Is it possible to install linux from my hdd? It refuses to boot off of my dvd drive because it is connected to a raid controller, so booting off of the hard drive is really my only option.

If you manage to install a alternative bootloder, you could load the installation kernel and ramdisk from hd.

BTW: which distribution?

edit:

this should make it easier, http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/

Edited February 4, 200719 yr by bj-kaiser

but how would I do that?

do what? install the bootloader or starting the installation system?

Installing the GRUB bootloader should be easy with the WINGRUB interface. How you start the installation after that, depends on the distribution.

ok, I have another idea, can you help me get a hold of the ubuntu driver for ite8212 raid controller? That is the controller, and Im trying to install kubuntu.

Not sure if this helps, but found it in ubuntu forums

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/initra...ools/+bug/47197

do you even get to the install cds "boot:" prompt?

ok, I have another idea, can you help me get a hold of the ubuntu driver for ite8212 raid controller? That is the controller, and Im trying to install kubuntu.

Try OpenSuSe 10.2, they have quite a lot controller drivers and you can provide yours with F5 at DVD boot.

PS:@all, avoid grub under windows/dos, they tend to be rarely updated/outdated and this sometimes suck your partitions.

yes I got the boot prompt

so, the install cds bootloader works. and what happens if you start the installation?

well, it gets to the point where it says something like "starting kernel" or "booting kernel" or something else, cant remember all of the distro's Ive tried, and it freezes.

maybe this will prove helpful:

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

Ah, ACPI problem!

You could have said it earlier.

Try to boot with the noacpi switch.

See your bootable CD/DVD help, there are always a few lines on how to disable ACPI.

On my laptop, I can have parts of acpi enabled, as long as I have acpi=noirq.

but its a driver problem not an acpi problem.

http://marc.herbert.free.fr/linux/win2linstall.html is the best article about the"Poor mans install" on the net.