[lug] External USB floppy drives and driver diskettes

[karl horlen]

The last server I purchased didn't have a floppy
drive.     I thought why waste the money and bay on
it.

When it came time to make a driver diskette I was
later presented with a dilemma :

1) either crack open an existing computer, pull the
floppy and temporarily install it on the server to do
what i needed to do.

2) try to find a way to make usb flash stick or a CD
function as a driver diskette.

3) buy a usb external floppy drive.

4) buy the server with a floppy drive in the first
place.

All are potential options.  

Number 1 and 4 work but aren't always practical or
quick, especially if you're working on someone else's
system and options 2 or 3 are available.

I remember searching for ways to do number 2 at the
time and I didn't get very far.  I also wasn't aware
if the usb flash stick would even be "seen" at install
time.

I also wondered if the installer would be smart enough
to allow me to swap out the install CD and put in a
Driver CD versus a diskette.  

I like the idea of an external usb floppy DRIVE.  It's
cheap, portable, quick and can be used across multiple
systems.  But I wasn't sure if it would be seen at
install time either.  I don't see why it wouldn't but
thought I'd ask.

Anybody have experience with the 2 and 4 options and
linux?  


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