Can I install Linux with a proprietary CDROM and no floppy drive?

[Alex Auritt <auritt brown edu>]

I'm hoping to install Linux on a 5 year old laptop which has no floppy
drive and a proprietary CDROM that does not appear to be supported by
the version of Linux I've got on hand.  (I've got a TEAC CD-44E -- note,
the TEAC CD-55A does seem to be supported.)  Any advice?  I'm worried
about running into problems if I've no reliable boot disk.

Will this have any impact on whether or not I decide to run Linux in
tandem w/ Win95?  (I'm currently running Win95, but was hoping to remove
it -- currently over 500 MB (of 775 capacity) is filled w/ Windows junk
that I don't need any more.  I'd be happy to gut the machine and start
over w/ Linux if I knew how and/or was sure I wouldn't run into problems
with booting.

Any help would be much appreciated.
thanks
Alex