Walter Hutchens’ Blog

Well, my first attempt to install Linux isn’t going well. I got nowhere with my Mepis CD. Using the Fedora Core CD that came with my Linux for Non-Geeks book, I created a bootable floppy and was able to get an installer started, but then it quickly snagged.

I was able to choose to install with a graphical interface, tell it English is my language and that I have a US keyboard. But then it asked me a question that I think can be translated as “where is the copy of Linux you want me to install?” I couldn’t get past that point.

The copy of Linux I wanted to install was on a CD that was in an external drive connected to the computer by a PCMCIA card (actually, the CD drive is one I bought for my Mac many years ago, so I had a SCSI-PCMCIA adapter connecting the drive to the computer). Running from a floppy, the computer apparently couldn’t recognize the external CD drive.

The reason I needed a bootable floppy in the first place is that only certain Sony drives will boot the PictureBook. I don’t have one of those.

So, how am I going to install Linux without a CD that will boot my computer?

An apparent workaround is offered here. The person who wrote it is some kind of uber-geek. I laughed aloud when I read it.

A note on installation
The C1VE model which I bought came with no external drives, and Windows ME installed. Since I didn’t have access to an appropriate USB floppy or CD-ROM drive, and wouldn’t need either for day-to-day use (I make my backups, and install new software, across the network), I had to start the Linux installation from the hard disk, but Windows ME doesn’t allow you to run Real Mode DOS programs, such as the Linux bootloaders that worked under, for example, Windows 98. After a lot of stressed fighting with Windows, I succeeded along the following lines:

* Install an appropriate patch to restore access to some form of DOS (the possibility for this is still present in Windows ME, but all ways to reach it are blocked)
* Use a hard disk partitioner (e.g. FIPS) to shrink the FAT hard disk partition and create a small additional partition
* Install a more useful boot manager (e.g. SBM)
* Download Debian 2.88 MB rescue disk, base system and drivers archives
* DD the Debian rescue disk onto the new partition - I couldn’t find a DD that worked under Windows ME, so:

o Download BeOS trial, boot
o Mount new partition, unmount again (so that there’s a /dev entry for it)
o Mount DOS partition, cd to appropriate directory
o dd if=rescue.bin of=/dev/whatever

* Reboot, boot rescue disk from new partition, and continue Debian installation process as normal.

What’s Debian? Install the BE operating system to install Linux? Um, no. I’m going to try to find another way–some kind of network installation? Pay Sony extortion to buy a bootable CD? Give up?