Which Linux OS for a laptop with NO cd-rom

[DJMiX]

I need a linux OS that i can install on my laptop, i have no
cd-rom ... my laptop only has 540 megs of disk space.
IS there a way to install a linux OS through a Network ?
I have a pcmcia network card..
My hard has just been formated .... so how do i setup linux os using my pcmcia card with no drivers ?

I am looking at peanut linux .. it looks attractive... gave me wood.. :.
also it must have graphical interface ... i don't need the complier crap ... I just wanna learn more amount linux before i decide if to install it on my desktop pc...

 

[ryandlugosz]

Well, it's a good idea to play with Linux before you install it on your main rig, but there's a couple of problems with your idea that you may not be aware of.

First off, you do need all of the compiler stuff, since that's how you build most Linux programs.

secondly, installing Linux on a laptop is often much more difficult than installing it on a PC because of hardware support issues. You should check your distriution's HCL before attempting to install.

You'd probably be better off with a dual boot setup on your main rig.

Good luck!

 

[lucidguy]

I am thinking that Linux may be your only option anyhow.

Does Windows even fit in 500 megabytes, let alone allowing you to work comfortably?

 

[thraxes]

Got win 95b and office97 crammed onto my old 486 laptop with 210MB HD, will Lucid help me with a claim for the Guiness Book Of Records???

Oh, I almost forgot: I still have 40-50 Megs of space left for Word documents and Excel stuff... OK I don't have IE on it nor much of anything else. A couple of ISDN config progs and some network switch management software. I only need the serial port and occasionaly use PCMCIA LAN but most of the time its just a standalone portable typewriter to take my work outside in the garden and it works just fine.

M$ may be bloatware, you just gotta know how to install it.

 

[lucidguy]

You must have used Win98 Lite or some such thing.

Is Windows even available without IE?

 

[cureless]

Hey DJMiX, try Debian if you're up for it. Otherwise, you might even get Mandrake 8 in it if you remove almost everything . I think the smallest Mandrake I've seen is around 300M, which is not bad. Both (as well as many other) distros can install via the network. Just make sure you have the PCMCIA boot floppies. There is also Pewee Linux (sp?), but I'm not sure you can install through network.

cl

 

[thraxes]

NOT 98 I posted 95b... thats pre IE!!!!
unfortunatley most newer drivers and USB don't work with it - although there is a version that actually does have USB support (95c), only seen it once at school though.
Guess billie and his minions realized they had an OS that actually gulped less than 10% of your drive space, ran OK and let you actually choose a browser at your own free will, consequently they nixed support for it (dumbasses). 95b wasn't all that bad really, kinda like the original 98 without the IE bulk and runs sooooo much quicker even on a 486, 66Mhz and just 16Megs of RAM... try that with 98 *LOL*.

oh oh... you realize something??
oh my god... we're OT!!!