* I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
* I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.
* I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting from
the network - the laptop has none
* What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
and installs fine from my desktop system). Can I do this using a floppy
root/boot set ?
Thanks
Paul

"paul" <paul.horan@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:C1Czf.11838$F_3.2189@newssvr29.news.prodigy.n et...
>* I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.
> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting from
> the network - the laptop has none
> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
> and installs fine from my desktop system). Can I do this using a floppy
> root/boot set ?

Does it have USB? Can you borrow a USB CD drive, or USB network port?

It's certainly possible to boot a system from a laptop and CD. CD's actually
boot by having a laptop image stashed on them. One problem is that they're
getting bigger, and may not fit well on 1.44 MB floppy without a lot of
hacking.

Nico,
I have a valid boot cd but the laptop will not recognize it even though
the bios allows boot from CD. I checked out the CD on my desktop and it
works fine.
The laptop does have a usb port but I do not have any usb storage
devices.
I was hoping to boot from floppy and then access the installer on the
CD. This may not be practical.
Thanks,
Paul

"Nico Kadel-Garcia" <nkadel@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:h_idnTBLu7q8Y1PeRVn-hQ@comcast.com...
>
> "paul" <paul.horan@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:C1Czf.11838$F_3.2189@newssvr29.news.prodigy.n et...
>>* I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
>> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.
>> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting
>> from the network - the laptop has none
>> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
>> and installs fine from my desktop system). Can I do this using a floppy
>> root/boot set ?
>
> Does it have USB? Can you borrow a USB CD drive, or USB network port?
>
> It's certainly possible to boot a system from a laptop and CD. CD's
> actually boot by having a laptop image stashed on them. One problem is
> that they're getting bigger, and may not fit well on 1.44 MB floppy
> without a lot of hacking.
>

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:35:30 GMT, paul
<paul.horan@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> * I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.
> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting from
> the network - the laptop has none
> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
> and installs fine from my desktop system). Can I do this using a floppy
> root/boot set ?
> Thanks
> Paul
>
>
Look for Smart Boot Manager. With that, you can make a floppy that will
boot from the CDROM on most PCs even if the BIOS does not support
booting from CD.

--
No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.

Bill,
Thanks for the help. I will try this and let you know the results.
Thanks,
Paul

"Bill Marcum" <bmarcum@iglou.com> wrote in message
news:muu4a3-t96.ln1@don.localnet...
> On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:35:30 GMT, paul
> <paul.horan@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> * I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
>> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.
>> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting
>> from
>> the network - the laptop has none
>> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
>> and installs fine from my desktop system). Can I do this using a floppy
>> root/boot set ?
>> Thanks
>> Paul
>>
>>
> Look for Smart Boot Manager. With that, you can make a floppy that will
> boot from the CDROM on most PCs even if the BIOS does not support
> booting from CD.
>
> --
> No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.

paul wrote:
> "Bill Marcum" <bmarcum@iglou.com> wrote in message
>> <paul.horan@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>> * I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
>>> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot
>>> from it.
>>> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on
>>> booting from the network - the laptop has none
>>> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it
>>> is readable and installs fine from my desktop system). Can I
>>> do this using a floppy root/boot set ?
>>>
>> Look for Smart Boot Manager. With that, you can make a floppy
>> that will boot from the CDROM on most PCs even if the BIOS does
>> not support booting from CD.
>>
> Thanks for the help. I will try this and let you know the results.

Please don't top-post. I fixed this one as an example, but omitted
snipping. Please read the following URLs:

http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html
http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/2000/06/14/quoting.html
http://www.i-hate-computers.demon.co.uk/
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/g.mccaugha...ks/uquote.html

--
"If you want to post a followup via groups.google.com, don't use
the broken "Reply" link at the bottom of the article. Click on
"show options" at the top of the article, then click on the
"Reply" at the bottom of the article headers." - Keith Thompson
More details at: <http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/>

paul <paul.horan@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> * I have a gateway 9100 laptop.

Maybe you do, but my guess is that it's most likely a Gateway _Solo_ 9100.`
(You'll get better and more useful help if you provide _accurate_
information.)

> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.

First, you didn't say _what_ Debian install CD. Second, "will not boot
from it" is your _interpretation_. People trying to help you don't need
your interpretation; they need the raw, observed data, related
accurately and in chronological order.

> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting from
> the network - the laptop has none

To do that, you would need to adjust the laptop's BIOS Setup program, to
change the boot order. Also, be prepared to try quite a few floppies in
order to find a set that are sufficiently reliable to write and then
read them without error. Floppy quality tends to be absolutely
terrible, these days, and you need a basically perfect set.

> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
> and installs fine from my desktop system).

Yes, good. That's a start. Now, can you also verify that at least one
other bootable CD successfully boots on your laptop? Knowing that would
validate your assumption that there's nothing wrong with the laptop's
hardware (and hardware configuration) concerned with booting the laptop.

> Can I do this using a floppy root/boot set ?

Yes.

--
Cheers, "He who hesitates is frost."
Rick Moen -- Inuit proverb
rick@linuxmafia.com

paul wrote:
> * I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.
> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting from
> the network - the laptop has none
> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
> and installs fine from my desktop system). Can I do this using a floppy
> root/boot set ?
> Thanks
> Paul

I suspect your BIOS setttings aren't correct (you need to check on each
device in the boot order for available parameters, especially Network
Boot options) -- but if you really need a rescue CD and/or Floppy to
Boot CD, then see this;
http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-r...looplinux/rip/

Answer Rick's questions too - IIRC, that Laptop should most definitely
be able to boot from CDROM - heck, I have a 1995 P-Pro that boots from
CDROM

iforone wrote:
> I suspect your BIOS setttings aren't correct ....
[snip]

....or the Laptop's CDROM drive is dead!

I know you said the Debian CD works on the Desktop, but CDROMs can be
finicky too

-- have you run an MD5 Checksum on the Debian ISO you d/led ?
-- can you boot to ANY CD on the laptop ?
you could try burning the ISO at a slower burn speed

Rick,
My apologies on inaccurate information. Thanks for the help.

> * I have a gateway 9100 laptop.
> Maybe you do, but my guess is that it's most likely a Gateway _Solo_
> 9100.`
> (You'll get better and more useful help if you provide _accurate_
> information.)

Yes it is a Gateway _Solo_ 9100. Please note, the 9100 has a dvd drive
instead of the usual cd drive.

>> * I created a debian install cd but the laptop will not boot from it.
> First, you didn't say _what_ Debian install CD. Second, "will not boot
> from it" is your _interpretation_. People trying to help you don't need
> your interpretation; they need the raw, observed data, related
> accurately and in chronological order.

The install is debian-31r1a-i386-netinst.iso. The cd rom boots on my
desktop but the 9100 does not seem to recognize the cd as a bootable device.

>> * I created a floppy boot & root floppy set but it insists on booting
>> from
>> the network - the laptop has none
> To do that, you would need to adjust the laptop's BIOS Setup program, to
> change the boot order. Also, be prepared to try quite a few floppies in
> order to find a set that are sufficiently reliable to write and then
> read them without error. Floppy quality tends to be absolutely
> terrible, these days, and you need a basically perfect set.

The 9100's bios is set to boot from cd, it appears to start reading the cd
but ends up booting windows on the hdd.

>> * What I want to accomplish is to load Debian from the cd (it is readable
>> and installs fine from my desktop system).
> Yes, good. That's a start. Now, can you also verify that at least one
> other bootable CD successfully boots on your laptop? Knowing that would
> validate your assumption that there's nothing wrong with the laptop's
> hardware (and hardware configuration) concerned with booting the laptop.
>
I have not been able to verify this. Any suggestions ?

Thank,
Paul