I would try using the knoppix based install instructions provided on the debian site next. I believe that the knoppix boot cd provides a boot floppy that should work if you can not install via the cdrom. If that fails, I would try using SLAX (slax.linux-live.org). You have several options from thi point. You can load the SLAX module for ndiswrapper so that you have internet access. You could make a small dos partition and using the files from the USB installer to make a bootable hard disk install. No worries about a cdrom at all then. Just hard disk and network. Not the easiest methods but worth a try. Still curious about the cdrom though. Does it work from a DOS boot floppy? If so, you could try using loadlin to install also. If not, check into the cdrom drive. May need a new one.
Robert On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 00:35:19 +0100, Lee Turner wrote > Hi all > I'm having difficulties installing Debian on my Toshiba.. it won't boot from CD (no surprise it's an old beast) but when I boot from floppy, it initially wouldn't detect the external cd rom drive (connected via a pcmcia card) after tweaking a bios setting it seems now to detect the cd cdrive but on doing so it ejects the cd and the drive refuses to close! > > This results in the error message 'Unable to mount CD Drive, perhaps the CD is not inserted" > > I have also tried using DSL to get some form of base install of Linux then working from there, but with similar errors - even using a Floppy/USB Stick combo to no avail. > > A friend of mine is going to give me a loan of an ethernet card on Monday that may allow me to do a net install (only card I have is a wireless one that I think requires ndiswrappers) but I fear that may still fail and I'll be back to the original problem. > > I'm at the end of my teather with this, does anyone have any suggestions? > > Cheers > Lee > -- > <generic witty comment> -- Open WebMail Project (http://openwebmail.org) Debian Project (http://www.debian.org) -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
