In 2020 you still need optical media

[UtwigMU]

I'm decommissioning my old 2003 server which started out as Sempron in 2006 and was upgraded with C2D from some HP desktop around 2012.

I decided to build a desktop in smaller case because I need desktops with optical drives to read my old CD-Rs and DVD-Rs and put any useful stuff on NAS. I went through around 50 DVDs and all of the 10-15y old backups which were used rarely could be read.

Since HP BIOS doesn't offer boot from USB I need to find blank CD or DVD (the ones I have are too scratched) in order to burn Linux installer. I'm about to make a tour of local gas stations since it's late.

[MultimediaMan]

PXE, for the Children.

[VJ]

My old laptop also did not support booting from USB apart from some very specific devices (e.g. some usb dvd drives but not mine). However, for some reason a USB Compact Flash reader was perfectly bootable.

Another option could be to set up a PXE network boot. I've managed that before I learned that the USB Compact Flash reader worked. There are some free servers and it suffices to put one on the network (can even be a virtual machine) so you can boot from it. I don't remember which pxe server I used, but it was a long time ago.

[VJ]

I think I used Serva: https://www.vercot.com/~serva/download.html , which at the time had a trial version that was time limited (but I needed it once), but now its limitations are even less restrictive for personal use, but it looks like FOG project could be interesting: https://fogproject.org/

[UtwigMU]

Found it was wrong USB port or key wasn't detected. Happily installed Debian and going through my 100 CD cakes. 80-90% are read error free, these are 10-15y old CDs and DVDs. Mostly Verbatim.

Does anyone need Matrox Parhelia install CD

[paulw]

Yes still use CDR and DVD disks. Still makes disks for my wife's church.