In alt.os.linux.slackware, Dave Vandervies dared to utter,
> So, I have a newly-acquired laptop that
> doesn't have a CD drive.
>
> (The short version: I decide to try to install from a USB disk,
> but there's no boot disk that supports it in the distribution, and I'm
> having trouble making my own, so I need some suggestions for how to make
> it work.)

IIRC, bare.i does some checking for USB devices, but it may not check
for a USB CD-ROM. I'm not sure what kernel-level support you need for
that.

> So it looks like I can figure out how to make NFS work on my workstation
> (which probably isn't worth the effort for something that I'd rather not
> have running once I'm done the install anyways), or I can figure out a
> way to do a non-networked, non-CD install.

NFS is probably the easiest way to do this actually.

On your workstation: edit /etc/exports. It should look something like
this:

/PATH/to/slackware 192.168.1.0/24(sync,ro)

Now follow these easy steps:

chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.portmap
/etc/rc.d/rc.portmap start
chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.nfsd
/etc/rc.d/rc.nfsd start

On your laptop, just load te network disk so you have LAN connectivity.
You can try Slackware's included NFS setup steps, but I find it easier
to just go to a root prompt and do the following:

mkdir /nfs
mount -t nfs $IP_OF_NFS_SERVER:/PATH/to/slackware /nfs

Now just use the "install from a pre-mounted directory" option.
Afterwards, do the following on the server:

/etc/rc.d/rc.nfsd stop
/etc/rc.d/rc.portmap stop
chmod -x /etc/rc.d/rc.nfsd
chmod -x /etc/rc.d/rc.portmap

I don't have experience with many USB peripherals, so I can't help you
there. Sorry. :-(

--
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5