Install Mandriva - No USB boot on Laptop
 

This is my first post her and I would like to start with telling you all that I am really really new to this whole Linux thing...

Anyway, I got a laptop where the BIOS doesnt permit me to boot off USB and I got Mandriva on a DVD, I got an external DVD-reader that connects via USB. The laptop has an CD-ROM that I can boot from.

I need some kind of boot-cd that boots the usb device, can anyone help me out with this?

I am currently running Xandros 3.0 Deluxe on the lappy but I feel that Mandriva is better.... Can I start the Mandriva install via Xandros somehow? I have no idea...

Re: Install Mandriva - No USB boot on Laptop
 

I have not heard of someone changing to difffrent distributions from inside a running distribution.
That seems to be, a more complicated path than necessary.
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check what ways your laptop can boot off of. besides, hard-drive, internal cdrom and, floppy.
IF you can boot from any other connection port try that,
if a proper connection for this does not work go to a computer super store and find an adapter that converts from your usb port to the port you can boot from.

lets say for some reason you can boot from the Ethernet port do an NSF install, or find a USB>to>Eth0 converter.


Take back the Dvd and exchange it for the cd set.




Option 1
Find a B!TCHBOX and Look through the dvd for the help, readme files....
Scan for anything that informs you about copying parts of the dvd to floppy to install the base system.
if no floppy disk exists for the computer burn to a CDRW disk.

If nothing about creating boot disks off of the dvd are found, this has just gotten complicated.
ask around for what files you need to copy off of the dvd in order to boot, and install the base system with compilers, flile system, text editor, HD-fromating program, kernel.

then copy these files to one cd-RW! (If this does not boot, you wont waste a disk.)


Option 2
Go to the mandriva website and download the free MINIMAL cdrw-disk-set. install only the base system with the package manager.
Then mount the usb dvd drive and upgrade with the dvd.
OR
Download all that you can with the free disk then upgrade using the DVD.


Option 3 ONLY DO THIS IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY DONE THIS BEFORE AND LET THEM DO IT!!!!!!!
Upgrade the BIOS, so you can boot off the usb.