Ubuntu install on ancient laptop

T

The_Unbeliever

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Heyup all

I've managed to get a craptop for free :D :D

I want to install Ubuntu and Zoneminder on this lappy (after modifying it extensively).

It does not have a working CD Rom drive, nor a network card. The stiffy disk drive is very dodgy, and I don't want to try.

So... what will be the easiest way to get Ubuntu up and running? I've thought of getting a laptop IDE adapter so that I can connect a standard IDE cable up to the IDE port, and put a standard-issue CDRom unit on just to get Ubuntu installed. Do one get such an adapter, and where?

I don't want to spend money on a new CD Rom drive unit as it will only be used once for an Ubuntu install anyway.

Or will it be possible to connect an USB-based CD-Rom unit to the lappy and install Ubuntu from there?

Laptop's an Dell Inspiron 2700, more than 4 years old.

Regards

Libs
 
you can get an external usb based cdrom drive and boot off it.
 
i remember one of my friends had a very old laptop like that, he took the latop harddrive out and put the harddrive in an old computer, install {at that stage} Suse 7.2 and put it back in the laptop, worked like a charm.
 
You might have problems with Ubuntu on a old laptop
 
What are the specs of the laptop? Ubuntu likes to have a decent processor and memory. The latest version, Gutsy, also requires a 'live distro' to load at the start before you can install it. This uses a lot of memory.

A network install may have been an option if you had it.

There are other Linux releases that may work - can't think of one specifically, maybe Debian.
 
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