Hi

I have a desktop (custom build with optical drive) running debian-testing. I just bought a netbook (Asus Eee PC 1101HA) without an optical drive. I'd like to use my desktop and USB-USB cable as an external bootable optical drive for the netbook so I can install linux and possibly reinstall windows at a later date from the restore DVD that came with the netbook. The manual says I need an external optical drive, but it would seem that I already have all the necessary hardware. I was very surprised to not find any driver or any discussion of this idea whatsoever on LinuxQuestions or on the web. Thanks in advance for your response.

Sean

so you wanna be able to boot the desktop pc's op as a external ?

like using a usb-cdrom cept its the desktops optical drive?

maybe plop bootmanager could do that?

does the lappy have a usb port?

Not sure what you mean by a USB-USB cable. USB data transfer cables basically simulate a network connection and have special built in hardware. Regular USB cables might damage your computers due to shorting out the +5VDC and two controllers will not be able to recognize each other. I am not aware of any other special use USB cable.

I used a debian USB boot flash drive to install to a second flash drive on my Eee PC 900

The cable I have came with a product designed to backup a windows box on a Mac. It is advertised and pictured here:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Belkin/F4U001/

I thought this would be easier than using a flash drive, especially if I later decide to give this computer to my wife and she wants me to reinstall Windows. I was not sure if I could copy the disk image from the restore DVD that came with the laptop onto a flash drive. The manual says an external optical drive is needed. Of course I can purchase an external optical drive, or an enclosure for my internal one that I can take out of my desktop temporarily, but I'd rather use the hardware I already have. To answer a previous post, the netbook does have USB ports.

Thanks, Sean