Burning ISOs to CDs Under Windows
Under Windows, use Nero 6 CD-burning software to create a bootable CD from downloaded Linux ISO files with these steps:
1. Launch the "Nero Burning ROM" (regular version, not the wizard) portion of the program.
2. Select from the menu: Recorder > Burn Image.
3. Use the default options and burn the CD.
4. Repeat for each ISO file.
Scot's Newsletter Forums member Owyn points out another tool you can use to burn ISOs with in Windows XP: The ISO Recorder Power Toy. Download the program with this link. After you install it, follow these steps:
1. Right-Click on the ISO file and choose "Copy Image to CD" from the pop-up menu.
2. Confirm the settings in the dialog window and click Next.
This website (translated from German by Google) provides more information on using the ISO Recorder Power Toy.
Burning ISOs to CDs Under Linux
Type the following lines in the Linux console, pressing Enter after each. The first line will give you a three-digit number separated by commas that you must type after the "dev=" attribute in the second line. Be sure to replace "{Downloaded ISO path and filename}" with the actual path and name of your downloaded ISO (without the curly brackets):
$ cdrecord --scanbus
$ cdrecord dev=0,1,0 {DOWNLOADED ISO PATH AND FILENAME}.iso
If after burning your ISO files you see a lot of files and directories on the new CD, you'll know your CD burned correctly. If all you see is your downloaded ISO file, then you've done something wrong. You need to burn the image, not the file. If you're using a CD-R, you will need to use a new one to try again.
Make a Linux Boot Floppy
After you install Linux, you should make a boot floppy disk for it. If your Linux distro's GUI-tool for making a boot-floppy fails, there's a simple command-line way of accomplishing the task. The actual steps vary slight depending on which distro you use. So here are the steps in some popular ones. Note: There's no need to wipe your floppy or reformat it.
Mandrake:
$ su
<enter your root password>
# uname -r (shows the Linux kernel version)
# mkbootdisk --device /dev/fd0
Note: Take the kernel version shown you after you enter the third line and enter it into the fourth line, like this:
# mkbootdisk --device /dev/fd0 2.4.21-0.13mdk
Now insert the floppy and press Enter.
Red Hat:
$ su
<enter your root password>
# uname -r (shows the Linux kernel version)
# /sbin/mkbootdisk -device /dev/fd0
Note, take the kernel version shown you after you enter the third line and enter it into the fourth line. Then insert floppy and press Enter.
Debian and Knoppix (installed to hard drive):
$ su
<enter your root password>
# uname -r (shows the Linux kernel version)
# mkboot -r dev/hda?
Note: Replace the question mark in dev/hda? with the number that represents the root partition. Take the kernel version shown you after you enter the third line and enter it into the fourth line. Then insert floppy and press Enter.
Slackware and VectorLinux:
$ su
<enter your root password>
# makebootdisk
And a dialog box will open that helps you to make the floppy.
Using A Boot Floppy
Always test a new boot-floppy after you make it by using it to boot your PC. Once you have a tested boot floppy, you can do serious work on your Linux installation; if things go wrong, you'll have a way to boot even if the Master Boot Record (MBR) gets overwritten. You'll be able to boot from your floppy and restore Lilo or Grub to the MBR following these steps:
$ su
<enter your root password>
# /sbin/lilo
or
# grub-install /dev/hda
You can even do a re-install of Windows without having to worry about the boot-loader. A boot floppy is a necessity under Linux.