SCSI CD emulator for PDQ?

[snes1423]

I have a PDQ/266 PowerBook, and I find it difficult to create a boot CD for it using generic Verbatim discs, as it refuses to boot from or recognize them. I end up having to use 25-year-old CD-Rs just to get it to boot from a CD. Is there a way to use an external SCSI2SD or something similar to boot into a Mac OS 8.1 installer disc image, so I don’t have to spend $75 on a pack of decades-old CD-Rs?


Thanks,
-snes1423

 

[joevt]

Copy the Mac OS 8.1 installer to a small hard disk partition?

 

[snes1423]

How would I do that? I’m using recovery CD software, but I’m not sure if there are specific files or system enablers needed to allow a particular version of 8.1 to boot on the PDQ/266.

 

[joevt]

If the CD is bootable, then copying all of it to a hard disk partition should make the partition bootable.
Then you boot that partition to do a real install to another partition.
This only works if the software on the CD doesn't care that it is not booting from a CD.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

Make an image of the 8.1 CD as an iso, then set it up on an external BlueSCSI/ZuluSCSI or similar. They can directly emulate a CD-ROM from an .iso; it's all in their documentation.