Install from Zip drive

Forum: Laptops
Topic: Install from Zip drive
started by: up2somthng

Posted by up2somthng on Jan. 24 2004,10:45

I also have an old IBM TP 365x (no cdrom) and am trying to get dsl installed to its hard drive. What I would like to do is a clean install; I mean completely delete the w95 that's currently occupying the drive and start from scratch. I was looking through my "stockpile" of computer paraphernalia and noticed I had a parallel Zip 100 drive hanging around. I copied all of the files from the iso onto the zip disk, built the boot drive and hoped for the best. Almost predictably it didn't detect the zip drive, which leads me to my question...

Any ideas on how I can get this idea to fly?

Posted by Ekylypse on Jan. 24 2004,15:19

Well, I, myself, do not own a zip drive, but I suspect that your computer needs to detect it during boot. And it wont probe the paralell port?
I'm guessing it wont do it because of the old mobo. I want to find a way to make a full online install, and maybe john would take that into consideration for helping people.
Not exactally sure it would work though. ]

Your Idea with the zip drive is a good one, but Your mobo wont probe the paralell port on boot, look in Bios settings and such for that.
Thats all, I know, I dont have one.

Posted by libretto on Jan. 24 2004,21:50

Hi there

Take a look on the www.tldp.org website and you can find a few guides on using zip drives, inc installing with them and using them.

Thats a point better get my parallel zip drive and see if I can get it to work! :S

Posted by up2somthng on Jan. 24 2004,23:30

I am thinking along the lines of a modification to the boot floopy, or maybe something that can be loaded after the boot floppy that would allow the zip drive to be accessed.

Posted by libretto on Jan. 24 2004,23:36

I think your getting there, i think oyu have the main files on the zip drive, then you use a boot floppy (with a small kernel?) to mount the zip and use it. Sorry havent done it personally, as I said take a look at the guides on TLDP

Posted by cbagger01 on Jan. 25 2004,05:40

Do not destroy the Win95 partition without saving a backup copy of your Thinkpad-specific drivers and utilities.

You may need these utilities in the future, maybe as part of a dual-boot system.

Posted by up2somthng on Jan. 25 2004,06:42

sage advice - I have a cd with all of the files I will need (downloaded from ibm). I will admit though, that if I get this working I will not be going back to windows. I have another laptop, one for work, and my personal pc all still using windows - I have no shortage of windows exposure -

Thanks for the advice so far, I have been checking out the tldp and came across zip drive install instructions that were for debian 3.x... not sure if they are really going to help or not, but I am still on the path. I will of course update with any progress I make.

Posted by Ekylypse on Jan. 25 2004,13:15

Why dont you try this: Take Boot image, Put it on Floppy, With modifications to it so that it will boot the LPT1 and that should be how to do it. If not I know of another Possible way. You would need to keep Win95. Though Your IBM CD should work properly, You probably need to Update Bios.:D