Installing minimal Linux w/o a floppy
 

I have an old 386 IBM PS/1 with an 80MB HD and 2MB RAM. The floppy drive doesn't work, but I can take the hard drive out and pop it into another computer. I hear I can't install with only two megs of RAM anyway. Is there any way I could install Slackware 3.3 or some other tiny distro by just copying files? Or any other method without floppies?

Booting without a floppy means you may only have one shot at this (via network), after that if it can't boot from the hard-drive you may end up with an unusable box, can you add a floppy drive temporarily?

I can't add a floppy, the 386 uses a different kind than my other computers and I can't get my hands on one.

"Or any other method without floppies?"

You can put your hard drive in another computer. Then install Linux onto the hard drive. Then put the hard drive back in the 386.

This method can work but it has its pitfalls. The installer will configure the monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc. for the computer it is installing on. The hardware configuration of the second computer must be close enough to the 386 that your new Linux configuration will still work when carried to the 386.

Here is another thread on the same subject:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=105592


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Steve Stites

That could work, but how would I start Linux then? I can't use a root or boot disk like a lot of the minimalist distros need. Is there one that doesn't require it?

Actually, how would I boot from the hard disk once it's installed? I guess that's the problem now.

"how would I start Linux then?"

Install lilo on the MBR and boot the hard disk. This would probably require that the hard disk be installed as /dev/hda on both computers.

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Be prepared. Create a LifeBoat CD.
http://users.rcn.com/srstites/LifeBo...home.page.html

Steve Stites

I can't install LILO into the MBR on the 386; if I'm not mistaken, installing it in the other computer's MBR would only cause that one to boot, right?

I guess more appropriate would be to ask if there's a distro where I can install from a disk but then not need a root disk, even with 2 megs for RAM.

"I can't install LILO into the MBR on the 386; if I'm not mistaken, installing it in the other computer's MBR would only cause that one to boot, right?"

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is the first 512 byte block on the hard drive. When you move the hard drive the MBR goes with it.

___________________________________
Be prepared. Create a LifeBoat CD.
http://users.rcn.com/srstites/LifeBo...home.page.html

Steve Stites

Is LILO easy to install?

"Is LILO easy to install?"

Your distribution should do it for you when you install. Some distributions install grub instead which is OK.

___________________________________
Be prepared. Create a LifeBoat CD.
http://users.rcn.com/srstites/LifeBo...home.page.html

Steve Stites