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Re: newbie: net install via wireless PC card?



on Wed, Mar 10, 2004 at 04:38:25PM -0500, Webster Kelsey (wtk98@hotmail.com) wrote:
> I am trying to install Debian (woody) on an old Thinkpad 560.  I have
> created the rescue, boot and drivers1-4 floppies.
> 
> My only means of loading stuff on to the laptop are the floppy drive and
> wireless card.  I would like to do a network install.  The problem is I
> can't get the system to recognize the card or install the drivers.
> 
> The wireless card is an ATMEL/RFMD chipset PCMCIA card.  How do I make the
> drivers avialable so I can do a newtork install of Debian 3.0?  Can I get
> the drivers to show up in the 'Configure Device Driver Modules' -> 'net'
> menu?

Hopefully useful to someone else if not you.

There are a few tricks to bootstrapping a laptop install:

  - If you have a CDROM:  Knoppix (or the Debian install disks).

  - An alternate PCMCIA card (borrowed for the duration of installation)
    supporting local networking.

  - SLIP or PLIP:  IP over serial or parallel port.  Google for my own
    comments on doing PLIP installation, particularly with IRQless
    parallel ports.  This *won't* be a problem on your 560 AFAIK.  I
    find this method to be highly usable.  Requires a null parallel
    ("laplink") or null serial cable.  You can bootstrap the
    installation itself with Tom's Root Boot (aka tomsrtbt), a
    floppy-based GNU/Linux.

  - Remove the HD and mount elsewhere for installation.  This requires a
    disk caddy capable of handling your laptop HD.


Peace.

-- 
Karsten M. Self <kmself@ix.netcom.com>        http://kmself.home.netcom.com/
 What Part of "Gestalt" don't you understand?
    Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
    temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
    - Benjamin Franklin, 1755

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