Nifty if I can use USB flash to boot Ubuntu,

but with no bios provision
(I have bios options for USB HDD, USB CDROM and USB FDD but none if these work with USB flash),

it appears that CD ROM live disto is my only option,
hopefully using a USB flash drive for my personal files generated with the live distro operating from CDROM.

Any work arounds to suggest?

Many thanks!

You can boot FDD, this may help with making the boot disks.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/11...endrive-linux/

Pen Drive Linux

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

My notebook probably has the same age as maxsanders'. However, it has no CD nor floppy but I want to install Ubuntu 8.10 from USB pen drive. I made a bootable USB pen drive from Ubuntu 8.10 installed on a very new notebook used in my office. It was bootable with other machines in the office but the one of my own at home. What I get was messages from SysLinux and a "boot:" prompt. If an Enter key is pressed it returns "Could not find kernel image: linux" and another "boot:" prompt. When I boot GRUB from the local HD and go into the GRUB's command line, the USB pendrive blinks in response to the command "root (FD0)". Please help!
Thanks.

Actually, that is your solution if all you want is to use a LiveCD and still save data files someplace. It just requires manually mounting the USB stick each time. There is also the possibility of booting with a LiveCD and saving files to a hard drive. Same deal, just need to mount the hard dive. Some LiveCDs are made specifically with that in mind (i.e., Puppy Linux [not my favorite for other reasons], DSL, probably Knoppix). Once he LiveCD is fired up, open a terminal and have at it .