how can i do an installation without burning the iso files
 

i know mandrake..and fedora have a install method that do not need you to burn the iso files to cdr..i.e installing linux with the iso file in the fat32 partition...

i wonder if i can do that with debian...because i have downloaded the iso files...but with my cd burning drive broken...i cannot do the install with cds

Here is a recent thread on the same issue:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=216043

if you have a fast connection, just do a net install from floppies. you need to 3 disks total i think.

stable (old boot-floppies installer)
http://www.debian.org/distrib/floppyinst

testing/unstable (new debian-installer)
http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/.../daily/floppy/

as for loading the isos from disk, i assume that debian doesn't support that sort of esoteric scenario. the installer is just finally getting to the point where it is simple enough for home users.

but using the net install, you only download what you need anyway...it's a better deal unless you do a bunch of reinstalling. then again, you don't need to reinstall with debian if you know enough tricks.

thanks...
but actually i have read the posat you posted above....but my computer had no floppy drive installed....i think that is the problem...so i ass here.....
how can i boot the machine to do a net install? please help me...

(p.s. i have my cd burner broken)

well, if you don't have a floppy drive and your cd-burner is out of commission, i would say you're out of luck. you need to boot from some kind of media to install an operating system.

i guess you could search for a usb flash media installer (if you have a usb flash drive). otherwise, you need to get a friend to burn the debian-installer net installer iso for you. or buy the net installer (actually, this may not be available until Sarge becomes the stable release next month, but you can buy the Woody iso's now) iso from a vendor (http://www.debian.org/CD/vendors/). or you could go to best buy and buy a new burner for like $40 or whatever the deal-of-the-week is.

how did you install fedora and mandrake without some sort of boot media?

good luck.

i installed fedora 3 months ago(before my cdr burner died)...and i am using it...but whenever i tried to complile a problem using of the source code...there were tons of error ...so i want to try out debian...

one stupid question: can i installed debian with the fedora boot disk?? i have a cd rom but not writer..(i always think that in linux, nothing is impossible)...

thank you anyway

hkl8324

the fedora installation cd will only boot the fedora installer. you definately need debian-specific boot media to install debian.

ok...i finally managed to find the solution...

first extract the initrd and vmlinuz files from the CD 1 iso to my /boot floder...then edit grub.conf....then reboot...
Da..Da.....i can install from my HDD partition now....

thank you anyway....

ooo..no...
there is no initrd vmlinuz file in debian....i tried it with me fedora cd1...but....
is there any equivalent file in debain???

http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/.../hd-media/2.6/

this site appears to contain the vmlinuz and initrd for the debian-installer. i guess you can just copy them somewhere in /boot and set up a grub entry to start them in sequence.

although this looks like it has the net install files http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/...y/netboot/2.6/

looks like this is the way to start the installation without any extra media. i guess i was wrong. sorry.

good luck.

thank first, i tried, but a got kernel panic errors:

the last few lines:

RAMDISK ext 2 filesystem found at block 0
RAMDISK image too big (9889/8192 blocks)
VFS :Cannot open root device "hda3" or unknown-block (0,0)
Please append a corret "root" boot option
Kernel panic:VFS:Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (0,0)

my boot partition is in hda3 using reiserfs...

do i need to input special parameter to Grub to make it right???

i think if you add "root=/dev/hda3" to the kernel line in grub you should be good to go.

i already have that in the grub.conf

Hi,

I've read something i can't quite remember about mount iso. There's a possibility for running you iso from the hd as if burned and into your cd-rom.
Try this link ( www.linuxhelp.net/isos/ ) and get back to us with the solution if it works : )

Good luck

Howto for all this, plus
 

http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/...6/ch05s01.html has all the info that you need for this. I'm betting that your Grub is too old and doesn't support Reiserfs. Drop the files onto your /boot partition, edit your grub there, and go.

I've done this several times recently, and it's easier than burning!

Get a grub boot disk here: http://i30www.ira.uka.de/~ud3/mkgrubdisk/