Starting UBCD via Loadlin? or Grub?

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JettCRX · #1 Post by **JettCRX** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:23 am

Hello,

I have a laptop with a BIOS that does not support booting from CD-ROM. (I've already flashed to the newest available BIOS, hoping that support was added ... no luck) Unfortunately, it is also the type where the CD-ROM and floppy share the same bay. You can't have both in at the same time (which really isn't an issue, because the floppy module was lost long ago anyway).

I have installed Linux (http://www.damnsmalllinux.org) by first connecting the HDD to my desktop via a 2.5"-to-3.5" adapter ... then using the UBCD to create a small bootable FreeDOS partition with cdrom drivers. Once that was done, I put the HDD back in the laptop, booted to FreeDOS and used loadlin.exe (http://elserv.ffm.fgan.de/~lermen/) to boot the DSL LiveCD/Installer.

Has anyone successfully booted the UBCD via loadlin? What about Grub?

I don't remember what error I was receiving from loadlin (haven't tried grub yet ... I just thought of it as I typed the question), but it was something about not being able to find the INSERT image... I'm going to keep poking around with it ... if I get it to work, I'll report back here for documentation's sake.

#2 Post by **Victor Chew** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:48 pm

Smart Boot Manager:

http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/

should also help you if you have a crippled BIOS that can't boot the UBCD directly.