Want to install using a floppy and Ethernet, help!

Forum: HD Install
Topic: Want to install using a floppy and Ethernet, help!
started by: BlackDragon

Posted by BlackDragon on Feb. 06 2005,19:51

As the title explains, I want to install DSL onto the harddrive but don't have a clue how to get it done. I expect to accomplish this task with a boot floppy and the iso shared from a NFS file server, but some details would be nice!

Some of the system specs:
Hitatchi C-100T
Pentium 100Mhz
8MB RAM (looking for some cheap used upgrade)
Linksys PCM100 10/100 Ethernet PC Card (PCMCIA)
Floppy drive

Possibly useful:
Parallel port
Parallel 100MB Iomega ZIP Drive

Posted by cbagger01 on Feb. 09 2005,05:54

Methinks you should double your RAM before trying anything.

You should be able to boot into console text mode with 12MB of RAM and might be able to get X-Windows up and running if you can install a DOS swap file or a Linux swap partition and activate it while still running under text mode.

My advice is to take the contents of the CD-R disk's \KNOPPIX\ folder and copy it over to C:\KNOPPIX\
on your hard drive.

Then create a boot floppy and try booting with this command at the boot prompt:

dsl 2 vga=normal

Then snoop around and have some fun. Search the forums and the site documentation for keywords like "cfdisk" and "hard AND disk AND install".

Good Luck.

Posted by BlackDragon on Feb. 11 2005,01:00

I found the information that I wanted here:
< http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/talk/node/66 >

And yes, I know I need more RAM. In fact, as I type this, I'm fooling around with a 32mb stick that I found online but I can't seem to make the system boot to anything with the new stick in the slot. Hmm... I'm about to give up.