RE: tlug: install to no-CD notebook

[Matt Gushee <matt@example.com>]

Micheal Cooper writes:

 > Would a Linux install recognize a PCMCIA CD, (especially on such an old
 > machine)?

My limited experience suggests:

PCMCIA is not likely to be a problem. AFAIK, it's a very standard
standard; RedHat supports PCMCIA devices on install, and I imagine
TurboLinux does too. Don't know about Debian or Slackware.

You should be careful about what CD-ROM you buy, though. There are
some that use proprietary (Windows-only) drivers. If it were me, I'd
probably buy a SCSI CD-ROM and a general-purpose PCMCIA SCSI
adapter. The initial cost would be considerably higher, but then you'd
have a SCSI adapter that could be used with various devices, and a
CD-ROM that could be connected to any computer with a SCSI adapter.

 > Would it be possible to use the modem to connect to one of the desktops and
 > install it that way?

A ppp connection? I think that question has been asked and answered in 
the last day or two. My sense is it's not impossible, but it's
probably more trouble than it's worth.

 > I now I can set up serial connections under w95, but when running w95, I
 > probably have no space for another partition in which to put the files. It
 > might be possible, though. So where is the FAQ on doing this?

The partitioning program is FIPS. I'm afraid I don't remember exactly
where to find info, but the first place I'd look is the Linux
Documentation Project at

http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/

But I don't know if you really want to download a whole Linux
distribution over a slow internet connection. I did my first Linux
install that way, and it was a "character-building experience." Since
it was RedHat, I couldn't download everything, so I carefully read the 
package lists and selected only what seemed to be necessary ... and of 
course I made some wrong guesses, so I had to repeat the process 3 or
4 times before I had a working system. It took hours and hours, and
... well, if you're single, your wife won't be upset with you about
the phone bills, but you might be upset with yourself. I think CD-ROM
is very much the low-stress approach.

Regards,
Matt Gushee
Oshamanbe, Hokkaido
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