Etherboot via PCMCIA for cdrom-less laptops
Salve!
I wanted to make a new way to install Debian on a cdrom-less
laptop possible - but rom-o-matic does not support PCMCIA
network cards.
By using knoppix-terninalserver in an local network, the laptop
could by be installed quite comfortable. The only problem
would be to place that bootimage on the laptop.
For exotic small laptops like libretto would be great to read
the bootrom into ram-disk first and than to plug in the PCMCIA
network adapter.
(I know how to palace the Libretto hd into my insprion 4000
in less than 40 seconds - but I want to write for other users
how to make it without deinstalling the hd)
Booting Knoppix on an Laptop without installing would be
great for testing the GNU/Linux support for that hardware.
(BTW IMHO is a Laptop-config Database as part of Debian
distributions missing. A skript could be used to install
the most perfect known support of hardware on that laptop.
Webpages are fading form the net after 4-6 years, the
laptops are mostly live longer ;)
OK, back to the small bootimage with PCMCIA network
card support. An other Debian / Knoppix laptop could
be used to plug in the PCMCIA-network adapter the
user wanted to use and a skript on that machine
will create a bootimage that fit to this adapter.
This boot-image could be written to
hd
cdrw
a partiton
a file
send as email
Knoppix could serve this image with its webserver
to be downloaded form the other PC.
Question, could Debian be booted from Dos-Modus?
I found mknbi, but I do not know if this support
PCMCIA, too.
Proably PCMCIA will not fit on one 1,44MB fd,
so it must be loaded with an second fd.
But remember laptops with pcmcia fd and network,
this image must be read first bevore the network
adapter could be pluged in.
It's a pitty, that I'm not yet skilled enough to fork
it myself. So mybe you are interesed in this :)
See:
http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=972
Greetings
rob
PS: I must say, this mailing list is the GNU/Linux-place
I like most - you are very kind and I haven't forget to
use your help for using blackbox instead KDE
- I will write about how to chage - soon ;)
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