Boot to Linux from DOS

Hi all, I have an old HP that was running windows 98. I had been using the a live CD to boot into Damn Small Linux just to play around. I decided I wanted to do a full install, and I had no need for the windows system.

I used a windows 98 boot floppy as per here to format my the drive.

Using the floppy, the computer will boot to BIOS and then to an options menu that allows me to "Start with CD-ROM support." When I select this option, I drop into an A:\ prompt. This is as far as I go.

How do I get DSL to boot from the live CD?

 

What linux flavour are you wanting to install? Is it DSL?

If so, did you download the installation ISO (cd)?

If so, you should be able to burn the ISO to cd, then boot from the CD itself. Then the installer should start from there, with partitioning the drive, formatting, then installing.

 

Yes, I am using DSL and yes, I burned the ISO for the liveCD. With just the liveCD, (that is, without the windows boot floppy) the computer would not boot to BIOS. Just sort of sits there with the power indicator light on. My assumption was that I need some sort of driver for the CD-ROM to work (which the windows boot floppy provides).

My theory was that I would have to use the boot floppy to make the CD-ROM work, and then enter some unknown DOS command to read the ISO of the CD.

Am I incorrect?

 

Eh, I was wrong. It did boot to BIOS, and now it has booted into the liveCD.

Thanks for the help, but I have it under control now.