Ubuntu install from floppy/network

[Thomas Kaiser]

Hello

You could try a remote install. Boot from a floppy based distribution 
with network support and ssh-server.
Then follow this guide 
http://racon.net/misc/DebianRemoteInstall/debremote.html

The bootstrap packages is available in Ubuntu.

I did this to install pure Debian onto a xbox (with "homemade" xbox 
enabled kernel).

Regards, Thomas


Raphaël Berbain wrote:
> * Jeroen Janssen:
> 
> 
>>Is it possible to boot the Ubuntu install from floppy? (and then retrieve
>>the rest from the network).
> 
> 
> I think it's not possible at the moment[1].  That is, there are no
> official installation floppy images available.
> 
> 
>>I have a system without a CD-drive and I would like to install
>>Ubuntu on it.
> 
> 
> Have a look at http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/InstallHowTos, and the
> pages linked from there.  You might be able to find some method that
> fits your situation.
> 
> Possible solutions:
> 
> - Install Debian from floppies+network, then dist-upgrade to Ubuntu.
>   Downside: I don't know how far away you'll be from a pure Ubuntu
>   install - I think Debian->Ubuntu upgrade is not supported, though
>   some reports seem to indicate it's possible.
> 
> - Install from another distribution, either hard-drive installed or
>   live.  In your case, since you can't use a CD, a live CD
>   distribution won't help.  I am still looking for a floppy-based
>   distribution suitable for this task (e.g. tomsrtbt+debootstrap).
>   Downside:  You need to work a little bit harder to do it this way
>   compared to a CD install (you'll need to partition/format your
>   drives manually, and learn how to use debootstrap).
> 
> - Install from the network using PXE boot.  Google a mix of PXE,
>   install, boot, linux, ubuntu and debian yields quite a handful of
>   interesting pages[2].  Downside:  You need a PXE boot capable target
>   machine[3] and another box that acts as a BOOTP/TFTP server.  Upside
>   is once this works, you'll get to use the regular Ubuntu installer.
> 
> Footnotes: 
> [1] http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ubuntu.user/13738
> 
> [2] http://wiki.koeln.ccc.de/index.php/Ubuntu_PXE_Install
> 
> [3] If the target box doesn't support PXE natively, it might be
>     possible to boot it from a floppy crafted to setup PXE boot.  See
>     http://www.etherboot.org.  One more step to get right in the
>     chain, though, and I think for the time being it doesn't support
>     PCMCIA NICs.  I also read somewhere something about Grub and PXE,
>     but didn't investigate any further.  Yet another step in the
>     chain.
>