installing into laptop with no drives?
 

I have a Thinkpad X40 running XP and would like to install Fedora but have no media drives at all, no floppy, no cd, no dvd, nada! Also would like to try to do this without using any others comps and without removing my hard drive. I have downloaded the Fedora 5 iso and also intend to keep xp in a partition. Anybody been through a similar scenario and know how to do it? To be able to install an OS on a comp in the middle of nowhere, which is basically the equivalent, would be a solid skill to have imho...

You're not quite in the middle of nowhere (aka BFE :)), you have a 'Net connection.

I believe that VMserver can install to a VM direct from an iso. I say believe because, while I have this on good authority, I haven't actually done or seen it myself -- yet.

So, d/l & install VMserver (0 cost), & then point it at the FC iso & you should be fine. As long as your X40 has the power, esp. RAM, you should have a better experience than w/ dual-boot. OTOH, you will still be stuck w/ XP.

Consider posting the specs, or a link to them, or both for the X40.

http://marc.herbert.free.fr/linux/win2linstall.html
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/install-ub...rom-drive.html
http://www.bobpeers.com/linux/hard_drive_install

These links may be helpful, particularly the first one.

Xavier, thanks:

Solution link #1 requires a network, so no go.

Solution link #2 requires a drive and that I use Ubuntu instead, so no go.

Solution link #3 looks like it can work! Just need to modify it a bit since my system is all xp, so no Linux (yet), no GRUB (yet), no partitions (yet), & all NTFS (for the moment).


You rock, Xavier! I bought a dvd drive but I think I'm gonna try to install using #3 for the bonus knowledge it could provide.

If you don't have a network, as in comment 1 above, how did you download the Fedora 5 iso?

I have internet access. I should have been more clear: I am trying to avoid using any comps on a local network for installation (plus, for those new to this discussion, no drives and no hard drive removal of the laptop, which contains only xp at the moment). So far the best idea seems to be partition, install grub into the new partition and use it to install fedora 5. what do you think? am not sure if I can use grub without installing linux first. btw I bought a usb dvd-rw but would still like to try to accomplish this. thanks, archtoad6, for any input & from anyone.