I think linux can save this notebook

Jean-luc · 08-15-2002, 07:46 AM

I need linux to recover my notebook ( post #1)

Yes I'm new to linux.

I have a Toshiba Portege 3010CT. They system will not boot without a bootdisk to tell it what its mind is. ME is the only OS on the system and it will not boot (can't find ifshlp.sys and I don't have the installation CD). I need to get a decent OS on the system.

Here are my resources. I have a floppy drive to the Toshiba - there is no CD drive (that's really hurting me). I have an IOMEGA USB CD-RW, but the generic dos driver I tried didn't have the right parameters. I also have another box running Redhat 7.1 with all it services loaded (most disabled at the moment). It is not on the Internet though. Also I have dialup, so no impressive downloads.

Because all I have is a floppy-drive, I have been experimenting with "minimal" linux distros. I tried alphalinux and basiclinux (I will try some others). I was thinking that one of these distros might be able to allow me to connect to my redhat box and transfer an OS over so I could install it from the hard drive. If I knew enough I would only have to install the bare essentials for mounting a USB device and I would be set. Otherwise I was going to put Win98 on the thing. Either way, I must connect my notebook to a CD drive, through USB or another computer.

Has anyone ever done this? I am looking for the smoothest way. Those mini-distros are impressively compact, but I don't even know how to enable a network card. Thanks for any input.

Mara · 08-15-2002, 09:25 AM

Do you have a NIC or modem in th laptop? It's not clear for me...
Some tips:
cat /proc/pci
to list all pci devices, also a NIC if you have it.
Then search for a driver for this nic (search the Net), when you know which one to use:
insmod modulename
Then you can configure the NIC:
ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.1
to give it IP 192.168.1.1

neo77777 · 08-15-2002, 10:56 AM

and why double post http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=27976

Jean-luc · 08-15-2002, 07:45 PM

Both PCs have a network card installed. The redhat machine one is ready to go. There is no driver for the other.
Thanks for the help Mara.

Yes neo, I was in a little of a hurry. Still, that is no excuse for being inconsiderate. It won't happen again.

Mara · 08-17-2002, 05:36 PM

To load nic driver on laptop try
insmod eepro100
Then the part with ifconfig and IP, but I think you can handle this.

drjimstuckinwin · 08-17-2002, 07:00 PM

If both machines have NIC's and are connected with a crossover cable, you can do a network install. Just copy all the contents of the RedHat directory on the install CD to your desktop, make the bootdisk, fire up nfs, and you're away. The instructions are on the install CD, look in /mnt/cdrom/images, the readme in there has all the details as I recall. If not, google will find the details in about 0.01 seconds!

Alternatively, the RedHat install disks should fire up the usb CD.

Jim