linux swap meet (as opposed to swap partition . . .)

[late_rabbit]

I am looking for an external cd drive that I can connect to an old
Compaq laptop (circa '97) to get DS linux running on it. The laptop
does not have an optical drive, usb port, only ethernet, parallel,
pcmcia and serial. (I don't know how to do a network install btw or
if this machine would work for doing one.)

Anyone want to talk about swapping stuff? I can post more specifics
if someone is interested in hearing more detail about one of my
items.

I have three or four desktop machines and additional components from
machines, a VoIP phone, networking hardware, cables galore, cases,
keyboards, mice, monitors (CRT & flat) and more. I also have good
books on varied computer, coding, hardware and networking-related
topics.

I could get interested in swapping other stuff too maybe.

I'm always interested in a good book. I like kids' science toys &
books on science, digital logic, retro computing, computing history,
analytic philosophers on computing subjects, DIY projects and perl.
I'm also interested in legal issues and culture around FOSS.

Post here if you have something you want to swap. If I'm not
interested, someone else might be.

[Michael Loftis]

Hey Monte,

There are some pcmcia esata adapters out there. Those should be
bootable with an esata drive. There also are pcmcia scsi adapters if
you can find a scsi CD rom drive.
Doing a network install isn't possible without a boot device, some
ethernet cards are but not likely in something so old it has no usb.

--
Sent from my mobile device

[Seth McClain]

You could take the drive out of the laptop and do an install on another box.

[Richard Werst]

I've used the electronics from an old external IDE to USB hard-drive
enclosure to read/write/check a variety of drives (it even worked with
an old ZIP drive), and I think you could use the same setup to do an
install -- though you may have to boot from a floppy.

Like a lot of people that have been doing this stuff for a while I have
a substantial computer graveyard, that includes quite a few laptops, an
Apple II and Lisa; a lot of old drives, towers, cases, and such, with a
great number of computer books dating back to the late 79's early 80's.

Maybe I should talk to a therapist about this...

Not certain that I'll have what you need, but send me an email if you
want to chat.

I make the run from Alberton to Missoula a couple times a week...

Richard

[Michael Loftis]

The only issue with installing to a different machine or using an
adapter is that there's a good chance the drive assignment won't match
up (hdc vs hda for example). A bootable drive can be prepped for
another system from a different machine but thats probably (no offense
to Monte!) a bit beyond what Monte can do.

[Richard Werst]

Didn't think about that, but now that you mention it I did have some
problems with an old laptop.

[Seth McClain]

Meh.  hda vs hdc is an easy fix :)

[late_rabbit]

None taken. Oh, its a complicated world.

On Jul 16, 9:38 am, Michael Loftis <gnu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The only issue with installing to a different machine or using an
> adapter is that there's a good chance the drive assignment won't match
> up (hdc vs hda for example).  A bootable drive can be prepped for
> another system from a different machine but thats probably (no offense
> to Monte!) a bit beyond what Monte can do.
>

[Jason Simpson]

I would think that a PCMCIA USB adapter would be the ideal way to go
myself. Plenty of USB cdroms out there.

[Michael Loftis]

Jason: no good if the BIOS doesn't do USB and can't boot off of
USB...and IDK even if the BIOS could if a PCMCIA adapter would
necessarily be bootable.