Install from HDD "LiveCD"

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hi All,

I have been using PCLOS for the last couple years, but recently, my Toshiba Portege R100 is not happy with it.

I want to try Suse on this notebook, but there is a snag!

This is a “sub” notebook and does not support CD boot. (Nope, not at all, unless I want to pay a ridiculous price for a special Toshiba 16 bit pcmcia cable)

I have been playing with “LiveCD” versions of PCLOS by installing (extracting the cd .iso file) to a small partition on my HDD and creating a specialized boot menu in grub’s menu.lst as follows:

title Live-CD
kernel (hd0,6)/isolinux/vmlinuz bootfrom=/dev/hda7 noscsi vga=788
initrd (hd0,6)/isolinux/initrd.gz

This works for PCLOS versions (Minime/Sam) but I haven’t got it working for anything else (Sidux/mandriva/suse).

I know for suse I need to put the proper path to the kernel and initrd files (linux and initrd for suse), but the computer hangs after saying it can’t find the cd drive and reboots after 120 seconds.

Any ideas? Thanks for your help.

Dulwithe, The Dark Shadow!

#2

I have done the “poor man’s” install before with PCLOS because of a sata/nv module bug kept it from booting. I have never tried this with Suse. I had to follow the how to for PCLOS. I couldn’t have done it on my own. There are other install options for opensuse:

If you can boot from USB
SuSE install from USB drive - openSUSE

Net Install
Network Install - openSUSE

#3

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, CAN’T boot from USB, that’s why I have to do a “LiveCD” via a small HDD partition.

Net Install doesn’t seem to let a person try SUSE’s LiveCD.

As much as I am having troubles with my present install, I don’t want to install a new OS without trying it as “Live” first. Plus, I don’t know that the net install as outlined will work in my situation.

D.