On 05/07/13 18:40, Harry Putnam wrote:
I'd like to try installing debian from an iso file but not burn a disc.
If your machine can boot from a USB flash drive, you can write your Debian CD image to a USB flash drive, boot the USB flash drive, and install Debian:
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/apas02.html.en#howto-getting-images-usb A.2.2. USB memory stickIt's also possible to install from removable USB storage devices. For example a USB keychain can make a handy Debian install medium that you can take with you anywhere.
The easiest way to prepare your USB memory stick is to download any Debian CD or DVD image that will fit on it, and write the CD image directly to the memory stick. Of course this will destroy anything already on the memory stick. This works because Debian CD images are "isohybrid" images that can boot both from CD and from USB drives.
There are other, more flexible ways to set up a memory stick to use the debian-installer, and it's possible to get it to work with smaller memory sticks. For details, see Section 4.3, “Preparing Files for USB Memory Stick Booting”.
Some BIOSes can boot USB storage directly, and some cannot. You may need to configure your BIOS to boot from a “removable drive” or even a “USB-ZIP” to get it to boot from the USB device. For helpful hints and details, see Section 5.1.5, “Booting from USB Memory Stick”.
HTH, David