installing x86 solaris10

hi
try to install solaris10 x86 on a laptop (actually running mandrake linux)
i
- downloaded the solaris10 OS fron sun download site
- unzipped and got .iso files
- burnt that files on cd, looks OK, can mount and read
- created a boot floppy, OK

while .
do
- boot (from floppy)
- the sun installer comes up
- finally got a stupid "can't open - no hsfs VTOC" error message, installer stopped
- googled for that and found a lot of documents (known since 1999)
- strictly follow the instructions and tryed all possibilities
done

any help, thank you

no comments?

What is your partition table like? One of the problems I've run into with having both Solaris and Linux on the same drive is that the Solaris partition type is the same as the Linux swap partition type. This usually doesn't cause problems on the Solaris side but older versions of Linux pulled a Microsoft and just decided to take over a partition that it thought was a swap partition - without asking or reading fstab.

This seems to be fixed in recent Linux distros. I'm running SuSe 9.2 (2.6 based kernel) and it does not have the problem.

You are brave trying to get Solaris running on a laptop. If it is a newer one you may have problems. I just bought a top of the line Dell desktop but can't use Solaris on it as Solaris claims to but doesn't actually support serial ATA. Patience is required when using newer hardware.

yes stdunbar, i also believe it's a partition probl
the Q is: i have no chance to change it
the sun-boot-floppy give me no shell
and on linux, have no chance to redefine partitions
i am on (mounted)