing but needed to make adjustments on my method of connecting from xing instead of connecting I should have been listening and starting the x-session on startup after all networks had been established in fedora. I made some adjustments rebooted and lost my connection though my configurations were the same. I had just been shutting off the firewall when problems arose, decided to move my configured filesystems and .conf files into respective folders and move them to my external drive, then install andLinux where I may be able to find the neccasary configurations to build my own x-server later. I do not want a full blown gui just x-apps that can be displayed remotely with the x protocall on xing or another x-server listening for and serving requests.

andLinux works awesome but seems slow even though it has a host connection. Remote PC is faster on a local connection, I will have to look furthure into this, but at least I can now work with my different file systems and have samba set up to transfer file back and forth along with a cof0 partition and big ++! I can copy past to my terminal window

further testing and additions to include compiling the kernal and recompiling different distro’s to work with other kernals including dd-wrt. The next feet will be a dual boot with fedora and dd-wrt along with researching the directory and file structure of different linux images and router flash images with my andLinux installation. I would really like to speed up the connection between host and colinux.

I have manny details in regards to the fedora setup that I will book mark here as a number of files had to retrieved with wget

continuing to work with the andLinux ubuntu setup, to first help me resize the partitions on my dd-wrt x86 image and setup a dual boot with a knoppix install on grub. already have a good working grub install but unsur if it is on the member or not, Questioning if I can flash grub within my bios, we will see what happens with this new found knowledge I have.

It has been a while since I audited my day, and it seems like I get more done when I do, I must not be trying hard enough.

The snow this morning was pretty bad causing everyone to drive slow; somewheres between 50-55 on County Rd. 23, except for a couple of trucks driving 60 or more.

My uncle has been staying over since Monday and re-installed Grandma’s washer and dryer in the kitchen so she don’t have to go down stairs. Last night Grandma says “It’s horrible to get old” with a look at me like I should agree and sympathetically I did: considering what things might be like for me when I get old.
All of company left this morning to venture the iced roads, hope everyone’s journey was comfortable, suiting the ever so changing need to see something familiar or changing, and not to forget I hope the drive was also safe and successful.

I don’t get in to all the jibber jabber so much when we have company but I really do enjoy those one on one conversations with people, maybe I am just a little more reserved in multi faceted conversations. Could possibly be that I am still a little childish and have to have all or nothing in regards to attention, If the conversation isn’t real important or turns in a way that don’t interest me I tend to leave, but it’s not hurting me so long as there wasn’t anything immediately important that had to be communicated to me but when I do take an interest I become really focused especially if I find those who are talking to be wise from my perception. That reminds me, my sister, her husband and an older couple that have been friends with Grandma since I can remember were out last weekend; Saturday night to be specific. Dinner was good, and so was conversation about the different “kids” religions, but I wasn’t fond of playing dice this night, so I left for a friend of mine’s house that had gotten parts for my car and was ready to help me install them. Car runs great now, I am glad I found something more constructive to do than go to the bar or something. While I was out at my friends house we also found an old satellite dish that I will use for a bi-quad antenna.

Having company this week was awesome, my uncles significant other made a couple of awesome meals and so did grandma, it seems the act of preparing and eating our meals this carried a significant importance and pride for everyone. My uncle whom I haven’t ok’d using his name on my public web site yet is uploading pictures of everything he did this week on facebook. We will have to rummage up more wood pretty soon as it was definitely used this week. It is nice to see that everyone is making good plans for the future and lives seem to be going in the right direction, which is not subject for speculation. Well could be subject to speculation but I like to believe everything is going right.

I have still been researching trying to decide on a good router but not exactly sure how to use both a directional antenna and an omni-directional antenna on a router with a single sma connection. I don’t want to cross connect signal reception from different points, so if I have 2 antenna I believe I will need to dampen one to a single point in the house so it doesn’t conflict with the other. I am now considering Asus WL-500 I have to make sure it dose everything I need, this project seems to be the only thing I want to talk about recently and I wish I had a little more input on it. Still have to find an rg58 sma to N cable, looked at a couple of sites that cut them to size, but I plan to talk to the second year networking students at my school to see if they can help me first.

I am working on cultural math now as it is due and I am still behind a section. It is interesting though as we are demonstrating how to prove a statement is true and all the different possibilities of the variables in the statement.

Today’s math lecture leads me to think about using the same techniques to analyze movement and direction in a way that uses Boolean math. I am also thinking about how a set of principals can be used to analyze peoples actions that are metaphoric of or a demonstration of there inhibitions and desires that are below the surface. Basically a persons wants and needs deduced by their conduct based on personal insights of an observer labeled as principals, I then proceeded to consider other’s principals that may be different but are limited to deduce from a shared set of possibilities; shared between all observers and principals. Maybe we can find something more than mean, median and mode of a certain group and consider tracing back the possibilities to there underlying root actions and perceptions, breaking it down into concrete terms, variables and symbols, this might allow us to tally up a weight found in different aspects of the process that contributed to the outcome.

I am now at home writing my journal and trying to think of other things that have happened since I last wrote. I do have all of my books now and everything seems to be going well, I did stop at Osceola last friday to take care of a few things, but came back right away. I guess there are more problems that have arisen but that is nothing new. I have been captivated by the spirit realm twice since I last wrote and considered spiritual enlightenment with friends on my mind 4-8 times that I can really count off the top of my head, not considering duration and intermission of my thought focus, but I can say these thoughts were have arose from within without physical stimuli, but may have caused psychosomatic feelings, usually lovely and protective as I must be slightly standoffish sometimes in thought.

Ok enough analyzing my thought process, I had to go up to dairy queen in town to post this as the signal at home is very intermittent. I will probably have some chicken and a mocha iced as it is fairly warm outside. It always seems to snow when it’s warm out, I guess I will take the warmth with the snow over the cold any day. The little bit of shoveling I had to do today was quick and easy. When I get home I have to bring a couple of things downstairs for g’ma as she isn’t wondering into the basement anymore. Still working on math and I will continue writing tomorrow, prolly start out with tonight’s sleep experience and a beautiful good morning.

Stuff I need to work on, ethics write a few questions in response to ethics chap 3 & 4, write a couple questions on Catholicism and the chapter after that in world religions, complete the review for chap 4 in networking, do some ruby, and catch up in cultural math