If you search the forum, there is a method described on how to install DSL on to a computer with NO CDROM drive using a bunch of floppies.The bios in pre-1997 (or thereabouts) pc's doesn't support booting from the cd drive. Apart from the initial loading of the kernel (I think), Linux doesn't use the bios - i.e. if you use a Linux boot diskette, it should see the cd drive (at least if it is an ide drive, it may not work with scsi or other types of drives).
Quote (covert91 @ May 26 2004,10:52)
I want to install DSL on a 486DX w 16Mb ram but the motherboard won't recognize that I have added a 8X cdrom. Can I install from a series of floppys?
Works every time I have tried it...my machine is a 75Mhz Pentium (classic) (90 if on turbo!!!), 16Megs RAM, 504Meg HD.
Just follow the directions and it will run...16Megs of ram I believe is almost too little to run DSL (get extreeeeemly slow due to excessive swapping) but it does run!!!!
If I could get the dang WLAN PCMCIA and AIRSNORT to run I would have one hell of a Wardriving box (WARBRICK) The thing is about indestructable...hehe