Installing Linux without CD-Rom
 

Hello you linux wizards,

I have an old IBM ThinkPad T20 and wish to install a linux Distro on it.
My main obstacles are:
1. I'm new to the linux community
2. My laptop does not have a CD-Rom drive

I do have a working WIN2K OS already installed and an external CD-Rom and Floppy.
In addition I have an internet connection via a desktop computer running WindowsXP.

Any suggestions? Directions? anything?

Thx in advanced, dagankfi

there are a lot of linux installation alternatives and
that is what i like about linux.i also have problem
about my cdrom so i tried network installation via NFS
for me NFS is the best installation method because it
doesnt scratch your cd's i hope this helps| £Ä3

http://www.samspublishing.com/librar...seqNum=20&rl=1

gentoo
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handboo...x86.xml?full=1

redhat
http://linux.iol.unh.edu/linux/alpha...el-method.html
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...stall-net.html

network install
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Network-In...ml#ss2.1<br />
https://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/...stall-net.html

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Linux-Newbie and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves. It's a technical question, so it's better in a more technicla forum than Member Intro.

Installation from hard drive may looks like a good option in your case. Check if the distro you choose supports it, however (not all have it).

I've never used an external CD-ROM, but that doesn't work for you with an installation CD?

Thx all,

No ehawk, not for me anyway. But I managed to find a temporary cd-rom drive for a few days and plan to seize the opportunity!

Again thx for helping, dagankfi :)

floppy only install
 

It's still possible to install from floppies, the potato release of Debian; did it in '04 or a Armada 7400 with Avaya wi-fi, onto a hitachi hard disk

http://archive.debian.org/debian-arc...4/images-1.44/

start with root and boot floppies, and then it sweetly asks for the 4 driver floppies, which then inquires about formatting your Hard drive; and then fires up your network for use for the remaining download.. then it is easy to upgrade to the latest distro..

Just for the record...

Ed

But why not do floppy install with latest distro right off the bat?

Latest distro wouldn't recognize my EIDE controller, I think they removed some old drivers from it.. so It wouldn't partition my new Hitachi Hard Disk, but, you might try it first to skip a step.