Floppy Boot?

[Kam Leo]

On 11/23/05, Darlene Wallach <wallachd at earthlink.net> wrote:
> RM Christiansen wrote:
> > I want to install FC4 i386 on an older computer. The CD-Rom is not bootable.
> > Hard disk or Floppy (3-1/2) are my only boot choices.
> > Is there a way to create a floppy boot set to start the install from?
> > Please point to a web site where I can research the start point to
> > installing any linux dist.
> > Thanks,
> > -RMC
> >
>
> Here are instructions Conor Daly sent me when I asked
> on another list how I could install from CDs and I
> cannot configure my BIOS to boot from a scsi cdrom -
> it is only configure to boot from an IDE cdrom:
>
> [begin instructions]
>
> 1. Loopmount diskboot.img
> 2. Copy vmlinuz and initrd.img (with unique names) to
>     your /boot directory
> 3. Configure grub (you should be on grub with RH7.3)
>     to boot from the copied kernel
> 4. At boot time type 'linux askmethod' and you'll get
>     to specify the CDROM
>
> I used this method to install FC3 online. Just downloaded
> the boot.iso and chose 'ftp' as the install method...
>
> or
>
> 1. Copy boot.iso to your hard disk
> 2. Configure grub to boot from the iso [0]
> 3. At boot time type 'linux askmethod' and you'll get to
>     specify the CDROM
>
> This assumes that there is a suitable scsi driver available
> in the initrd.img. If not, you can go about it this way.
>
> 1. copy the contents of the CDs to the hard disk (second
>     and subsequent CDs' rpm files go in the RPMS directory
>     copied from the first CD
> 2. Use either of the above boot methods and specify 'hard
>     disk' as the source.
>
> NB. Make sure you copy the CD contents to a filesystem
>      that is _not_ going to be formatted at install time
>      otherwise there'll be nothing there for the installer
>      to use!
>
> Conor
>
> [0] Booting direct from an iso is mentioned here:
> http://www.linux.ie/lists/pipermail/ilug/2005-February/022062.html
>
> Basically, it's:
>
> grub> chainloader hd(0,0)/image.iso
> grub> boot
>
> [end instructions]
>
> Hope that helps,
>
> Darlene
>

I don't believe the above method addresses the OP's request for a
floppy install.  As little use of Google's search engine found the
"Fedora Core Floppy Install", http://www.thisiscool.com/fcfloppy.htm .
 I cannot vouch for it since I have not tried it. But, hey, what do
you have to lose?