Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : No CD, No Floppy -- What Next
Dark Ninja
10-21-2004, 03:22 AM
My friend's laptop has neither a CD driver of a floppy drive. However, he wants to install Linux. I am unsure of where to even BEGIN doing this, except maybe through a networked install (he does have Windows on his computer, BTW).
Are there any good pieces of information on how this might be accomplished. (I'm hoping to install Gentoo, but, any Linux is better than no Linux.)
Thanks
Ehwaz001
10-21-2004, 04:41 AM
Can't you connect a external floppy drive or CD-ROM to this laptop? This way, you can install the distro you prefer through a CD installation. Downloading the distro will take time, so the owner of the laptop better have a good DSL/Cable connection and some space left on the HDD to install the distro.
I would recommend Suse, Mandrake for a beginner or FreeBSD if you would prefer Unix instead of Linux of course. FreeBSD is installable via network, but you will need the startup files before you can begin the installation...
Another alternative is using a distro on a pendrive. But you will need a USB port and a BIOS that supports starting from USB to accomplish this.
If this is the case, I would recommend Feather Linux.
pickarooney
10-21-2004, 05:01 AM
Just curious as to what he does have in the absence of a CD/floppy drive?
It sounds like it'll be a pain trying to install anything.
didn't read/remember that it was a laptop
Originally posted by pickarooney
It sounds like it'll be a pain trying to install anything.
Uranus
10-21-2004, 05:31 AM
You can install debian by putting files on the hard-drive and then doing an ftp install. Though I'm not sure if I'd recommend Debian - I haven't succeeded in installing a single time...
Sam
retsaw
10-21-2004, 06:44 AM
I've just stumbled across this article (http://marc.herbert.free.fr/linux/win2linstall.html) while looking for something else. It seems to be just what you need though I only had a quick look at it. Hope it helps.
ph34r
10-21-2004, 10:46 AM
May be easiest to get one of the adapers to put a laptop drive in a desktop system, get the files on there, and swap the drive back in.
Failing that, an initrd that has what is needed for a network install, a kernel image, and loadlin may be able to do it if he can boot to DOS mode (win9x or me, not NT/2k/XP).
psi42
10-21-2004, 12:01 PM
If you have a working windows/dos install, you can transfer a UMSDOS-based distribution, such as Zipslack, over a nullmodem cable and then use loadlin to boot it. Have fun :)
Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379
10-21-2004, 11:15 PM
I don't see where you mentioned what type of laptop it is. That's kind of important in this case.
If the unit is fairly recent, you may be able to boot off of a memory key, or a USB floppy. You might even be able to configure it to net-boot, negating the need for any media, should the BIOS support it.