Instaling OS on Laptop with no CD drive?

whoever · Oct 27, 2005

I have an old Dell L400 700mhz Laptop and I wanted to install Linux on it. So I downloaded the Suse ISOs and burned the CDs but I don't have a CD drive in my Laptop cause its so small.

But I have a USB DVD drive; but because the laptop is an archiac dell I can't get it to boot from the USB DVD drive.

Any Ideas?

I have messed around with the boot settings with no luck.

goog` · Oct 27, 2005

If you have the floppy drive you can use that to boot from it, Check dell for bios updates to see if you get it to support external drives. And as a theroy i have you *in theroy* might be able to alter the hd mbr to boot from a linux file on your windows partition. And I beilive that thier is a way to preform a network install from windows. And you could always try a linux forum cause they know everything like linuxforums.org

Lionsault_100 · Oct 28, 2005

whoever said:
I have an old Dell L400 700mhz Laptop and I wanted to install Linux on it. So I downloaded the Suse ISOs and burned the CDs but I don't have a CD drive in my Laptop cause its so small.

But I have a USB DVD drive; but because the laptop is an archiac dell I can't get it to boot from the USB DVD drive.

Any Ideas?

I have messed around with the boot settings with no luck.

you should buy a usb floppy and work with that

Neuromancer · Oct 28, 2005

If you have a floppy drive all Linux distros support a network install. I am not sure HOW you do it (not a big linux guy) but it can be done... I believe it actually uses the FTP install method. So you may want to google that (FTP install)

ps2cho · Oct 28, 2005

Gentoo can be install using a floppy.

Duner · Oct 28, 2005

I've got the Dell latitude LS which has the same design as the l400. I installed Knoppix onto it via the network boot option. I just put the live CD in my desktop. Booted knoppix and started the terminal server. I then set the laptop to boot from lan and it took care of itself from there.

I know that I can't boot off of the USB port no matter what drive is connected, beit floppy, cdrom etc. I also can't boot off of the PCMCIA port. I think it's the same for you. There are only 3 boot options: HDD, LAN, External drive connected via the external IDE port.

whoever · Oct 28, 2005

Duner said:
I've got the Dell latitude LS which has the same design as the l400. I installed Knoppix onto it via the network boot option. I just put the live CD in my desktop. Booted knoppix and started the terminal server. I then set the laptop to boot from lan and it took care of itself from there.

I know that I can't boot off of the USB port no matter what drive is connected, beit floppy, cdrom etc. I also can't boot off of the PCMCIA port. I think it's the same for you. There are only 3 boot options: HDD, LAN, External drive connected via the external IDE port.

I can boot off of lan, but how do I configure it to boot through lan to the desktop CD drive?

Duner · Oct 29, 2005

I can boot off of lan, but how do I configure it to boot through lan to the desktop CD drive?

Unfortunately that's not how boot from lan works. It doesn't sense for available boot devices. What you need is one computer (your destop) set up to send a generic "boot signal'" through it's lan. It acts as a boot server. The absolute easiest way to do this is boot knoppix on your desktop and start the built in server program.

When your laptop is set to boot from lan, it looks for this signal and then boots whatever its told to. In this case, knoppix.

Of course this is the easiest way to get linux on this laptop. If you want anything else besides knoppix it gets harder.

whoever · Oct 31, 2005

Duner said:
Unfortunately that's not how boot from lan works. It doesn't sense for available boot devices. What you need is one computer (your destop) set up to send a generic "boot signal'" through it's lan. It acts as a boot server. The absolute easiest way to do this is boot knoppix on your desktop and start the built in server program.

When your laptop is set to boot from lan, it looks for this signal and then boots whatever its told to. In this case, knoppix.

Of course this is the easiest way to get linux on this laptop. If you want anything else besides knoppix it gets harder.

Linux boys say I can put the Lappy HDD in a Desk and intsall it through the desk and then slap it into the lappy and it will still work. That doesn't make sense to me but then again Im an MS boy.

Duner · Oct 31, 2005

That may be possible, but you'll need to buy a 2.5" to 3.5" IDE converter. Also, if you load linux onto the laptop drive while on the desktop drive, it may detect and install the desktop hardware. You may have some problems switching over directly to the laptop. There's only one way to find out what works for you though.

Instaling OS on Laptop with no CD drive?

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