I am trying to install Mandrake 9.1 on a Compaq pc. This is a 133mhz with 48 megs of ram.

Because this is an old one, you cannot boot from cd. So I tried a bootdisk. You can start from the disk, but when it needs the cdrom it can't find it.

I think it has something to do, that the compaq pc doesn't have a normal bios like real pc's. When booting you can hold "ctrl" for a status screen. Normally linux doesn't use the bios, so I am not certain about this.

I do not have a NFS, ftp or http server from where I can get the linux.

Can any one help, I have run out of ideas...

Thanks.

I forgot something, this problem also occurs with mandrake 8.3 and Suse 7.0. They both don't seem to find (mount) the cd rom.

The cdrom is a standard one. I think a Samsung 24x.

ahh yes, i ran into this problem too... What the problem is that your actually NOT putting in the right cd.... When you burned Mandrake, you have to burn it as a ISO image.... So...

1st - Download the ISO image

2nd - (i used nero) copy the ISO image (just that one file) and in the settings somewhere, make sure it has something checked about ISO burning. If you have any problems with this step, click this http://www.hack.gr/linux/gazette/issue68/tag/11.html
It will step you through the process using many different programs...

3rd - Your set! pop in the cd when it asks for it

Hope I helped

You also should make sure that you created the boot disk using the cdrom.img off the Mandrake CD as described here:

http://doc.mandrakelinux.com/Mandrak...-bootdisk.html

Actually I have done that. When the installation needs the cdrom it can't find it. There is something about a SCSI driver and a list of .o files. I have tried all of these and none of them work.