# Want to learn TiVo Linux cmds, recommend a linux distro?



## madmunki (Aug 9, 2005)

I am wanting to learn tivo linux commands (tivosh) but don't want to mess around with my tivo incase I mess something up. So I am wanting to build a linux box (VMWare) to learn Linux Shell to get familiar with it before I start hacking my TiVo.

So my question is, what linux distro closely matches the TiVo Linux?


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

The bash commands are the same, the differences in distros is what is included, how updates are obtained, yada, yada, yada. If you just want to mess around with linux and bash commands try knoppix is a good choice, it runs right from a CD or DVD, no installation required.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

Just get a spare hard drive to install a backup image on and swap it out with the original Tivo drive. You can play around with it all you want without causing any damage. If you hose the software you can just reimage the drive and start over or reinstall the original unhacked drive. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I hosed up an upgrade on my first Tivo but I was always able to recover and move on. The key is making a viable backup image that you can restore in a matter of minutes to get up and runing again.


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## madmunki (Aug 9, 2005)

JWThiers said:


> The bash commands are the same, the differences in distros is what is included, how updates are obtained, yada, yada, yada. If you just want to mess around with linux and bash commands try knoppix is a good choice, it runs right from a CD or DVD, no installation required.


Then I can't edit files, etc. I want to build a linux VMWare session, because I already have a VMWare server (Dell PowerEdge 4200) up and running.

I think I am going to try Gentoo. Seems to be the most common.


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

I think I just found a use for your floppy drive. I'm pretty sure you can edit files with knoppix, linux can see your drives, the problems is linux doesn't write to ntfs partions, so if you are using fat32 (not likely anymore, but if you do have one you can write to it also) you can write to a floppy drive (fat32).

Of course if you have a system you can install Linux I have also heard good things about Suse and Ubuntu.


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## madmunki (Aug 9, 2005)

My computer didn't come with a floppy  I had to buy a USB Floppy just to get the raid drivers loaded.

Does FreeBSD have the same commands as well?


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

Its a slightly different flavor, but they are all based on the same thing. It might have an accent if you catch my meaning, but I can't say for sure. But If you learn 1 you should be able to quickly pick up on the other.


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## ctromp (Sep 26, 2006)

If you want Linux with a gui real close to Windows try SuSE.


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## trubel (Sep 6, 2008)

What is the best way to make a viable backup image of my TIVO hard drive?



mr.unnatural said:


> Just get a spare hard drive to install a backup image on and swap it out with the original Tivo drive. You can play around with it all you want without causing any damage. If you hose the software you can just reimage the drive and start over or reinstall the original unhacked drive. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I hosed up an upgrade on my first Tivo but I was always able to recover and move on. The key is making a viable backup image that you can restore in a matter of minutes to get up and runing again.


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## HellFish (Jan 28, 2007)

http://mfslive.org/


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