Re: SEUL: hardware detection

[Kai Wetzel <k.wetzel@welfen-netz.com>]

Tim Thomson wrote:
[...]
> I suggested this before:
> 
> Why not have a downloadable image for those with DOS/Win/Win95, it could
> be as big as you like (Win95 people are used to it  :-)
[...]
> I'm not sure how to do a first time install (no OS), probably do the same
> as Win95 (how does this install from CD if no OS - need initial boot
> floppy?) then just execute the install image (which could be on the CD).
> 
> This sort of install would eliminate the need for floppies, and you have
> as much space as you want.
[...]

While I agree that we should make it easy to switch
from Win/'95/dos to GNU/Linux, I think it's 
psychologically bad to assume that Linux is a secondary
OS in the long run.  About two years ago I bought a
distribution for about $40 and couldn't install it
on my box because it didn't include a boot floppy :(
I had to go to someone with Win installed just to
rawwrite the disk.

When comparing Linux to '95
install people tend to forget that they probably never
tried to install '95 (dos) on a machine with an
OS on the HD.  At least my version of '95 does not
even allow this.  No chance.  It just overwrites
the boot sector of the HD.  (Fortunately it takes
only a minute to re-install LILO ;)

So I think that we should try to make installing
Linux on a naked machine just as easy (it could
be even easier since no re-partitioning is needed).

I've heard it's possible to boot from CD nowadays ?
Is this a common feature ?

kai