Linux Debian on box with no CDROM/Floppy

Hey there,

I recently got a Compaq iPaq workstation (corporate throwaway). It's a 533 Celeron, 256MB Ram, but it doesn't have a floppy/cdrom. It does have an onboard ethernet card.

I want to get Linux on it, and plumped for Debian. (Fedora + Mandrake too big for this machine...) Obviously getting it to install is going to be a challenge. I took the HD out, stuck it in my machine and copied over the files from the bootable CD iso, but it didn't boot from that. (I wasn't sure it was going to work, thought I'd take a chance) I think I may have to reset the MBR.

Anyone got any ideas on how to get linux onto this box?

Cheers!

 

if the network card has a boot rom you could do a network install from another machine i think.

 

To be honest, your best bet is to borrow a CD drive from another machine, and boot from a bootable net install ISO*, setting up the NIC drivers in modconf and then away you go! The portion of the install done using the CD itself is very short (just a few minutes typically), at some point a reboot will occur during which you can switch off and have your CD drive back, should you wish. The rest can then be done over the net, with the magic of apt You won't need the CD drive again unless you have to reinstall one day.

* I don't know what CD image you were planning to use, but there are various specific net install ISOs available somewhere on http://www.debian.org, which are something like 30Mb or less, rather than the size of a whole CD But if you already have the entire thing then never mind, may as well use it.

Good luck, happy installing, give us a shout here with any problems you run into

 

also if they are only 30mb some new usb memory sticks have a floppy emulator on them, u can use them to boot onto the stick and then do as above.

 

gentoo minimal is 47 mb ... possibly a 64k flash drive?