non-bootable CD drive

[Lokrin]

Jason Huddleston wrote:
> Lokrin wrote:
> 
>> Hi - could someone point me to the instructions for installing from CD 
>> when the computer bios won't boot from CD.  Currently the computer 
>> runs freeBDS and is a 750mz pentium.
>>
> does this machine have a floppy drive???
> 

Yes it does.

Update - I wasn't able to get anything working off the FC2 disks, but using the 
exact same commands using the RH9 disc (*) I was able to get it to boot and 
start.  Now I have two problems.  first - it doesn't have enough ram for gui, so 
it runs in text for the install - no big deal.  second - when I specify the 
partitions (destroy all and restart with suggested defaults) it tells me that it 
needs to format the drive immediately so it can use the swap space.  It starts 
and then the whole thing freezes up.  Is this a memory problem?  I may have to 
add some memory to the system.  It was used only as a firewall before, so I'm told.

(*) one distro had bootdisk.img and the other had diskboot.img.  I guess they 
changed the name when they changed from RH to FC?  Anyway, the dd command works 
fine with no errors, but the FC version won't boot at all.

I am able to move the HD to my working machine as hdd and I can mount in RW and 
read/write fine.  I've already tested that.