how to install linux...

all the sites i went to to download a linux dist said I have to install it from a cd, and their directions were to burn a cd with the images on it blah blah blah...but I don't have a cd burner. And I don't want to buy the linux cd either. (I guess I'm a little too picky). Is there any other way I can install linux?

There was a linux dist. that really looked good (http://www.trustix.net, since I'm going to run a server), but still I needed a cd burner. But there was another problem with this one: it said it wasn't compatible with scsi or something, which I have no clue what that is. But a computer that I'm lookin to buy online does have scsi. :confused:

-Mike

Umm, you're out of luck on the cd-r thing basically unless you get a linux on a floppy kind. And about scsi, it's a type of HDD, and I'm almost positive you don't have it since you don't know what it is, so don't worry about it.

Download the slackware bootdisk and install over ftp.

I was warned a while back about downloading linux online, something about how its only a partial download and does not give you all the features or something. Didnt bother with the ftp versions and just forked out the 30 bucks to buy the disk. Was a very simple install, and I feel was alot smother than having to fight with connection speeds, download times, ect.

Simple. Just download the ISOs and PM me when it's done. I'll give you a program that you can use to extract them to a DOS partition and then install them from a boot floppy.
Cheers,
cgkanchi

what distribution should I download (and where) that would be compatible with an older computer (less than 500mhz, scsi drive, maybe isa....) and includes some services -- web and mail at least?

sorry, i didn't see your post cgkanchi. not that it matters, but would I be booting linux from the floppy every time, or am I just using the floppy to install it?

The distro I'd recommend would be RedHat 7.3. However, that's quite a large download (1GB+) so you might want to look for something smaller. Also, you'd only be using the floppy to install your Linux system. You could also use a boot floppy to boot your system every time but that would be your choice (i.e it's not necessary). Post any other questions you have on this thread, I am now subscribed to it.
Cheers,
cgkanchi

i bid on a server on eBay that I won, and it has a scsi drive. The linux dist. that I really want to install on it says (or, what I think it says) that it doesn't support scsi. The page is here if you could please check it out and make sure I'm interpreting it correctly, that would be great.

Thanks
-Mike

Yanksfan > You may want to fix your link... You accidentally entered the wrong info into the two prompts... you should have placed "here" in the first prompt and the URL in the second. As it stands now, the only way to access the link is to copy and paste it.

AJ

Also, if you want Secure Linux, install another Linux distro and just download a version of SelLinux that you can add to the kernel and recompile. There are many such available... hell, even the NSA offers one here (though who knows what kind of spy ware they decided to put into it): http://www.nsa.gov/selinux/index.html

AJ

I hope this isn't posted already, but there's a method to install linux without having a CD-RW, partition your drives, copy the iso to a path, boot from a floppy mount the image and install from HDD.
Here's an example how you do that (taken from slackware faq)

source: http://www.slackware.org/faq/do_faq....installation#1

Q: How do I install from the ISO9660 image if I don't have a CD-R or CD-RW drive (or "I have no way to burn this image that I just downloaded.")?

With loopback of course! You can mount the ISO9660 image on the kernel loopback device from another filesystem.

For example, say you download the ISO9660 image under Windows. Boot the Slackware boot and root disks for your system. Assuming your Windows partition is /dev/hda1 and you downloaded the ISO9660 image to C:, issue these commands:

mkdir -p /dos
mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /dos
cd /dos
mknod /dev/loop0 b 7 0
mkdir /INSTALL
mount -o loop /dos/install.iso /INSTALL

You can then tell the Slackware setup program to install from a premounted directory and pass it /INSTALL/slakware. This trick can also be used if you cannot make a valid CD with your burner.

Have fun!

I haven't tried this myself... but that's the answer

you know i have a drinking game about linux, its realy simple. for every step that you sucessfully complete take a shot of your choice liquer. belive me, this used to cost alot back on my 486. tho with how user friendly the install programs are getting to be recently this game isnt as fun as it used to be......

Quote:

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Q: Why don't you support my ISA network/SCSI/coffee making adapter?
A:
Our reasoning is plainly and simply that the ISA architechture introduces many possible errors on your system (for instance, unlike PCI devices, you cannot reliably probe for devices, if you did, chances are your system locks solid). In addition, the age of the ISA bus shows, both in speed and reliability and since you already need somewhat a modern PC to run TSL in the first place, we thought we should save you from even considering it.

Why is speed an issue? An ISA network adapter can not keep up with a 100Mbps network. A SCSI controller on ISA is at best the bottleneck of your system, and will hurt you even more than the network card. You really don't want either on a server, and that is what TSL is made for.

Note that ISA video cards will probably work quite well, because these generally require no specific software support for just a text terminal.

---

It doesn't say that they don't support SCSI, but SCSI adapters (among others) when
attached to the ISA bus If the machine has PCI, you're good to go.
:cool:

oh, i got it, thanks everyone