Is it possible to install openSUSE from hard disk using gnome/kde live cd iso?
Not using the dvd.
Has anyone been successful?
If it’s not possible now,“will be possible in near future”?
No, not as far as I know; probably not - but there are other developments in the ways in which distros can be installed which may change the overall situation.
Which development?
I was thinking of incremental upgrades from the repositories; it was discussed in a thread some time ago. But developments like opemSUSE Studio are changing the ways in which people create and install distributions. So I am assuming that, as these technologies mature, they may open new ways of installing distros generally.
I think it should be possible. The reason for saying this is, that I had to install 11.1 on an Eee PC with no CD or DVD some time ago. It did not boot from an USB stick either (lousy BIOS). Unfortunately I took no notes, but I can remember, that I did a lot of reading in the installation guides, then - on another computer - mounted the installation DVD, copied it over to the external USB HD, made that one bootable, attached it to the Eee PC and booted/installed from the external HD.
An external HDD should be no problem, treat it like an USB stick, mind about where GRUB gets installed…Even from an internal HDD, I think it can be done, in fact I don’t see why not.
I’ve used the LiveCDs before to install openSUSE, so yes, they can be used to install to HD.