[NBLUG/talk] How Low Can We Go?

[Robert Hayes]

The odd port you don't recognize may be for a Toshiba docking bay.
You can find them pretty cheap for obsolete machines if you prowl the web.

On Wednesday 19 April 2006 08:00 am, Stephen Cilley wrote:
> Sorry, yes, 3.5, my mind kept going to 5 1/4 and then
> me telling my mind it was wrong.
> The only piece of networking hardware it has on it is
> a dialup modem, so this should be fun.
> I don't even know what a null modem is.  There are
> three ports on the back, a serial, a parallel, and
> then one thing I have never seen before in my life
> which has two rows of seperated pins, it's very odd
> looking.
> Anyway, I think I'm going to have to use some floppy
> based install, because the rest seems a little over my
> head.
>
> Thank You,
> Stephen
>
> --- Lincoln Peters <sampln at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > Stephen Cilley wrote:
> > > Anyway, my dilema is this: even though those stats
> > > sound like they can more than handle an install of
> > > KNOPPIX, DSL, or something else very small, it
> >
> > only
> >
> > > has a 2.5 inch floppy drive.  It also has pcmcia
> > > slots, so I should be able to put my USB card in
> > > there, but even with that in, I don't think I can
> >
> > boot
> >
> > > from a USB drive (I haven't even been able to
> >
> > figure
> >
> > > out how to enter the BIOS, yet.)  So does anyone
> >
> > have
> >
> > > any suggestions as to how I might get a distro on
> > > there?
> >
> > Does it have any sort of networking hardware
> > built-in?  Because if so,
> > you could probably install from the venerable Debian
> > "boot floppies" and
> > net-install your way to a working system.  Even a
> > null modem cable
> > should suffice for a net-install (using a computer
> > that has a null modem
> > service installed and has access to the Debian
> > repository), IF you have
> > the patience for it.
> >
> > Once you've got a working installation, you should
> > be able to set up all
> > the drivers for the PCMCIA cards you're going to
> > need (e.g. a USB card),
> > and you should be good to go.
> >
> >
> > (I'm assuming, of course, that when you said "2.5
> > inch floppy drive",
> > that what you meant to say was "3.5 inch floppy
> > drive".)
> >
> >
> > --
> > Lincoln Peters
> > <sampln at sbcglobal.net>
> >
> > The easiest way to figure the cost of living is to
> > take your income and
> > add ten percent.
> >
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>
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