Installing Linux Without Bootable CD or Floppy
 

Is there way to install linux on a mechine that you can't boot from CD Rom or Floppy disk? The thing is, that BIOS is set to boot directly from C: drive and I have no access to BIOS.

Perhaps you could stick the drive in another box, install, then move back to the box you want it in.

Wow! You must have picked this system up used from some company that had really strict PC usage policies.

Does the motherboard have a jumper that will let you bypass the BIOS protection? I ran into that some years ago. Some wiseguy who left the company put a BIOS password on a system on his last day. We just popped the cover, moved a jumper and were able to get back into the system. Another method (sort of extreme and scary, IMHO) to get past things like this was to remove the battery from the motherboard for a while which would clear the CMOS memory. Reinstall the battery and you're back to factory defaults (usually).

BTW, what brand/model of system are you trying this on?

How old is the computer. You will definatly be able to acess the bios.
If there is a password open up the computer and see if you can find a jumper
to reset it. If your not sure what jumper it is, find the board name and
model and then search it on the net. This may sound a littl intimidating
but it's pretty easy.

Depending how old the board is you may beable to do a network boot. So research
that too.

Ya i have to find the board name and the modle first of all. It looks like the jumper is the only way out.

One other thing, sort of an fyi, when you open up the computer it's good to
see if you have a battery or if it is an onboard battery. I hav ben really disapointed with older comps that dont have a coin battery cause as soon as the
onboard supply dies, the motherboard is done.