Installing additional packages on MCNLive VirtualCity

Some packages (for example kde locales) depend on the "update" source. It is configured but deactivated to prevent error messages when people don't perform a urpmi.update -a.

1. Activate the 'update' source. MCC --> Software Management --> Select from wehre packages ...
Check here (x) enable for the 'updates'. Click on the right: update. Follow the steps. Close the MCC.
2. Install the package(s) you want to add.
3. In case of adding localization packages, go to the KDE Control Center and add the new language.
(Logout and login back, should not be necessary, but can't hurt)

Optional: Start the remaster-on-the fly to create your own live iso.

When you are running MCNLive on a computer with connected printer, the -sometimes too smart- hardware detection will try to install a bunch of printer packages.

Hit 'cancel' to stop this. It would install the packages into RAM. And in case you want to make a remaster or want to install more software you might run out of memory (with 512 MB RAM).

If the printer packages are exactly what you want, fine!

MCNLive - All-In-One Solution - Live USB

After you have burned the MCNLive .iso file to a CD-R(W), you have an all-in-one solution.

1) Live CD: You can use it as a Live CD, as it is.
2) Installation CD: From the running MCNLive you can use a graphiphal wizard to install it on a USB Flash Drive. For computers able to boot from USB, you would just plugin your newly configured USB stick, set the BIOS boot priority and boot it. You got a Live USB now.
3) Start up CD: For older computers without USB boot ability, you can use the same CD in combination with the USB stick to get all features of the Live USB of MCNLive. Insert the CD, plugin your USB Stick. Restart your PC. At the first screen hit 'F1', type: livecd fromusb
The boot process will continue, using the USB Flash Drive. Your CD/DVD drive is freed up, you can remove the CD medium from the drive.

Tip. If you have at least 512 MB RAM, add the bootcode 'copy2ram' to get a really speedy system.
Example 1. Combination of CD and USB stick, you need the bootcode: livecd fromusb copy2ram
Example 2. Booting solely from USB stick, you need the bootcode: livecd copy2ram
(a config file on the usb stick already contains the code fromusb, no need to type it)

3D desktop and nvidia video cards

I have a nVidia video card. Works fine with MCNLive, but why can't I use the 3D desktop?

nVidia does not provide any open-sourced hardware accelerated drivers for linux.
On kernel level MCNLive only includes open source drivers in order to keep the kernel clean :-)

3D desktop works with most Intel and ATI cards.

Legal questions regarding remastering

* Open a webbrowser on the running MCNLive, click on: Credits - License - Info, Click on: GPL

* One purpose of MCNLive is: easy way to roll your own version. So, go ahead and have fun.

* You are free to do whatever you want with MCNLive as long as you don't distribute or re-distribute it. When you do, you need to make sure to follow the GPL.

* In case you distribute a customzed version, it would be friendly to not name it MCNLive and not use our logo's, initial isolinux boot splash etc. And drop us a note ...

Hardware acceleration with some (older?) Intel card and multi-head

Some Intel cards (reported for an 82855G card) with multi-head get configured automatically with multi head/xinerama enabled. This prevents the hardware acceleration to work and you don't get the 3D desktop feature.

Solution. Run the Video Config tool. Click on: graphical server, and choose: Configure all heads independently.
Then go on with the steps explained on the wallpaper to enable 3D desktop.


Thanks pipa and Jvancan for this fix.