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Topic: need bootdisc for computer that can't boot from cd

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edudlive

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Posts: 4
Joined: Jan. 2004

Posted: Jan. 15 2004,23:01

I wanted to install DSL on my old IBM 386 (20mhz and like 128mb HDD lol) and a Packard Bell I have (66mhz...8mb ram...500mb HDD). But neither of these can boot from cd (it isn't an option in the BIOS).

How can I install DSL on these?

edudlive

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Posts: 4
Joined: Jan. 2004

Posted: Jan. 15 2004,23:09

BTW, I did put the "boot.img" on a floppy using rawrite. But all it does it search for my CD-ROM (I think thats what its looking for) and then sits there, never reads from cd.

cbagger01

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Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: Jan. 16 2004,04:40

Copy the KNOPPIX folder from your CD disk into your C:\ drive so you now have C:\KNOPPIX. Then reboot using the boot floppy. It will find the C:\ files and use them instead of the CDROM files.

edudlive

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Posted: Jan. 16 2004,04:45

This computer has no operating system, how am I supposed to create that folder?

cbagger01

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Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: Jan. 16 2004,05:06

Download an floppy-based OS like FreeDOS or search for an old MS-DOS diskette in your junk drawer.

Then FDISK and FORMAT your hard drive to create a 55MB DOS partition (C:\ drive).

Next, boot into freedos / MSDOS and copy the file over into your newly created C:\ drive disk.

Finally, reboot with the DSL boot floppy and it will find the files.

Otherwise, you can grab a floppy-disk based Linux distro like Tom's root boot floppy:

http://www.toms.net/rb/

and use a mini-Linux distro to partition (fdisk) and format (mkdosfs or mke2fs) and (copy) over the files.

Good Luck.

9 replies since Jan. 15 2004,23:01

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Damn Small Linux Board » Damn Small Linux » HD Install » need bootdisc for computer that can't boot from cd