Laptops :: IBM 560X



Hi All,
I'd like to try DSL on my old 560X. It only has a floppy drive and the bios doesn't support booting from USB.
Which files do I need to download? There are so many options!
Please make all instructions suitable for an idiot - Me!
Thanks
Stuart
You could buy a 2.5 to 3.5 ide adapter, remove and connect the Hard Drive to a desktop and frugal install from a live CD, then move it back. Or move it to another laptop. Frugal install will fresh detect hardware on each boot - don't save the settings until it is back on your laptop.
hello Stuart,

i'm using the current version, 3.1, on a TP 560X.

fwiw, i did all the following with neither a CD nor floppy. moreover, because it's a very functional win95 -- works with a wireless connection, etc -- i chose not to play with the partitions. iow, whenever i want to run Linux, i boot to dos and run a batch file.

here's the short play on how i did this:

i downloaded the ISO in win95, and used Isobuster 1.7 to extract the relevant files to my hard drive. then i downloaded Loadlin, and wrote a text file for it so i can run DSL from a command prompt.

now here's the long version, step by step:

1. downloaded DSL ISO

2. opened .iso file in Isobuster

there are 3 folders and an index.htm file.

3. extracted the Knoppix folder, as named, to the root directory.  

C:\Knoppix

4. extracted the sub folder Isolinux, it's inside the Boot folder, in same manner.

C:\Isolinux

5. downloaded Loadlin.exe and placed it inside the Isolinux folder

6. using a text editor, wrote a file called options.txt

===========
options.txt

linux24
root=/dev/ram
fromhd=/dev/hda1
rw
initrd=minirt24.gz
vga=788
ramdisk_size=100000
init=/etc/init
lang=us
apm=power-off
nomce
noapic
quiet
BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix
dosswapfile

=============

7. booted to Dos and at the command prompt changed directories -- CD \Isolinux -- and then typed loadlin @options.txt to start up DSL.

and that was all it took!

fyi, a couple of notes regarding the Thinkpad 560X:

upon loading you'll be asked some questions. in answer to them you'll need to chose the XFBdev option to handle the video card for the X-server, the 560X needs frame buffering. and you must say no to USB for the mouse, and then (mileage may vary) i said yes to the next option, IMPS2.

then, after DSL loads, you?ll want to setup a dos swapfile. you'll need it to compensate for the lack of memory. the 560X is limitted to 96mb. i have 64mb and i?ve needed the swapfile to run either Firefox and/or Abiword. I also need it for Java -- right click on the empty desktop and when the dropdown DSL menu appears, choose System, Setup Dos Swapfile. make it at least 100MB.

lastly, save your settings, either to floppy -- fd0 -- or hard drive. i saved mine to my D: partition -- hda5. btw, it's the same dropdown menu as it is for the swapfile. this time use Backup/Restore.

good luck with this, i hope i?ve helped but let me know if otherwise, or if you need some clarification on what i wrote.

perhaps, too, other's might be able to suggest refinements, such as additions or subtractions for my options text file. i'm not what i'd call Linux conversant.

best to ya

rich

original here.