Re: Help Regarding Booting to Linux

[Martin WHEELER <mwheeler@startext.co.uk>]

On Sun, 16 Jan 2000, Srikanth.K. wrote:

>     Can any one tell me how to load linux from floppies.  I don't want
> to install it on my hard disk and when ever I need I want to boot from
> floppies.  I don't want all the X-windows features but only the minimal
> features for developing and playing around with the kernel source

If you've got access to the web, go to:

     http://www.toms.net/

and grab yourself a copy of tomsrtbt (Tom's Root/Boot disk).
There are also lots of pointers from this site to other 1-disk, 2-disk,
3-disk, etc., floppy installations, which will meet your requirements.

I *always* go round with a copy of tomsrtbt in my shirt pocket; and have
had countless occasions to use it as a rescue disk.  It's a lifesaver.

I have also used hacked versions of 1-disk Linux boot disks to boot from a
100Mb Zip disk I carry around, to run a more fully-featured Linux from a
Zip drive I plug into the serial port at the back of any machine I want to
use/get into. It's a relatively simple and easy hack (the painful part is
paying for the Zip drive and disk[s]!) -- just recompile the kernel to
auto-configure for your particular flavour of Zip drive, and use this for
the boot image on the single floppy.

If you want to play with kernel compiles on a regular basis, this is
probably the best way to go.

(BTW, there's also a Zip HOWTO that's full of useful information.)

Hope this helps,

msw
-- 
Martin Wheeler         -         StarTEXT - Glastonbury - BA6 9PH - England
[1] mwheeler@startext.co.uk                      http://www.startext.co.uk/
[2] mwheeler@startext.f9.co.uk
begin:vcard 
n:Krishnamachary;Srikanth
x-mozilla-html:TRUE
adr:;;;;;;
version:2.1
email;internet:ksrikanth@unbounded.com
fn:Srikanth.K.
end:vcard