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Thread ID: 114611 2010-12-10 03:48:00 how do i install linux on a netbook that can only boot of the hard drive? personthingy (1670) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1160383 2010-12-10 03:48:00 The title sums it up.
the netbook is a mini 110-3038TU.It has no optical drive, and the bios offers the choice of booting of the hardrive OR booting of the harddrive........

The only solution i can think of is to install linux on this, or another harddrive first placing the harddrive in another computer, and then transplant the drive into the netbook. Till then, i'm using windows. :(

This question marks my return. With netbook and a 3g/wifi thing, i am back on the net with a power consumption that my solar panel can supply.
personthingy (1670)
1160384 2010-12-10 03:50:00 Plug in a USB optical drive and try booting from that (connect it before you power on). My ASUS Eee allows booting from "ATAPI CD-ROM" which is really just an external CD burner. pcuser42 (130)
1160385 2010-12-10 03:51:00 If its got USB ports, plug a flash drive in and see if it gives you an option to boot from it in the BIOS Speedy Gonzales (78)
1160386 2010-12-10 03:56:00 Yes sometimes boot from USB doesn't show in the BIOS until a USB drive is plugged in give it a try and report back gary67 (56)
1160387 2010-12-10 03:57:00 Correct, this wont show a USB flash drive, as a boot disk, until you plug one in. Since, once you plug one in, it shows the name of the flash drive, not just a generic name / option (like USB flash drive) Speedy Gonzales (78)
1160388 2010-12-10 03:59:00 Of course i will have to get some bootable material on a flash drive.....

i'll be back :)
personthingy (1670)
1160389 2010-12-10 04:00:00 Well true but you dont have to put anything on it, to see if its bootable Speedy Gonzales (78)
1160390 2010-12-10 11:58:00 Good to see ya personthingy, been a while!

Could give Network Booting a shot, provided the BIOS supports it. You're out of luck if it doesn't have ethernet though, as the BIOS can't support a wireless connection IIRC.

Other than that, and the flash drive method mentioned above, I'd go with the forced transplant. Install the HD in another computer, load it up with a 'portable' distro, something like Damn Small Linux, chuck it back in the netbook, and use that as a base to install your desired distro. DSL is great for LiveCD's, as it has a lot of utils in a very small footprint (40Mb last time I checked).
ubergeek85 (131)
1160391 2010-12-10 18:25:00 IF it doesn't show, even when plugged in, try setting anything that begins with "USB" such as USB Zip or floppy, in most cases, before USB flash drives were common/existent people would use ZIP drives, by setting USB zip the computer should look to the USB for any form bootable medium, not just zip drives.

Also, in the latest easyBCD there is an option to add ISO boot, you could try adding an entry to the bootloader for that so you can boot from the .iso, if that works, make a partition on your HDD at the end big enough for the iso and re make the bood loader entry from the partition, when you format the windows install (I assume you'll format) the iso will still be present to boot install from.

only problem with the HDD swap method aforementioned is that incorrect driver and hardware profiles would be built, ubergeek's D.S.L method to start installing the full distro on the target netbook would be the best idea if it comes down to that.
The Error Guy (14052)
1160392 2010-12-10 19:16:00 This question marks my return. With netbook and a 3g/wifi thing, i am back on the net with a power consumption that my solar panel can supply.OT: Welcome back, its been a while. :) Jen (38)
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