Can you boot anything cool on a computer without a HD?

MetalGearRay · Post by **MetalGearRay** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 2:45 pm

I have an old 450 without a HD. I'm wondering if I can boot anything cool from a CD or Floppy, like maybe some emulators or something. How about an OS? What was that OS that could boot from a CD?

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 2:46 pm

Knoppix Linux boots off a CD.

MetalGearRay · Post by **MetalGearRay** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 2:58 pm

Ok, cool. I'm downloading a 700MB ISO at a SLOW (for an ISO) 100Kb/s. Is there any emulators or anything for it?

bizzle · Post by **bizzle** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 2:59 pm

MetalGearRay wrote:Ok, cool. I'm downloading a 700MB ISO at a SLOW (for an ISO) 100Kb/s. Is there any emulators or anything for it?

There is a knoppix build with MAME built in.. I think.

mkjones · Post by **mkjones** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:00 pm

you can run LinuxBios on a Bios chip too if you have the time, effort, skill and money

Wagh · Post by **Wagh** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:37 pm

meh QNX owns all those linux distros on cds. Give it a try

hearld500 · Post by **hearld500** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:46 pm

I'm downloading a 700MB ISO at a SLOW (for an ISO) 100Kb/s.

Dude, you are sooo lucky that you can get that kinda speed, where I live, you can only get dial up with a highest connection speed of 24kbs. To make things even worse, I get disconnected constantly.

The highest download speed I can get it 3kb/second.

saber07 · Post by **saber07** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 5:01 pm

you mean 3KB/s...

hearld500 · Post by **hearld500** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 6:04 pm

Er....ya.

Dark Schneider · Post by **Dark Schneider** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 6:39 pm

You don't by any chance live in the northeast Boston area of the US?

Your web description matches my web service.
(3K/s max when downloading, disconnections etc.)

hearld500 · Post by **hearld500** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 7:22 pm

Nope, I pretty much live in the middle of no where

Mr. Stabby · Post by **Mr. Stabby** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 7:31 pm

Heh, same as me, I used to have DSL, but went to dialup at 2.6kbps...

Post by **|darc|** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 7:40 pm

hearld500 wrote:
I'm downloading a 700MB ISO at a SLOW (for an ISO) 100Kb/s.

Dude, you are sooo lucky that you can get that kinda speed, where I live, you can only get dial up with a highest connection speed of 24kbs. To make things even worse, I get disconnected constantly.
The highest download speed I can get it 3kb/second.

Dude I get like 400 kilobytes per second on a fast server

MetalGearRay · Post by **MetalGearRay** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 7:41 pm

Are Linux programs compatible with all the different versions? For example, can I throw Linux Doom in a Knoppix iso?

Post by **|darc|** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 7:44 pm

MetalGearRay wrote:Are Linux programs compatible with all the different versions? For example, can I throw Linux Doom in a Knoppix iso?

Yes, you can. All Linux programs are compatible with all Linux distributions.

Which is reason #286926 for "Why Linux Pwns"

beerbaron · Post by **beerbaron** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 8:17 pm

http://www.classicgaming.com/amoad/

Single game emulators on boot disks. I think they're pritty fun. I had fun turning my highschool physics classroom into a classic arcade one day.

Side note, can you boot off of those memorystick-to-floppy disks and used the full storage of the memory card?

hearld500 · Post by **hearld500** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 8:50 pm

Dude I get like 400 kilobytes per second on a fast server

What do you have? T1 line?

Wagh · Post by **Wagh** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 9:08 pm

|darc| wrote:Yes, you can. All Linux programs are compatible with all Linux distributions.

not really true but I guess for his purpose it'll be ok

Post by **|darc|** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 9:09 pm

Random_Troll wrote:
|darc| wrote:Yes, you can. All Linux programs are compatible with all Linux distributions.
not really true but I guess for his purpose it'll be ok

Uhh.. Why not?

Falcon4 · Post by **Falcon4** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 9:21 pm

Yeah, you can boot DOS. You can do many, many, many, many things in DOS you can't do in Linux/Unix/Freesh*t OSes. Get a free (hey imagine that, like Linux!) DOS starter disk at http://www.bootdisk.com . I used to run a CTX EzBook (P1 166, 15 RAM, SB16, PC card) off DOS on FLOPPIES because the hard drive and CD drive connectors were broken. I managed to play MP3s, check my email, browse the Web in full graphics and script, play Tetris here and there, and many many other things after months of developing a disk and RAMdisk system for it. Everything was compressed in ZIP, and was decompressed to RAM to run (5MB RAM disk = "C:"). After it was done running, the archive on the floppy was copied to the RAM drive, updated, and copied back to the floppy. All using batch files. Sure, it took about 5 minutes to start up and run, but it did use a PCMCIA card network adapter on a fixed-IP network - which, even in Windows, can be hard to do. In DOS, unless you use some major third party software, is impossible. But I managed to get it on a set of 4 floppies in a nice red case I'd take with the computer everywhere. Here's the list of the programs I used on it:

Arachane (sp?) Web browser for DOS (1 full floppy zipped Maximum)
4DOS - a super-high-power command.com replacement
Drivers for Sound Blaster chip
Acid Tetris - http://www.dosgames.com
Microsoft Works for DOS (came on about 6 5.25" disks originally)
CardWorks - forgot the manufacturer - for the PC card bus - the single hardest-to-find piece of software in the pack
Microsoft Networking, along with the drivers for the D-Link DFE-650TX network card - the single hardest part of the entire configuration - making it work in DOS without Windows
CuteMouse driver for the touchpad
Some MP3 player I forgot the name of- it had a fullscreen visualization and all :-\

I don't know if all this will run on your computer, but the sad thing is, I've since sold that CTX, sans disks, and has since reportedly got a hard drive and Windows 98 installed on it. I can't find the disks anymore, and it's quite frustrating having all that work go down the drain. I might start actively searching for the disks if the demand is present, though - it is quite an accomplishment. Man, that computer ruled. Oh well, the nostalgia fest is over, onward!