This explains how use a DOS boot floppy to install from a USB-connected CD/DVD drive, when the PC BIOS does not support booting from USB devices.
This has been tested with Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Server, but may be adaptable to other versions.
Requirements
- A floppy drive
- A USB-connected CD or DVD drive
- Ubuntu installation CD (6.06 LTS Server is know to work)
- MS-DOS or Windows 95/98 boot disk with MSCDEX.EXE
- Cypress DUSE USB drivers
- linld 0.97
Preparation
- Copy DUSE.EXE and DUSELDR.COM from the DUSE package, and LINLD.EXE (sometimes LINLD097.EXE) to the boot floppy.
- Examine the isolinux.cfg file in the isolinux directory of the Ubuntu CD to determine the necessary parameters for linld.
For example:
LABEL install menu label ^Install to the hard disk kernel /install/vmlinuz append preseed/file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed initrd=/install/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=16384 root=/dev/ram rw quiet --
- Create a text file on your boot floppy, perhaps called options.txt, and paste in the all the parameters except the kernel and initrd.
For example:
preseed/file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed ramdisk_size=16384 root=/dev/ram rw quiet --
- Make a note of the name and location of the kernel and initrd files if different from above.
Installation
On the target computer:
- Connect and power up the USB CD/DVD drive and insert the Ubuntu installation CD.
- Boot using the boot floppy.
- Load the DUSE driver
A:\> duseldr a:\duse.exe
The USB drive should be detected at this stage, otherwise refer to the DUSE documentation for further options.
- Load the CDROM extensions
A:\> MSCDEX /D:USBCDROM /S /M:15 /V
Check that the CD is now readable using dir d:
- Bootstrap the Ubuntu installer from the installation CD using linld
A:\> linld097 image=d:\install\vmlinuz initrd=d:\install\initrd.gz cl=@options.txt
Ubuntu should boot from the CD and the installer should start automatically.
Alternatives
- It should be possible to use FreeDOS instead of MS-DOS
- It should be possible to use some versions of loadlin.exe instead of linld.exe