Ok...here goes... I have an old laptop... a Dell Latitude LM...it has a SWAPPABLE bay for the floppy/cdrom...I formatted to install Linux..and then realised that the bios will not allow me to boot from a cd. Yes, I'm a jackass I realise this.

Now, the only bios update I can find Needs DOS to be installed in order to install.

Network connectivity for this laptop is not currently an option.

Also, I dont know if this is really fucked up or not but when I boot I get the usual start-up bios info and then...

"The ammount of system memory has changed or the "suspend to disk" file is absent." and tells me to check the manual or the online users guide... I don't have the manual and can't find the guide they are referring to (i've looked hard)

Then it goes to a simple screen that says "missing operating system"

So what I'm currently thinking is... I need a Linux install that can be donne from floppy and then a bios that will install through linux? sound right?



Thanks guys.

You can get a DOS bootdisk from:

http://www.bootdisk.com

Regards

Will that simply boot me to a dos prompt even though dos is not on the lappy? that wont help because the bios that i found...you need to boot to the bios floppy and then it complains that there is no os.

Just go to another computer and make a boot floppy. I dont know if you are installing redhat, but if you do then use the rawrite program to make the boot disk. It is in the directory /dosutils.
Dont forget to set your bios to boot from floppy!

A simple boot disk will not help. The cd /floppy drive is swappable and if i swap them without rebooting it does not recognise the new drive...will the linux floppy install enough of linux to update the bios?

I'm sorry if I'm not wording this correctly but I'm trying my best.

You will have to get the hard drive where it will boot the computer. With your floppy drive in and a win 95/98 bootdisk Boot the computer. It doesnt matter that it wont see a cdrom right now. After the computer has fully booted from floppy, run fdisk and delete all partitions. Then create a small 15-25 meg partition for your DOS install. After Linux is installed this will be your /dev/hda1 partition. But dont try to install Linux to it.

• Before starting the computer . You will need a DOS bootdisk. I prefer a win98 boot disk. DONT use winME's boot disk, as ME does not support the /sys function. Win 95 doesnt contain the cdrom drivers. It will need drivers for a cdrom.
• Starting the computer. With your boot floopy and floppy drive installed. Turn On the Power.
• Let the Computer completely boot.
• Run fdisk and delete all partitions.
• Create a small (10-20 meg) partition for your install. It can be much less but if you have the room for 20 use it you might need it later. If you intend to upgrade the bios in the future.
• Reboot the computer again for the changes in fdisk to take affect. Remember - leave the floppy and the floppy drive IN the computer. We still need them.
• Let the computer completely boot, again.
• Type the command "format C:\ /sys" (sans quotes) this will format that 20 meg partitition and prepare it to boot the computer.
• Copy all of the files from the floppy to the C:\ drive.
  This can be done with "copy A:\*.* C:\*.*" .
• Remove the fopply disk and be certain that it is "Read Only" we dont want to destroy any data on it.
• Edit the autoexec.bat file on your C:\ drive with "edit C:\autoexec.bat" . Change any reference of files on the A:\ drive to the C:\ drive. So the boot process doesn't rely on the floppy being present to boot.
• Exit from the editer with "alt" , "f" , "x" , "y".
• Edit config.sys on the C:\ drive the same way. "edit C:\config.sys" . Changing references from the A:\ drive to the C:\ drive.
• Exit the editer. Same as before, with the "alt" , "f" , "x" , "y".
• Shut down the compter. remove the floppy and the floppy drive. Insert your CDRom drive into the bay.
• Reboot the computer , again. (remember, DOS = Microsoft = constant reboots!).
• The computer should now boot correctly from the hard drive in a miny DOS.
• Begin the update of your BIOS as per the instructions of the BIOS manufactuer. Your floppy and CDRom might even be swappable. At least if the computer was booted with the cdrom inplace.
  

This should all be laid out for you now. Read it a couple of times and maybe print it for later reference. If you are not comfortable with some of these steps call a friend who is or hire it done. Your mileage may vary. But these steps have worked countless times in the past.
When you are ready to install your Linux distribution, dont forget to keep that small partition for use later. Unless of course you are really strapped for harddrive space. Then at least try to resize it to about 4 megs or start with a 4 meg patition to begin with. This Partition will be listed in Linux as /dev/hda1. Make no changes to it if at all possible.
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If any errors are found please notify me so they can be corrected. I do not want to give out false or bad advice ! Thanks.
Aaron