Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

[Cheryl Homiak]

I'm wondering if anybody has done this and can tell me the steps to the 
point where one types at the boot prompt.

I have a thinkpad T23 and have decided to put linux on it since I have 
windows running elsewhere in vmware fusion. I can't boot from the cd in 
the traditional way unless I get somebody to go into the bios for me. I 
was amazed when I inserted the cd on my Win xp system and found that a 
setup dialog came up. The initial setup for the installer is easy to 
follow; i did it with windoweyes. However, when the machine reboots and 
one 
has to choose between the debian installer and the existing windows 
installation, I'm not sure how to proceed. the first time I did it, I must 
have had beginner's luck, because while I didn't correctly find the boot 
prompt--to enter brltty parameters in this case--I was able to hear when 
the installer was fully loaded, switch with alt-f2 and hit enter and enter 
brltty information, and when brltty came up, switch back to the installer 
with alt-f1. Unfortunately this was only a trial run to see if it could be 
done; I wasn't through rescuing important items from the XP system. I 
figured if I had done it right once, I could do it again. But I can't!!! I 
have tried and tried, now that i am ready to install, to replicate my 
previous success, but to no avail. I even thought maybe my cd had become 
dammaged and burned a fresh one. I thought all I had done the first time 
was arrow down once when it rebooted and hit enter two or three times, of 
course the time frame of those actions has become a bit hazzy after 
several unsuccessful tries. I've googled and looked at the debian 
installation manual but of course, unless you find the post of another 
blind person, it is assumed such detailed instructions are not necessary. 
I even thought uninstalling the Debian directory that setup puts on the 
Windows system before each try might help but it didn't make any 
difference. If anybody has done this and can give me the concrete steps to 
try to follow, I'd really appreciate it. This is the Lenny Beta 2 netinst 
I am using.

Tia.


-- 
Cheryl

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."