network boot to install Linux?

[BonRouge]

I have an old machine. It works really slowly with Windows and I'd like to make use of it by using Linux on it. I like Kubuntu, which comes as a DVD.
The bios won't let me boot from the DVD - the CD is OK, but not the DVD.
I tried to find how to upgrade the bios, but when I found what seemed to be the right one, it said that a particular chipset wasn't supported, so I can't seem to update the bios.
I tried Knoppix on this machine and it worked fairly well, so I think Kubuntu would be OK too - and a be a bit more user-friendly.

The bios has a 'network' option in the boot order thing, so I'm wondering if I could somehow install Kubuntu from a DVD that's in a machine on my Windows network.

Thanks a lot for any help with this.

 

[jlazzaro]

does your cd-rom drive support dvd? if not, how do you expect it to boot from one?

either swap in a drive that supports dvd-rom, or look into pxe

 

[BonRouge]

The machine has both a DVD drive and a CD drive. I should have mentioned that, shouldn't I?

I'll look into PXE later. Thanks.

 

[jlazzaro]

so you put a cd-rom into the dvd drive and it loads fine? dvd-rom in the dvd drive fails?

if the pxe doesnt work out, you could try a boot diskette with dvd-rom support.

 

[BonRouge]

Well, I know that a CD in the CD drive boots, but a DVD in the DVD drive doesn't. I don't know if a CD in the DVD drive works. I haven't tried that one.

I'll try your ideas out later today - I'm busy most of the day.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Nothinman]

PXE booting is a PITA on normal x86 machines, you'll be much better off finding a CD to boot from.

 

[nweaver]

I woudn't do kubuntu, I would look at xubuntu, which DOES fit on a CD Rom. Doesn't Ubuntu fit on a CD? (I've never used Kubuntu, i'm just suprised to hear it's a DVD)