How would you install linux on this system

In My Humble Opinion
1

I have a P III 500 with 2003 Server (eval copy) that I want to convert to linux. The problems are

  1. The CD drive is SCSI and the SCSI controller does not support booting from CD
  2. My NIC does not support booting from a network
  3. I do not have an IDE CD drive handy to attach to the system.
  4. I do not have a working floppy drive on the system

What I’ve tried is booting into 2003 Server and

  1. Installing VMWare Server
  2. Installing a second Hard Drive and allowing VM to access it as a physical disk
  3. Installing FreeDOS but it hangs on a reboot in the WMWare App
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2

Well, that’s annoying. If I consider the constraints you’ve listed as hard-and-fast, I think my first take would be to remove the hard drive with the current boot image to a second PC, and to install the installation boot image of the linux variant I wanted onto that disk in place of the current boot image.

Then I’d pray that the installation boot image had support for my SCSI cdrom, and wouldn’t somehow be troubled by the fact that it had been booted from an unusual device.

And although this might work, I’d still be tempted to run out to the nearest Staples and buy a cheap IDE cdrom to avoid any problems that might crop up.

3

IDE CD drives are dirt cheap. Why not save yourself the hassle and buy one? Hell, most places are chucking them out.

4

Have you tried booting to a USB device?