need some help - trying to install debian right now

[Twelveguage]

Since my laptop wont let me boot from CD, I tried using the debian boot batch file. It starts up then all of a sudden the screen goes black and it locks up.

I cant find any documentation on how to create a boot disk with rawwrite so could someone explain to me how to make a bootdisk so I can boot the installation CD?

[bdl]

Basically, you've got to have the rawrite.exe (or one of the versions of rawrite), a couple of floppies, and the boot images.
Start by finding the boot images, they should be on your cdrom (I personally don't have any debian cd's, I just d/l what I need and install) under the "images-144" directory. You want to make a floppy from the rescue.bin and root.bin files. If you cannot find the images, look here (ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/). Anywho, reserve a spot on your drive for them, let's say c:\tmp and copy the rawrite.exe app there also. Drop to a command prompt, shove in a good floppy (one that's been formatted with your own drive beforehand, preferably) and type

c:\tmp> rawrite.exe rescue.bin a:

...and this will start the disk churning as the boot floppy is created. Label this disk 'rescue'. Do the same for the root.bin file. Please keep in mind the fact that both the rawrite app and floppies are not always reliable, so you may have to try this a couple of times before you get a decent boot image.

Stick the newly created 'rescue' disk and reboot. Enjoy!


BTW, you can choose between a couple of different bootdisk images, there is a standard and a udma66/100 version avilable, check out the FTP link above. Luck!

[Twelveguage]

err well i got a problem, i dont have any drives at all on my computer since i wiped the whole thing out. I can get to the dos prompt with the 98 startup disk though.

Should i try going to that directory on the CDROM and then doing the rawwrite command?

[ 24 May 2001: Message edited by: Twelveguage ]

[Twelveguage]

Hold on a minute nm about the no drives i forgot that I could just do it on my other computer :D

[nick098]

reinstall windows if posible or use a different computer and then try. even then I know someone who had problems getting debian to work on his laptop

[Twelveguage]

When i use it it says:

SYSLINUX 1.48 1999-09-26 Boot Failed

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[TheMuso]

Here is something you might want to try.
Boot using your windows 98 startup disk and choose the option to start with CD-ROM support enabled.
Wait until you get to the command prompt, and go to the drive of your CD-ROM. Go into the directory called install and run the boot.bat file which will execute the linux installation.

Good luck.

[Twelveguage]

that is what I did, and that is what gave me a black screen after the kernel messages and then the computer locked up. Thats why I'm trying to make a boot disk instead.

[Twelveguage]

has anyone else had this problem with installing on a laptop or older computer?

[Twelveguage]

Originally posted by bdl:
<STRONG>
Please keep in mind the fact that both the rawrite app and floppies are not always reliable, so you may have to try this a couple of times before you get a decent boot image.
</STRONG>

Yeah i just tried it with a new disk and it booted the rescue thingy up right, im just trying to figure out the problem now with the blank screen. Thanks

[Twelveguage]

uh oh

I looked at the help files for the rescue disk and it said you have to have at least 12 MB ram to install. My laptop only has 8 MB ram. Might be why its not loading the installtion right. Does anyone know a way around this?

[andromat]

Hi

Slackware, I believe, gives you an option of activating the swapspace before the installation for computers low on RAM, I wonder if anything similar could be applied here... Also, 8 Mb of RAM really sounds kinda low these days, maybe you should consider upgrading your system to at least 16 or 32 Mb...
;)

[Twelveguage]

hmm well if i was to activate the swap space, would I have to create a linux swap partition first? I dont have windows on it so I dont know of any utitlities to do that with.

[andromat]

Well, sounds like a very logical conclusion -- how can one activate something that doesn't exist? ;) I use PartitionMagic for all my partitioning needs, but is it not at all possible to use DOS and Linux utilities to create partitions on an empty hard drive?

[Twelveguage]

Ok I will try making the partitions with the GNU Parted software thing.

[Twelveguage]

Ok I created the two linux partitions, and I made a swap partition. Does anyone here who is good at installing debian (I am using the rescue disk to install) know any commands to activate this swap drive so I will be able to boot the installer since my memory on the laptop is only 8mb (but the swap partition has about 64mb)?