How can I test a computer without a live DVD/USB?

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi, maybe the question has been asked before but I couldn’t find it here so I ask.

Normally, before the real installation I first boot with a live medium so I can check everything like the printer, touchpad etc.
Because there is no live ISO anymore, is there another way (or program) to check it?

I (very much) prefer openSUSE Leap GNOME to install at people because it’s (in my opinion) the most stable, beautiful and easy for the people I install it for, mostly elderly and people without any computer knowledge.

Now I usually try a live Ubuntu GNOME to show it and test the hardware and then I install openSUSE anyway because I trust (and hope) that they’ll be comparable but it is not a guarantee and sometimes people ask me.

Kind regards, Jur

2

I use installation to USB-stick or old eSATA-attached HDD for something like this :wink:

3

You can get live versions at GeckoLinux https://geckolinux.github.io/

4

Yes I’ve heard of geckolinux and read both good and bad about it. However, it’s not the same and can I trust it? If that works, does openSUSE work?

What I don’t understand is why openSUSE suddenly doesn’t make live bootable downloads anymore. Is it too expensive?
I have read how to make a live boot DVD/USB yourself but it is quite difficult for me.
Anyway, I don’t understand and I think those who decided so thought too technical in their own world and not with (some) other users in mind >:(

5

You would have to ask the developers just us users here.

Gecko is just openSUSE packed a little different and generally has fewer default things being installed to save space but all can be gotten from the normal repos.

6

Hi
No contributors or testers to make it happen, so it was dropped… Nothing stopping it from happening if folks step up and do the work.

7

Ah ok, tnx for the answer :slight_smile:

I just googled to this:
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/How_to_create_and_use_Live_USB

I don’t know if Fodora’s Mediawriter can be installed in openSUSE (can’t test it at this moment because of unfortunate reasons I have ubuntugnome right now) but it looks promising.

In time I’ll give it a try!

8

On Wed 08 Feb 2017 02:06:02 PM CST, Jur wrote:

Ah ok, tnx for the answer :slight_smile:

I just googled to this:
Creating and using a live installation image :: Fedora Docs

I don’t know if Fodora’s Mediawriter can be installed in openSUSE (can’t
test it at this moment because of unfortunate reasons I have ubuntugnome
right now) but it looks promising.

In time I’ll give it a try!

Hi
You can use kiwi, but easier on SUSE Studio https://susestudio.com
hopefully the get openSUSE Leap 42.2 on there soon…

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE Leap 42.1|GNOME 3.16.2|4.1.36-44-default
If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface,
please show your appreciation and click on the star below… Thanks!

9

Hi there! GeckoLinux creator here.

What are you going to install with Mediawriter? You’ll still need to choose a live ISO to flash to the USB.

If you want to test pure openSUSE’s hardware compatibility, I’d probably recommend a Tumbleweed live ISO.

GeckoLinux does have more hardware compatibility packages installed out of the box, but all of them come directly from openSUSE oficial, OBS, and Packman repos. There are no GeckoLinux custom packages or repos. Specifically, GeckoLinux has support for Broadcom WiFI out of the box (from Packman), and it has a lot of additional printer drivers pre-installed. There’s more too, that’s just what I have at the top of my head. So if you don’t trust GeckoLinux, you can at least test its live ISO and get an idea for what hardware works. If it works on GeckoLinux but not on a pure openSUSE system, that means you can fairly easily install other packages from openSUSE and/or Packman to make it work.

Leap 42.2 is unofficially available already on SuseStudio, some yahoo already added the repositories but chose random “fdsgfsafdsa” style names for them. You have to start with a Leap 42.1 template and then switch the repositories to Leap 42.2 or Tumbleweed. But I’ve found that it’s actually quite hard to generate a bootable system with SuseStudio that works with real hardware unless you have an idea of what packages are needed. Also the yast2-live-installer no longer works for Leap 42.2 and Tumbleweed without some tweaks/hacks.

10

Geckolinux is based on openSUSE so yes, if it works you should be able to find a configuration of openSUSE that works.
That doesn’t necessarily mean “that works on every HW out of the box”, since Geckolinux adds some config files of its own and a few packages (mainly codecs and font stuff) that are not in the standard repos.
Moreover Geckolinux maintainers remove quite a few things that they deem not useful to the average user, but it’s up to you to judge how much “average” your users are…

11

Hi there,

Thanx for your reaction and nice you ‘the Gecko’ reacted and apologies for my late reaction because I was busy busy :slight_smile:

Meanwhile I’ve installed Gecko somewhere and the results where mixed …
When downloading extra languages on a 4GB machine, there’ll be a ‘not enough memory’ warning.
When chosing to automatically login (it’s for an old woman who find it very hard to remember her password) it still asks for a password.
Also, keyring keeps asking password.
Also, although downloaded extra language and set on default, it doesn’t the first time. I had to do this seperately.
There was more but from what I could remember these issues weren’t the case with openSUSE or am I mistaken?
Anyway, still I advised Gecko to some others because I find the already build in (non-free) extra drivers for Broadcom and WiFi extremely cool because that is often the beef for people installing Linux and then get-off angry because it ‘doesn’t work’ and accusing Linux for that you always have to go to some obscure command-line (they call it DOS) to get it to work.

In time, I’m going to test if the above problems are Gecko specific or SUSE generic. I must say that I was very pleased with the automatic update option in YAST somewhere because otherwise I have to do this myself once in a while.
Still on GNOME 16 is a shame in my opinion although these persons won’t notice the difference :wink:
I would opt for AnyDesk in the predefined software stack because people will need a remote and AnyDesk is in my opinion the best right now.

Grz and thanx again!

12

Hi there Jur, I’m glad you were able to find time to try GeckoLinux.

When downloading extra languages on a 4GB machine, there’ll be a ‘not enough memory’ warning.

Hmm, I imagine you ran the language installer script from the live session? In that case, it may have run out of disk space, not memory. I’ve tested the script many times on a 4GB laptop, and with 2GB of RAM in a VM, and I’ve never seen low memory errors.

When chosing to automatically login (it’s for an old woman who find it very hard to remember her password) it still asks for a password.

Yes, unfortunately the installer can’t activate automatic login, since openSUSE uses a non-standard way of configuring the login process. It’s fairly easy to configure though. Just set the DISPLAYMANAGER_AUTOLOGIN value with the YaST /etc/sysconfig editor.

Also, keyring keeps asking password.

I imagine this is the Cinnamon edition? If so, you should just leave the password as blank the first time it asks you to set it, and it won’t bother you anymore.

Also, although downloaded extra language and set on default, it doesn’t the first time. I had to do this seperately.

Right, the language installer script isn’t capable of setting the default language, only downloading the language packs. Please use the YaST “Language” Tool for that. Then also change the language in the LightDM login manager and login twice for changes to take effect (LightDM bug).

13

Well actually, I didn’t but I had to help an old lady so I just installed it at her PC. Mine will follow when GNOME will be somewhere on par within the neighbourhood of the newest :slight_smile:

Hmm, I imagine you ran the language installer script from the live session? In that case, it may have run out of disk space, not memory. I’ve tested the script many times on a 4GB laptop, and with 2GB of RAM in a VM, and I’ve never seen low memory errors.

Yes indeed I did. I’ve done this a lot of times with multiple Linux Distros so I don’t understand what the problem is? Is this not preferred? Because on the Gecko website

it says specifically that:
“How to Install non-English LanguagesRun the “Language Installer” icon on the desktop or in the applications menu, --or-- run language-installer.sh from a terminal.”
I have a suspicion… This is a Live session, so this language downloading is for that live session. So that language is for IN that Live session and that’s not the same. I think I understand. After installing the English, I can press the “Download languages” button :slight_smile:
However, is it possible that the installation has not gone well or maybe corrupt because of the lack of memory?

Yes unfortunately, the installer can’t activate automatic login, since openSUSE uses a non-standard way of configuring the login process. It’s fairly easy to configure though. Just set the DISPLAYMANAGER_AUTOLOGIN value with the YaST /etc/sysconfig editor.

Ok, good to know. I’ll refrain from that from now on :slight_smile:

I imagine this is the Cinnamon edition? If so, you should just leave the password as blank the first time it asks you to set it, and it won’t bother you anymore.

Nop, GNOME of course since it’s the best and most beautiful! No stop, no discussion, I know in the Linux world this could start WW3 :wink:

Right, the language installer script isn’t capable of setting the default language, only downloading the language packs. Please use the YaST “Language” Tool for that. Then also change the language in the LightDM login manager and login twice for changes to take effect (LightDM bug).

Ok. But really LightDM or is twice in GNOME also ok?

Anyway, thanks for all the answers until now. Again and again I find the help one can get in the Linux community VERY impressive!!

Last thing. There is something wrong with the direction of the message thread in the email response:
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/522837-How-can-I-test-a-computer-without-a-live-DVD-USB?goto=newpost

This is from the email and it directs to a non-existing something…