> I am attempting to install Debian on a Sony VAIO PictureBook w/o a
> bootable CDROM drive. I have an Addonics Pocket CD98 drive running thru
> the PCMCIA slot. I'm unable to find a PCMCIA boot image I can load onto
> a diskette (as is available w. Mandrake). Does anyone know where I can
> source one of these or do a workaround?
That's exactly the model of CD bay that I used for my own Magio setup.
1: my Magio doesn't have any delusion of being able to boot from the PCMCIA
bay. I have no experience with any machine that does, tho I was
offered a beta BIOS for my box that might. So if that's the question
you're asking, sorry.
2: You don't need a whole "image" for PCMCIA support, you just need to
actually go down the list and pick the PCMCIA bay drivers at the
right time.
Total two or three diskettes.
The right place in the puzzle, is after you've partitioned the drive,
but before "install the base image" in the suggested actions. You can
always scroll down off the suggestion and alternate suggestions into
the menu below, where loading PCMCIA services is offered.
3: For about 12 diskettes you can load all of Base from floppies, then
reboot to an environment which, in theory, has working card services.
4: I've described "installing debian by skipping the debian installer" on this
list before, you'll need a tomsrtbt, and access to the debian list
archives for a copy of my notes :) Tomsrtbt can be gotten via Windows
boxen if necessary. possible glitch: Toms' doesn't work too well
with USB based floppies. I think the newer Sonys have USB floppies,
for which you'd need a new kernel kit on a tomsrtbt. Workaround, yes,
but *lots* of work.
5: The ultimate workaround is physically remove the disk, mount it in another
machine, and load it up there, then put it back. You *will* want to
re-run /sbin/lilo once the drive is back home - a handful of laptop
models will not properly boot otherwise.
(unrelated, but...)
6: once you boot on the new setup you will want to edit /etc/lilo.conf and add
append="apm=on"
to your booting stanza and re-run /sbin/lilo, otherwise you'll be
back with our favorite FAQ...
"So I booted up and it says something like APM Disabled By User.
*I* sure the heck didn't, so ???"
Hope that helps, let us know if you need more.
* Heather Stern * star@ many places...
