I know it’s a long shot, but there’s always a chance that someone on here works in IT 🙂
I’ve got an old Packard Bell Easynote laptop with a knackered DVD drive. I would like to re install Linux from a USB stick but the boot setup menu doesn’t have the option. Is there any way I can update the BIOS to include a ‘boot from USB’ option?

Ta muchly

Quick check to see if The Flying Ox posted anything about the “what’s under your compooter case” thread being full of saddos…

Nope.

Ok geeks, feel free to help him out. 🙂

😆

Without knowing the model number, it’s impossible to guess. Have a look on PB’s website.

Coincidentally, I had a PB laptop on my desk last week. I could be wrong, but from memory I *think* that it only showed a ‘boot from USB’ option when it actually had a bootable USB drive attached.

You can do a PXE install – check your bios for PXE boot. Managed it once a long time a go can only remember it was awkward, might have needed a virtual server and such like or the right link.

If it’s Ubuntu you want to install and you currently have Internet access on the machine then a cd-less reinstall is possible:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromLinux

I’m also sure that if Ubuntu can do it so can any Linux flavour but I like the handholding!

Oooh. That could be the trick, Markie. Ta very much!

Good luck.

As added bonuses (if the above works!), Ubuntu upgrades to newer versions of itself online (when you say) and has a ‘refresh this computer’s OS and program stuff to make it look and feel like its just been freshly installed’ button. Which is nice.

Unity, the default desktop, I found dreadful, but it’s simple and quick to revert to Gnome. But I’d need to google to remember how.

Edit: and hey, I have google! And it’s simpler than I’d remembered, just change one drop down menu item at login. Sweet.

Ubuntu 11.04 Change From Unity To Classic Gnome

Have a look here

Boot and Run Linux from a USB flash memory stick

and here

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

for all your usb linux booting needs

As added bonuses (if the above works!), Ubuntu upgrades to newer versions of itself online (when you say) and has a ‘refresh this computer’s OS and program stuff to make it look and feel like its just been freshly installed’ button. Which is nice.

Not on a laptop as old as mine, it’s not. I’m putting Mint Linux on cos Ubuntu 11 has destroyed any joy I ever got out of using it. Was whizzing along fine under 10.10, then the upgrade happened and it’s been gash ever since. Unity is garbage, the gnome shell I’ve installed looks awful and it’s slow as it was under Windows.

Boo, sorry to hear it. If Mint gives no joy then Ubuntu do a Light version with a recommended minimum spec of Pentium ii / celeron and 128 MB RAM.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lubuntu

Continued good luck!

Edit: or, of course, reinstall an older Ubuntu, all are available in their alternate downloads section.