[This message has also been posted to linux.debian.user.]

I've got an old Compaq laptop. It can boot from hard
drive or floppy but not from CD. I installed Etch
by moving its hard drive to another machine
temporarily. The CD drive is fine. The BIOS is
just too stupid to boot from it.

I'd like to be able to test and demonstrate live CDs.
Is there a way to tell GRUB to boot a CD?
Sections 3.4 and 11.1 of the GRUB manual say to
use device name (cd) or maybe (cd0) but
that gives an Error 23: Error while parsing number.

Letting the grub shell complete "root ("
I get Possible disks are: fd0 hd0. No CD.
I get the same on a system that *does* boot CDs
properly.
I tried "chainloader /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage2_eltorito"
but that's an Error 13, Invalid or unsupported executable
format.



Cameron






--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

cls@truffula.sj.ca.us wrote:

> [This message has also been posted to linux.debian.user.]
>
> I've got an old Compaq laptop. It can boot from hard
> drive or floppy but not from CD. I installed Etch
> by moving its hard drive to another machine
> temporarily. The CD drive is fine. The BIOS is
> just too stupid to boot from it.
>
> I'd like to be able to test and demonstrate live CDs.
> Is there a way to tell GRUB to boot a CD?
>
> Cameron

Yes there is! Look here:

http://www.mail-archive.com/bug-grub.../msg06678.html

I use this on several machines. It works finer than frog hair.




--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

cls@truffula.sj.ca.us wrote:

> [This message has also been posted to linux.debian.user.]
>
> I've got an old Compaq laptop. It can boot from hard
> drive or floppy but not from CD. I installed Etch
> by moving its hard drive to another machine
> temporarily. The CD drive is fine. The BIOS is
> just too stupid to boot from it.
>
> I'd like to be able to test and demonstrate live CDs.
> Is there a way to tell GRUB to boot a CD?
> Sections 3.4 and 11.1 of the GRUB manual say to
> use device name (cd) or maybe (cd0) but
> that gives an Error 23: Error while parsing number.
>
> Letting the grub shell complete "root ("
> I get Possible disks are: fd0 hd0. No CD.
> I get the same on a system that *does* boot CDs
> properly.
> I tried "chainloader /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage2_eltorito"
> but that's an Error 13, Invalid or unsupported executable
> format.
>
>
>
> Cameron
>
>
>
>
>
>
There's another method, too:
sbm (smart boot manager)
It comes on the Debian install disk as a floppy image which you dd to a
floppy and use it to boot from.

It is available as a package also, evidently
--
If you wrestle in the mud with a pig,
you both get dirty and the pig likes it.
-- Dave Dawson


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 06:28:02AM +0000, David Dawson wrote:
> cls@truffula.sj.ca.us wrote:
>
> sbm (smart boot manager)
> It comes on the Debian install disk as a floppy image which you dd to a
> floppy and use it to boot from.

I have an IBM PS/ValuePoint 486 and smb did not work on it.

Doug.


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Saturday 28 April 2007 22:49, Douglas Allan Tutty shared this with us all:
>--} On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 06:28:02AM +0000, David Dawson wrote:
>--} > cls@truffula.sj.ca.us wrote:
>--} >
>--} > sbm (smart boot manager)
>--} > It comes on the Debian install disk as a floppy image which you dd to
> a --} > floppy and use it to boot from.
>--}
>--} I have an IBM PS/ValuePoint 486 and smb did not work on it.
>--}
>--} Doug.

I haven't followed this thread, so this might be a silly question?

But you have checked that your BIOS seeks your floppy drive at startup? That
is if you have SMB on floppy, or that you can boot from CDROM if you have SMB
on a CD?

Charlie

--
Registered Linux User:- 329524
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still can do
something; I will not refuse to do something I can do. ...........Helen
Keller

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Linux Debian Etch


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Sun, Apr 29, 2007 at 07:56:22AM +1000, M-L wrote:
> On Saturday 28 April 2007 22:49, Douglas Allan Tutty shared this with us all:
> >--} On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 06:28:02AM +0000, David Dawson wrote:
> >--} > cls@truffula.sj.ca.us wrote:
> >--} >
> >--} > sbm (smart boot manager)
> >--} > It comes on the Debian install disk as a floppy image which you dd to
> > a --} > floppy and use it to boot from.
> >--}
> >--} I have an IBM PS/ValuePoint 486 and smb did not work on it.
> >--}
> >--} Doug.
>
> I haven't followed this thread, so this might be a silly question?
>
> But you have checked that your BIOS seeks your floppy drive at startup? That
> is if you have SMB on floppy, or that you can boot from CDROM if you have SMB
> on a CD?
>

Clarification: it will boot the floppy but it won't boot the CDROM.

Doug.


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Sunday 29 April 2007 09:38, Douglas Allan Tutty shared this with us all:
>--} On Sun, Apr 29, 2007 at 07:56:22AM +1000, M-L wrote:
>--} > On Saturday 28 April 2007 22:49, Douglas Allan Tutty shared this with
> us all: --} > >--} On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 06:28:02AM +0000, David Dawson
> wrote: --} > >--} > cls@truffula.sj.ca.us wrote:
>--} > >--} >
>--} > >--} > sbm (smart boot manager)
>--} > >--} > It comes on the Debian install disk as a floppy image which you
> dd to --} > > a --} > floppy and use it to boot from.
>--} > >--}
>--} > >--} I have an IBM PS/ValuePoint 486 and smb did not work on it.
>--} > >--}
>--} > >--} Doug.
>--} >
>--} > I haven't followed this thread, so this might be a silly question?
>--} >
>--} > But you have checked that your BIOS seeks your floppy drive at
> startup? That --} > is if you have SMB on floppy, or that you can boot from
> CDROM if you have SMB --} > on a CD?
>--} >
>--}
>--} Clarification: it will boot the floppy but it won't boot the CDROM.
>--}
>--} Doug.

Change that behaviour in the BIOS. That's if the machine is capable of booting
from the CDROM?

Charlie

--
Registered Linux User:- 329524
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For many years I was a self-appointed inspector of snowstorms and rainstorms
and did my duty faithfully, though I never received payment for
it. .......................................Henry David Thoreau

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Linux Debian Etch


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

Douglas Allan Tutty wrote:

> On Sun, Apr 29, 2007 at 07:56:22AM +1000, M-L wrote:
>> On Saturday 28 April 2007 22:49, Douglas Allan Tutty shared this with us
>> all:
>> >--} On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 06:28:02AM +0000, David Dawson wrote:
>> >--} > cls@truffula.sj.ca.us wrote:
>> >--} >
>> >--} > sbm (smart boot manager)
>> >--} > It comes on the Debian install disk as a floppy image which you dd
>> >to
>> > a --} > floppy and use it to boot from.
>> >--}
>> >--} I have an IBM PS/ValuePoint 486 and smb did not work on it.
>> >--}
>> >--} Doug.
>>
>> I haven't followed this thread, so this might be a silly question?
>>
>> But you have checked that your BIOS seeks your floppy drive at startup?
>> That is if you have SMB on floppy, or that you can boot from CDROM if you
>> have SMB on a CD?
>>
>
> Clarification: it will boot the floppy but it won't boot the CDROM.
>
> Doug.
I get a "Disk error" from SBM on my P166, but if I retry it a time or two,
it works. Persistence pays.


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org