[SOLVED] Help installing Linux Mint 4

[knightmaremx]

background: Laptop Dell inspiron 5100 with damaged internal CD so I can't install from CD. Bios doesn't allow to install from external CD drive

I can't seem to install Linux Mint 4.0 on my Laptop, I'm trying to use the same method I used to install Celena. (http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php/ ... thout_a_CD)
With the help of that guide I installed without problems Celena from a partition in my hard drive but it seems that Daryna's iso is a little bit different.. I rememeber that in Celena there was the grub file with the parameters to boot... Now I don't see that file in Daryna.. I found one file with the parameters but Daryna doesn't load.. instead it shows a "(initramfs)" pompt after it detected the partitions in my hard drive.

My Hard disk is partitioned like this
sda1 - Celena (for some reason videos play sluggish so I want a fresh install rather than an upgrade)
sda2 - Windows (also messed up and doesn't work correctly)
sda4 - The partition with Daryna's ISO files
sda5 - swap
sda7 - Mepis Linux
sda 8 - home partition

I have mepis grub so form that console I issued the following commands to try to boot Daryna

Code: Select all

root (hd0,3)
kernel  /casper/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda4
initrd=/casper/initrd.gz
boot

I tried changing "root=/dev/sda4" to "root=/dev/ram" but it hangs
I tried adding the "append file=/cdrom..." part that is in the iso but it tells me the command is not recognized

Can somebody tell me what should I change in those commands to make Daryna boot?

I found this guide http://linuxmint.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... oot&t=3250
which uses a usb pendrive... Can I use my partition instead of the pendrive??? if so after following the instructions how can tell my computer to boot from there?? should I type something in grub to achieve this?

Hope that somebody can help
thanks

UPDATE

I looked at a lot of places for a way to run the live CD from my HDD but it didn't work so I decided to go and buy a pendrive and follow the steps in
http://linuxmint.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... oot&t=3250

I had some problems with that also but at the end It booted and with lot's of trouble It installed.... and then I faced other problems to make it work..... Terrible experience to get Daryna working in my lap.... (Bianca, Cassandra and Celena installed without any problem)

it seems that the problems have to do with ubuntu itself since everybody with the same laptop was complaining and having troubles in the ubuntu forums

thanks anyway

[Husse]

Yes you are not alone - pity
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=580134
An external DVD burner would not cost more than around 40 US$