Loading linux from floppy on laptop problem

I have this older toshiba laptop that i keep trying to load linux on, but it only has a floppy drive at the moment...I followed the directions from the site i found for the boot loader...but all i get is this screen that Says LI..... or somthing simlar from just booting disk 1 and it does nothing else...any suggestions?


here is the site with the directions...Thanks


http://linux.simple.be/debian/floppy

LILO?

The full message would be helpful.

Also be aware that the linux boot process takes an eternity in its own right, and check debian HCL information on the laptop's hardware - it may not have a compatible base for the version you're attempting to use (a common problem for laptop installations using subset distro's - if not Linux in general due to its poor hardware driver layer)

Blimey Chris, them thar is fightin' words! It'd be trivial to point out that live boot CDs work bloody excellently on most hardware...

You should get it to work, but you might want to look for other floppy distros.

It would be trivial to point that out, however you're not the only person to have used live cd's and I have by no means had a smooth ride with them on a number of different hardware configurations. Now, that may say something about my odd-ball hardware... but it may also mean - "bring it on"

i tried knoppix two times. second time (on a second PC) the lan didnt work though i think with the first PC it was no problem
speed wasnt bad considering it was just a live cd... but it couldn't handle my card reader either (and this was why i booted from knoppix in the first place lol)

Sounds like it doesn't like your bios. This problem was common on older versions of LILO.

I would suggest getting another bootdisk, and for that matter, trying a distribution (ANY distribution) other than Debian if it is your first time! Believe me, it is not the one you want to start out with (Ok, peanut linux was my worst experience (and first ) ever).

Although I do not like the distribution for normal use, I would suggest starting out with something like Fedora Core. Something is telling me to avoid Mandriva. (Mandrake 9.2 was ok)

Anyways, new bootdisk, using syslinux if possible (google it up).

EDIT: Cmonex, those proprietary kinds of cf card readers can't expected to just work, it takes some jiggling (and maybe downloading the cd of dropline gnome to have it do the jiggling for you. )

Edited by ProgramSynthesiser 2005-11-13 10:34 PM

Chris,
that was the full meassage i just forgot how many dots was after the LI


Ive tried google.....and other search sorces, When i try a search for a floppy distro it shows these linux one and 2 disk floppy systems, wich i need somthing with some extencive instruction anyway........Im not dead set on linux, i just cant really dind anything with proper instruction...i tired bsd wich the boot worked but then it asks for some file that doesnt exsist on the ftp site....very frustrating...defnintly not like the CD distros ive tried for the desktop...by the way this is a toshiba T3400ct that has been upgraded to an AMD 586 and a ibm 1gb hd with a ram maxed out @ 20mb...i got it for $15 of of ebay..loads windows floppy distros just fine.....Steve

Edited by thcrw739 2005-11-14 1:30 AM

Another funny thing to add but off topic from the linux..I have this powerbook 5300 i picked up as well...i dont even know if it even works right...i mean it turns on and load its os, but i cnat seem to figue out much else about it..it does run a bit slow....but from what i have read i guess it could be from the os 9?

Hi,

C:Amie: the string that LILO shows when booting are just that ( "LILO" ) , although you can get some info on possible causes, provided that you research a little. About hardware, maybe it's a bit harder to find compatible drivers and to get them to work, but it's quite easy afterwards.

thcrw739, Group: you can get more info on what's causing the error here in either this or this other link. Or maybe using grub or loadlin could be useful to you??

Hope this helps

Edited by matrixcore 2005-11-14 2:01 AM

Lilo only doesn't work when you use an old version. But as many boot floppies use syslinux now, there should not be a problem. The key words there would be boot floppies.

If you are starting with Linux, do not waste your time with floppy distros. They are way too advanced. Find a boot floppy, Slackware would be fine. Just anything to get the cd install to run. And, as I said before, start with a different distribution, such as Fedora Core, and use a boot disk from that, if available.

this is not a proprietary card reader. it just has many slots and creates a lot of disks (4 of them under XP)

*cough*proprietary*cough*

-

Well that'd be great if i had a cd-rom drive to use, but as stated i only have floppy drive.....

PS: it WAS recognized by Knoopix,

Cmonex: It's propietary, but it could've worked, anyday you wanna try you'll see it works, one just needs to know how to talk to it (which was the missing point back then)

Both: the thing that prevented her to work with it, it was just that i didn't knew the correct device name (it was /dev/uba* not /dev/sda*), but i'm 100% sure it was detected.

Thcrw739: Boot any DOS flavour, (preferently install it in the HDD) and load Linux from there using loadlin. it'll save you from many headaches related to LILO

Edited by matrixcore 2005-11-16 12:59 AM

mhm, yeah, but i dont feel like experimenting right now
when i get a little time to try jlime, i will have to