Burning Distros to CD: Is it Necessary?

Electro · 04-25-2005, 01:02 AM

The easiest is using CDs to installed Linux. You can install Linux without CD but it is very hard for a novice to understand how to set it up this way. Also you will need a broadband internet connection if you using the network installation. The documentation and the utilities to make a bootdisk is in the ISO image. Unfortunately, Windows does not have a feature to mount it or create a drive for it, so a third-party program is needed.

No, you do not need floppies after you install Linux because lilo or grub will take care of booting or multi-boot setups. IMHO, grub is the easiest to setup and the safest when using ReiserFS or XFS for the root partition.

Quote:

Can a plain CD-Rom drive read CD-RW disks?

It is very greyish because I can not tell you nor the experts can tell you. Like wapcaplet said you have to experiment with different brands. I usually tell people if they are going to use CD-RW, use the discs in the same drive that made (burned) the CD-RW discs. Latest CD-RW drives are getting better so the possibility of the disc working with other brands is a little better. I recommend not using CD-RW because of these problems. Hard drives are better to use for big projects because you are not limited on writing to it and the speed is several times faster.

kencaz · 04-25-2005, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hanzj
FLIP-FLOP update: Will get a CD-RW Drive

Hi everyone,
I changed my mind again. Now I'm open to the idea of getting a CD-RW drive. Because of its non-standard casing, my computer, a Dell Optiplex GX150, can't accept an internal drive. So I believe that leaves me no choice but to get an external USB CD-RW drive. I found a used/old one, Logitech USB CD-RWLW-WNU drive.

1. Can the computer boot off an external optical disk drive? If so, what steps must be taken in order to accomplish this?

2. In the case of an optical disk drive that works with Windows, does it automatically mean that it will work with Linux, too?

Hanzj, I really can simpathise whith you in wanting to save money and all, but geee. This thread seems to be getting pretty long for such a simple subject. Some things just require others!!! If you want to install Linux, just please, get a CDRW so you can burn it. It can't be that difficult. Gee what is going to happen, after you buy a CDRW and burn a distro. I mean there are decesions about duel-booting, partitioning, etc...that YOU need to make, that are much more complicated then wheather you should purchase a CDRW drive.

I am not trying to make critisize you in any way, It's just that if this is such a hard choice for you, there will be many more complicated things to come when you start using Linux. I don't want to discourage you either, but let's face it, Linux is a little more involved then Windows. It will take some self-effort to figure this stuff out...

Just my thought from a self taught Linux user.

KC

mjjzf · 04-25-2005, 02:57 AM

There are other ways to get a CD. There are, for instance, several Linux user groups in Japan. Usually, LUG people are willing to help you get started - and to burn a CD or two. Also, if you can get your hands on a Linux magazine like LinuxFormat - most of the magazines come with an install CD or DVD.

uzairkhan · 04-25-2005, 03:17 AM

hi,
first of all sorry to interrupt you people , but since i have a related problem, i thought i should ask u ppl.

The problem is that i have a dual boot up system with fedora core 2 and win xp. i want to install mandrake 10.0 instead of fc2 . But the system( AMD k6-2, 256 Mb ram ) refuses to boot from the mandrake boot disk. I tested the disk on my other system(Pentium 1.4) and it boots okay. i thought may be the drive is causing some problems so i took the cd rom out of the pentium system and pluggeg into the k6-2 system and still it does not boot.

and unfortunatly i dont have a floppy drive (i use flash memory disks instead) and so i cant use boot floppies... How can i run the install program on mandrake cd without using a boot disk.
or can i run the mandrake install program after booting from a windows cd (windows me cd to be precise since it comes with DOS)

i would appritiate any hint or suggestions

regards

kencaz · 04-25-2005, 04:01 AM

Sounds like if your CD won't boot from 2 systems then it may be a bad burn. Check the MD5SUM.

http://www.linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=29

KC

After reading again, you say it does boot off one off one of the three systems you tried. Well, then it seems to be a boot sequence problem... Did you recieve any errors or what???

KC

uzairkhan · 04-25-2005, 08:43 AM

the boot sequence is correct and i can boot from the fedora core cd.. ... not from the mandrake cd.

Boot from cd rom : failure

generally i get this error when i put a non-bootable disk.

any ways , can i mount the boot image to a loop back interface and then get the system to boot from there, thus running the setup program for mandrake or some other distribution..

thanks ,

hanzj · 04-25-2005, 08:51 PM

kencaz's text in dark blue. Mine are in black.

This thread seems to be getting pretty long for such a simple subject.
I thank all those who've contributed their experience and advice to help a current simpleton, answering my various questions! Every post is appreciated!

If you want to install Linux, just please, get a CDRW so you can burn it. It can't be that difficult.
I got word from Dell's Support Forum. It looks like my computer can not boot from an external USB optical disk drive. In other words, though I may buy a CDRW drive, it won't work!

egag · 04-25-2005, 09:28 PM

maybe try amigo-linux.

read http://amigolinux.org/docs/Readme.txt

it's slackware based so....ok.

egag