You should be able to do an install with the hdd installed on another machine. The drive should be connected to the IDE connectors for ease, as, if you can install it to a usb device, you will have to alter the config (fstab file, specifically) when you move the drive.
One method that should work is network booting (PXE). I am yet to see a notebook that does not support it. IIRC, the good folks at OpenBSD have got PXE booting licked. You set up a dhcp server to hand out details, a (usually) tftp server to serve the kernel, and a NFS server to provide the filesystem (the guts of an install cd, for instance.) Hmm. It really is less work than it sounds, trust me!
Edit: You had to add the "doesn't net boot" thing, didn't you!
How does using dd (or ghost for unix) to dump an install from another machine to the usb-connected hdd?
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Last edited by robbak; 2nd May 2008 at 01:42 PM.
Reason: He changed his post!! How can I make a well-thought out reply if they go and change their posts!!! Aha! but - revenge Ha Ha
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