how to install onto an old ibm thinkpad?

Forum: HD Install
Topic: how to install onto an old ibm thinkpad?
started by: UltraMagnus

Posted by UltraMagnus on Feb. 19 2007,14:20

hi,
i want to install DSL onto an old ibm thinkpad i have, however the problem is that it has no floppy drive, and its CD drive seems to be busted.

i have thought about taking the HDD out and putting it into a USB caddy, but i am not sure where to go from there (I dont have any linux boxen currently running, so it would have to be done from win xp)

what do you guys think i should do?

thanks in advance!

Posted by lucky13 on Feb. 19 2007,15:18

Quote (UltraMagnus @ Feb. 19 2007,09:20)

See this if you can download the ISO (assuming you have Windows up thru 98SE -- not ME, XP, etc. -- installed on the Thinkpad):
< http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Loadlin_Install >

Posted by UltraMagnus on Feb. 19 2007,18:55

i forgot to say, the thinkpad came with a busted HDD, so i have replaced it.... therefore it is blank

thanks for trying to help though

Posted by u2musicmike on Feb. 19 2007,19:27

Installing to your new harddrive from another machine is the way to go. DSL has Knoppix so it will detect hardware just fine when you reinstall the harddrive in the old machine. I wouldn't use loadlin but boot up the DSL cd on your XP machine and plug in the USB drive. I would just make some new ext2 partitions with fdisk on the new drive and run the frugal or harddrive install and point it at a new partition. The one thing to look out for is after the installation you might have change the drive partition in the boot= line in menu.lst if using grub.