First of all, I doubt I'm the first one to come up with this, but it's hard to figure out exactly how to search for something like this. Too much generality, I suppose. Also, since there's no forum about installing Linux, and this isn't distro-specific (I'd like to try out a bunch of different distros in the next few weeks).

Anyhow, I was wondering if it was possible to install from ISOs but without burning all the CDs. I hate to burn 15 different disks to install Debian, when I'll probably only need them once (Debian's not the only one I'm looking into, but it's a good example because there's so many disks). We're probably talking at least 25 disks, with all the different distros I want to try out!

My network is wireless, meaning I can't do a net install (no internet until I can configure my wireless adapter). However, the machine I'm installing Linux on *is* connected to my Windows machine via a crossover cable (I don't see how I could get internet access with that, though).

I'd rather not have to download any more, and I hate to waste so many CDs by burning *everything*. As for NFS, I know nothing about that; can you even do that with Windows?

I'm really not a Linux newbie, at least not in the idiot sense. I don't know much, I haven't done much with Linux, but I have dealt with it before, and I'm very computer literate; in other words, if my computers are capable of doing something, I can get it working; I just need a nice push in the right direction.

Thanks in advance,
Doug

Burn only the first two or three debian cd's, its enough. In any case, the installer will query you on how many install cd's you have, so it won't complain for others.

To use the crossover cable, you have to configure the network to use static ip, give to it the same ip's you use with windows, 192.168.etc,etc/255.255.255.0. Turn the win sharing machine on, debian shall deal with it fine.

nfs is for linux-linux connection, don't bother setting this now.
By the way: Debian is a nice choice.
Good luck!

Do you mean turn on internet connection sharing on the windows machine? I've already got a static IP address to my computer.

I mean, when you use this sharing setup normally, how do you configure? The 'server' is 192.168.0.1 and the client 192.168.0.2? If so, when debian-installer asks, give 192.168.0.2 and netmask 255.255.255.0 to it. And 192.168.0.1 is the gateway, as well.
Debian-installer will address the win machine and internet will work ok, so you can download new packages and update it.

Actually, debian has a very neat installer for people who don't wanna burn cd's all the time. Its a 110MB only (the base system), and the rest you just download using your link.
Look here:
http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/
I have used it, and I think its the best way to install debian.

Best thing to do will be to download a live cd .. mepis or knoppix . both are debian based .. and knoppix can do a debian install .. (with minor lingering issues).

so burn either of the cd's .. get your networking to work over the live cd .. and if you are happy .. burn the image on hd ..
then you can upgrade the distro once you know the beans.

Yes, you can install GoblinX without have to burn a cdrom... just download the ISO, put into yout /tmp folder and use this install script...
http://www.goblinx.com.br/Goinstall-1.1.htm

As of right now, the router is 168.0.0.1, and my computer is 168.0.0.101 (I guess it's safe to put those out, since those are internal IPs and not really how I connect to the Internet). My wireless router gives my windows machine a static IP. As of right now, the linux box isn't setup and therefore doesn't have an IP address.

Also, if I get that connection working, can I use the net installer to install off my windows machine's hard drive?

My problem is that I know very little about networking. I've never had to know anything, so I never bothered to learn before.

Also, I tried reconfiguring a Linspire Live disk (that's all I've got right now) and couldn't get it to work. Then again, not much with that disk works anyhow, so I'm going to burn a copy of Knoppix first chance I get.

If you don't know a whole lot about networking, you should try to keep things simple.

First of all .. the problem is to get windowns to either act as a router and give out addresses on DHCP requests ... that would be simplest.
Second .. do the primitive connection sharing that it does allow by win sharing ..
I have never done that .. so my suggestion would be to make the "new" machines a windows machine .. check out how the win sharing works (notice the ip addresses assigned etc) .. and then try the linux install.


Lastly may I suggest that you should get a wireless card .. set it up in windows (so your router knows it) .. and run the linux machine through the router .. the cross over thing is really not a good way to do it .. you have to have both machines up to use the linux machine.


Of all the solutions the last one easiest .. and you can walk backward from here in order o complexity.

Once you boot linux actually you have more control over the environment .. you can run with or without network and bring the network up and down without rebooting all the time :-)) ...
on a console do "man ifconfig" .. it will tell you all about it .. you can specify addresses by hand when you start the networking on any interface .. so static and dynamic addressing can all be done rather easily.

Actually, the last option was what I was going for anyhow; I just figured since someone mentioned doing it the other way, I'd see if I could get it going.

The crossover cable was actually a separate thing, just a way to connect the two computers individually (when I planned the systems I didn't have internet on this machine). I never really expected to use it like that, but I was going to give it a shot if it saved me equipment.