Hey guys,

I have a small problem. You see, I didnt download the slackware ISOs, instead I got the tgz files and loadlin in order to start the setup program from dos...because I didnt have a cd writer...but now I got a laptop, and it doesnt have a floppy disk, so I cant open dos under normal xpian circumstances. So, I cant boot dos, and I cant boot the cd. What can I do to install it ( PS, I dont have a network connection, and I have a modem connection, so dont bother with 'download the isos' + 'my laptop has a cd-rw).

I just have to install slackware on it.

Thank you.

Do you know somebody with an old Windows98SE CD to boot into DOS? Or are you able (I hope I understood you right that there is a CD-RW in your new laptop?) to create in Windows with a burning program a bootable CD with FREEDOS on it and then boot into DOS and install Slackware?

Only two ideas ...

I installed Slackware to a Toshiba Libretto without Floppy and without CD-ROM by removing the harddisk and inserting it to another laptop only for installing Slackware and to install the bootloader.

Fluxx.

Without a floppy or CDROM, your options for installing the system are severely limited. Your best bet would probably actually be CoLinux or if you want something slack-based, AmigoLinux, both of which can run from within your existing Windows installation. You could also try ZipSlack.

If you've got a CDROM drive, and the laptop can boot from it, you can also order the Slackware CDs from http://store.slackware.com/cgi-bin/store

They're reasonably priced, though obviously more expensive than calling ${RANDOM_FRIEND_WITH_HIGH_SPEED_AND_BURNER} and getting them to make the discs for you. Still... support Pat. Even though it's more expensive to order the discs from the store, the store is Pat's only source of income and if you use the product extensively, you should reward him for his work.

That was my first guess, the Windows 98SE bootable cd. I dont have one, but I can get one, as well as a bootable cd ( I dont know how I am going to get a FreeDOS or x-Dos bootable cd ). I have a SuSE 9.2 live cd, cant I use grub to boot color.gz ( initrd ) from my local partition.

Thanks

THIS is a Windows 98SE boot floppy that I made from a fresh install and then converted into a bootable ISO, if that will help you... My floppy drive went out on me a couple years ago so I came up with this idea... Works a charm.

If you have a bootable CD-ROM-Device and a SuSE Live-CD you are able to install Slackware out of running SuSE. The Slackware packages should be on your local harddisk or on a USB-drive.

Boot SuSE, run "cfdisk" to partition your harddisk and format your partitions with "mkfs....".

Then mount the partition to which you want to install Slackware with "mount -t reiserfs(or xfs) /dev/hda_where_you_want_install_Slackware /mnt/hd" (you can create the mountpoint /mnt/hd if it doesn't exist in SuSE).

Then mount the partition with the Slackware packages in the same way with a different mountpoint and "cd /mnt/hda_where_your_packages_are".

With "installpkg -root /mnt/hd /mnt/where_you_mounted_the_partition_with_slackware_packages/slackware-packages.tgz" you are able to install all the Slackware packages to your Slackware partition (if you have more directories e. g. a directory with several other directories in it which contain the Slackware packages like a, d, n, kde, xap and so on, you can add to the command above something like "installpkg -root /mnt/hd /mnt/where_you_mounted_the_partition_with_slackware_packages/*/*/slackware-packages.tgz").

After all packages are installed you can chroot to the Slackware partition with two commands:

"mount --bind /dev /mnt/hd/dev"
"chroot /mnt/hd"

and there you install LiLO with

"liloconfig".

Now you are able to reboot and Slackware should be present within LiLO.

Fluxx.

P. S.: I hope that I didn't forget something important, just try it, I think it will work fine.

I ran across this nice bootdisk site a while back,

www.bootdisk.org

You can have a friend download the bootddisk of your choice, burn it to cd, and boot it from your hard drive.

Well, to be precise, all I was asking for was a bootable dos cd, but I got more. Thanks very much jong and fluxx.

Anyways, that seems a pretty darn good idea. I do have a SuSE Live CD, and I know how to install, but it's annoying to boot it.

Anyways, thanks.

That 98seboot.iso is DOS. That's why I posted a link altho I'm not sure if that will do what you want or not...

Take a look at the Ultimate Boot CD. It allows you to boot different free DOS versions. Also has a ton of free utilities. Saw that you didn't have a CD writer, there's links to people that will burn it for you.

See that, being a DOS/Windows guy does come in handy sometimes.

F_M

Yeah, that'll do, you see all I need is to boot into dos, and then everything will be alright, since I can loadlin from there into the setup program. I dont need cd support, I have it on my local hard drive.
Anyways, that sounds like a great cd, the ultimate one :-).

Thanks.