Here is how I would try it. (doesn't mean it will work, let us know!)
If you have windoze on it, skip to copy files
I would grab a dos systems disk with fdisk.exe on it and put a dos partition.
format it for dos with:
format c: /s
copy loadlin.exe and txt_boot.img off the cd (leave cd in drive)
write a batchfile
install.bat
loadlin txt_boot.img
during install remove dos partition. (Unless of course you want to save it)
James Riches wrote:
> Hi. I�m having some problems installing Mandrake Linux 7.0 on my Texas
> Instruments laptop and I�d appreciate some help. I realise that laptops can be
> very problematic, but it�s all I have at the moment, so I would like to
> install linux on it if possible. I�ll explain the history of my problems a bit
> so that noone wastes their time writing answers that I already know. However,
> my main questions involve being able to run the autoboot (from DOS) in text
> mode, and also the files necessary for an installation from the hard drive (in
> a DOS partition).
>
> My laptop can only have the CD _or_ the floppy drive in at the one time, not
> both. And as my CDROM is not bootable, I thought that the 2nd installation
> option (running autoboot from DOS) would be best. At first I had problems with
> it hanging, but that was resolved with the new autoboot file from the Mandrake
> website. However, a later problem with an error number 111 (errno=111) cropped
> up and I was told that it was a problem recognising my monitor or video card.
> I was also told that it could be avoided by running the installation in text
> mode. I couldn�t see how to do that with the autoboot file, so I moved onto
> the next installation mode.
>
> Next problem was the text mode installation. I copied the boot_txt.img file
> onto a floppy (with rawrite) and the installation went swimmingly until it
> asked me to insert the CDROM, or where it was, or something similar. Now, I
> can�t boot from a floppy and then change the floppy and the CDROM over, so I
> can�t see how I can proceed that way.
>
> I thought about an installation from the hard drive, but I don�t have that
> much space, and I wouldn�t be able to copy all of the files from the CD to the
> hard drive. If there were only about 100MB of files to copy and I knew which
> ones they were, then it would be OK, but at the moment it doesn�t seem to be
> an option.
>
> So, eventually, we come to my questions.
> 1. Does anyone know a way to get autoboot to run in text mode? That would, I
> believe, solve all of my problems.
>
> 2. What are the minimum files that must be loaded onto the hard drive for this
> installation, and how do you get this method to run in text mode? (with the
> boot_txt.img that I made, it seemed to assume that it was to be a loading from
> CDROM)
>
> 3. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I�d prefer not to have to use
> another distribution, like Debian, if possible, as I have the Mandrake disk
> here.
>
> So, if anyone can help me with my problem, I�d really appreciate it. Thanks in
> advance.
>
> Jamie
