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yup you need to use rawrite to properly put the image on the floppy, the good news is the programm is usually supplied with the installation cd, the bad news is i have no idea where it is to be found, since i never used redhat.
simply search for it on the cd. look for a dos subdirectory or something, if that fails to provide a hit, try the search function of the windows explorer and search for rawrite (i think to remember that it is an exe, but i'm not entirely sure).
The directory containing rawrite should also contain a textfile explaining how to use it.
Which reminds me that usually there is a installation howto (look for something like installation.txt) in the root node of the cd. try to find it and read through it.
BTW: some rawrite tools seemingly don't work properly under windows, in that case lookup [1].
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what toshiba model are you on? I've just started putting slack on an old ass toshiba satellite pro 480CDT. What was the escape sequence you used to get into the bios?
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here's a link to the redhat doc's on making a boot disk:
Tomorrow I will show why I could not install RH 7.3 on this laptop. The reason is that the bios was set for win 95, and Linux is a fo reign language. I will boot the cd that came with the Redhat 7.3 bible on my oem desktop machine. My bet is that it will boot the cd without incident after I set the boot order to cdrom first. If you don't believe me, hide and watch. I wonder how my other programs will work with Linux, but I just gotta know, man! I just gotta know! I do feel lucky, today, mister! Go ahead- pull the trigger- I'll just get a medal for it when I get out of the hospital. Remember- crazy is just a state of mind. -Jeffy.
I'ts not that I don't believe you about the booting cd buddy, I was just trying to help you solve your problem (but I guess you're using the bible, so it shouldnt matter). I got no need to duck and cover... I can take whatever is gonna come my way....
Hey, you know what? I can't access my cdrom from the Tosh. laptop that I am working on right now either.... I don't think that it has the drivers for it or something (I'll look into it). Maybe that's why you're having problems too?
I'm guessing you didn't have any luck w/ making the boot disk? don't worry, once you get away from relying on windos crap things will go much smoother.
I have installed RH 7.3 on my desktop machine. Cool! Now, if only I could get it on my laptop... Probably needs a bios flash that doesn't exist. -Jeffy.
My laptop is a 440 CDX Satellite Pro(p133, 80mb ram), 1996 vintage. To change bios settings on mine, hold esc key while booting. Then F1 key to access bios. I have forgotten my login and/or password to get into my RH7.3. Can you suggest how to get in? My book tells how to change passwd, but only if you've already logged in. I should change the password anyway, since mine is too simple(but not so simple as to keep me out!). I hope you have figured out your old Tosh laptop. -Jeffy.
cool.... I think we have pretty much the same slow ass laptops. I'll try that to see if I can get in. I still haven't gotten the cdrom to work w/ linux yet.....
So I'm guessing you don't have the root password?
boot up the system w/ the install cd and do "linux rescue" or something like that when it asks. That will get you to a bash prompt. Then do the following:
mount the drive that your system is on (at least the partition that has /etc in it). I'll call it /dev/hda1 here for demonstration:
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt
then cd into /mnt/etc
cd /mnt/etc
then you are going to need to open up the "passwd" file there with vi. (first you should back it up with this: "cp passwd passwd.bak")
your password file will have a line for root in it. Something like this:
root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
You are going to want to delete that "x" in there that's right after the "root:". Now, you might not have an x, but rather a bunch of cryptic letters & numbers. If that's the case, then just delete those.
Actually, redhat 7.3 might also have that stuff in /etc/shadow... I'm not sure
TO USE VI:
open up the file with "vi passwd"
you will be in "normal mode". Don't worry about this now, all you gotta do is move the cursor to what you wanna delete, and press "x". That will delete what is under the cursor. then, save and exit with ":wq". Then you can reboot, and you won't need a password for root.
here's a quick reference for using vi:
"i" => insert mode
"Esc" => normal mode
in insert mode, it's just like a normal text-editor.
some basic normal mode commands:
:q! => quit w/out saving
:w <file> => write to <file> (<file> only needed once)
:wq => write and quit
dw => delete word
d$ => delet to end of line
dd => delet whole line
u => undo command
<ctrl>-g => show location & status of file
:<command> => execute <command> (in bash... ex: mkdir)
I appreciate the tip, but I get to the rh screen and it asks for a login and password. I never was prompted to input a login during installation, and I never was prompted to install disk 3. What did I miss- I paid attention to the instructions as they appeared. I even tried reinstalling, but same result. -Jeffy.
You don't need to install anything. Just boot up the disk, and there will be a number of options for you , install, upgrade, whatever. the one you want is "rescue", "linux rescue", or something like that. It will boot up a generic linux off the cd, and then give you a bash prompt. If it asks for a login, just type root, and if it then asks you for a password, just press enter.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong.... you NEVER had a root password? then when it asks, just press root, and then just press enter when it prompts you for the password.
I'm almost posititve that there's a step in the install that asks for a root password though.
Thanks again for your time- I was able to login with your advise. I was asked for a root password, but never a login name. I tried my name as a login several different ways, but was always denied access. It warned me that logging in as root is not advisable- in fact my name is "Root" to this machine right now. I don't know where I messed up during install, but I was very happy to get logged in at all. Now the fun begins- I get to learn a new language. I think I will enjoy this. I hope you find the cure for your laptop. Since it is old and slow, I wouldn't be surprised if you through it over your shoulder and forgot it. On the other hand, if you find the cure, you will have found it for my laptop and I will dub thee hero, for defeating the limited versatility of the old laptops. These are actually good cadidates for experimentation, so the feat would be usefull to many. I wonder where to begin the "bios flash for Linux" search. Thanx again for your help- I can now begin Linux! -Jeffy.
You don't need a "bios flash for *linux*", you need a "bios flash for *<old laptop>*". And you can start on google.com, or if you know the make of the laptop, for instance sony, then you go to sony.com.
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