install ubuntu without CD-rom drive?

[Rhubarb]

I managed to get a Dell Latitude C400 up and running ubuntu Dapper.  (no
usb boot, no cdrom, no fdd, coundn't get pxe network to boot).



If you don't mind doing a brief ghetto-come-frankenstein job:



*Go down to your local pc shop, get a 3.5" to 2.5" HD adaptor, should
set you back €10



*Take the Laptop hard drive out, and put it into a regular desktop PC. 
Make sure the jumpers are set right, and that you've disconnected your
desktop PC's hard drives (only the laptop hard drive is connected ...
and the DVD Rom drive).



*Install Ubuntu.  Once finished shut down and put the laptop hard drive
back in your laptop with the original jumper settings on the drive.



*Start up your laptop, don't expect it to start up the GUI just yet, we
have some configuring to do!



*After logging in under the command line, (because xorg would've spewed
a few error messages), run:


Code:
--------------------
    Xorg -configure
--------------------


(note uppercase 'X' above)



*Copy the xorg.conf.whateveritwas file that the above command spat out
(it'll tell you) to /etc/X11/xorg.conf



*If you still can't log in to the GUI, it's most likely it's missing a
mouse.  So now to configure your synaptics touchpad.



*Open up your xorg.conf


Code:
--------------------
    sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
--------------------




Replace any section there regarding a mouse with this:


Code:
--------------------
    Section "InputDevice"

  Identifier    "Synaptics Touchpad"

  Driver        "synaptics"

  Option        "SendCoreEvents"        "true"

  Option        "Device"                "/dev/psaux"

  Option        "Protocol"              "auto-dev"

  EndSection
--------------------




Then in Section "ServerLayout" replace the mouse entry with this:


Code:
--------------------
    InputDevice    "Synaptics Touchpad"
--------------------




Press Ctrl o (the letter o) to save (then Enter)in nano, then Ctrl x to
exit



Restart (or do a 'startx') and your laptop and Gnome should be running
beautifully.



I'm not infront of Ubuntu now as I'm at work :(

But everything should be right here.


-- 
Rhubarb