Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

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