[sf-lug] how to install linux on laptop with no cd drive?

[Michael Shiloh]

>> * http://www.goodbye-windows.com/

> http://goodbye-microsoft.com/


I tried installing the first and when it gave errors, tried installing 
the second which also gave errors. On a whim I rebooted and was greeted 
with success, but I can't tell you which one it was.

Anyway, I proceeded to install Debian almost flawlessly but I think grub 
was installed on my thumb drive by accident. I had the thumb drive 
installed due to a missing network driver I had to bring over manually. 
I left the thumb drive in and when the install process reached grub I 
noticed lots of activity on my thumb drive - probably the procedure that 
figured out which disk to load on just went for the first disk, which 
for some reason was the thumb drive. (I noticed this during disk 
partitioning.)

So I have an almost perfect Debian installation which won't boot due to 
missing grub.

So now I have to revert to plan B  and take the drive out. While I'm at 
it I may as well install the PLOP boot manager, as Akkana recommended. I 
can see how that would be very handy.

Thanks everyone for your help.