Re: installing on laptop

[Heather <star@betelgeuse.starshine.org>]

> Another idea:
> 
> If you already have a somewhat working OS of another type 
> you could always go the install-from-harddrive route.  
> I've done that a couple of times.  Using a prior monopolistic 
> OS, I downloaded the dos tools (loadlin fips etc), the 
> kernel (linux), the diskette images boot.bin, root.bin, 
> drivers.bin, and the base system (base_2_2.tgz), etc.  I 
> then defragmented my big FAT partition in the old OS, and 
> then shrunk its partition with fips, and started linux with 
> 'loadlin linux initrd=boot.bin'.  Went pretty smoothly.  But 
> if something goes wrong you could end up without an OS at
> all.

And, a "somewhat working OS" for this context, could be kickstarted by
a rescue disk setup, possibly.  As long as the other half still boots.
So for example, your Windows could be in broken-DLL hell, but as long
as you're able to boot on it at all (safe mode + command prompt only?) 
you can then invoke the loadlin startup sequence.

This may seem obvious but I think it's worth mentioning:
	- don't format the partition containing your install kit -
...at least not until you're installed the new way and are successfully
booting.  After that you can wipe it and turn it into a new fs mounted at
/usr/local/mp3 for all we care :)


* Heather Stern * star@ many places...