Linux Boot an ISO without isolinux?

Is there a way to change an iso so it boots via some other method if it supposed to boot via isolinux?
I ask because my laptop doesn't seem to recognize isolinux CDs. At least I think that's the problem...

So, any idears? Preferably something that doesnt' involve floppies, as I only have one floppy drive, and it's in the laptop...

 

What distro are you trying to install? How were the cd's burnt(burned image instead of .iso file to the cd, right?) Will it boot a knoppix cd? How old is the laptop, maybe not a bootable cd-rom?

I would have suggested making a bootable floppy to see if that would make it boot but you don't want that. Maybe you could do an NFS install but if no cd will boot I'm not sure how that could work. The last thing I can think of is get an ide-laptop drive adaptor and put it in a desktop pc, load, and recompile the kernel for hardware that is in the laptop and then put the drive back in.

 

didja double-check the boot order in the BIOS?


never hurts to look again ...

 

it will boot from old mandrake and redhat CDs, but not from new releases or distros that have only isolinux. I am 99.999999% sure it's something about isolinux, and I've heard there's a way around it without a floppy, but if no one knows it I guess I'll go rebuild and reconfigure my old comp just so I can write floppies

 

there is a program called rawrite in the boot folder
you can make a boot floppy whit that. (i had the same problem)

 

So I have no choice but to go find a floppy drive and floppies?