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  • From: sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: Linux without a hard drive, was Re: [BL] MPlayer
  • Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 21:48:20 +0000 (UTC)

HP/Compaq is actually selling one model of laptop with linux preinstalled, and they offer BIOS updates usable from linux for a few other new models, but apart from that, all their BIOS flash programs appear to require Windows to make the DOS boot disk from which to flash.

I found for my model Cupertino_304.exe, which requires Windows XP or ME.
I will attempt to use it with SE and if that fails, find a neighbor with a larger Windows.
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This file was a Winzip self extracting file, which extracted in Win98SE (not on the list) but was for a different model (HP Pavilion). It wrote some files to our disk, which we could make bootable afterwards.

So I found SP14884.EXE for the Compaq Armada E700 or M700 and was supposed to work on all versions of Windows, also OS/2. It was a DOS self-extracting file that put itself onto a DOS boot disk.

The laptop as usual would not boot (ROM I/O error 101), but my partner pulled out the CMOS battery (round flat battery, thinner than desktops use for CMS, attached via a 2-wire plug, under a little door) and then it would start to boot but complain about not being set up. He measured 2.95V (3.00 would be a new battery), plugged it back in, and it booted the BIOS update floppy disk.

The program told us this was a late 1999 BIOS (it was March 2000 when I downloaded it) and we had a newer 2002 BIOS, so we made a floppy disk backup of that and exited the update program.

The computer appears to be booting properly now, so we are back to the problem of how to use it without a hard drive after booting from floppy disk. Can we, while it is turned on, remove the floppy drive so as to insert the DVD-ROM drive? We could then run linux from a parport zip drive, booted from floppy disk with grub, and play DVDs.

Another option would be to learn to make a bootable linux CD with mplayer on it. Or look for another dead computer at ebay and buy it for the hard drive enclosure.

keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org




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