Thinkpad X40 won't install linux

[Hoosier97]

I recently acquired a Thinkpad X40 without a hard drive. I purchased a compact flash card and an adapter and the computer recognizes it alright so I know I installed that properly. I've tried atleast ten times so install various forms of linux (puppy, ubuntu, ubuntu netboox remix and lubnutu) but all of them freeze up and say "no live boot disk" or something similar after I hit the install button. I know I need a none-pae version but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. If someone could give me a step by step instruction guide on how to install linux and what ISO I would appreciate it SO MUCH. Thank you.

[jaspen-meyer]

What is the EXACT error message you're getting?

One easy work around is to install Linux to the CF card on another machine.

It could be bios doesn't know how to boot from the USB. Possibly a bios upgrade would fix that:
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/migr-55503

[Hoosier97]

The X40 is seeing the USB as it pops up and lets me hit the install button on the linux installer gui. The error is Busybox...initramfs

[Hoosier97]

My bios is running version 2.08. I have a IBM X40 with a Pentium M running at 1.4 Ghz. It has 1.5 gigs of RAM. I want to either install lubuntu or ubuntu on the machine. The machine came with no hard drive so I got a Compact Flash card with an adapter. The computer recognizes the adapter alright but I have tried installing a few different distros atleast 15 times and I always end up with an error with it crashing to a busybox. When I tried installing puppulinux it crashed saying it couldn't find the sfs. What should I do? Thanks.

[jaspen-meyer]

"Busybox...initramfs" Oh good, you're actually pretty close. Your machine IS booting from the USB but the USB is, let's just say, not configured right.

1. download unetbootin
http://sourceforge.net/projects/unetboo ... ootin/613/

2. download Lubuntu 14.04. This version is supported until mid-2017 and i strongly recommend it, and not the more recently released versions which are supported for only 9 months:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/relea ... p-i386.iso

3. format the usb (fat)

4. remove usb drive. reinsert usb drive

5. start unetbootin. Use 'Diskimage ISO' pick your lubuntu-14.04.3-desktop-i386.iso (32-bit Lubuntu) iso
make sure the drive letter (X:/) matches the usb drive

6. click 'OK' to start copying files to the usb and wait for it to complete

7. insert usb drive in x40 and hopefully it'll boot

it's very possible you'll get an error shortly after the usb boots complaining about pae and telling you you need to add a boot parameter for enable non-pae. If you follow the instructions given, you may get past that step and into booting. Basically, when the boot menu pops up, you'll need to hit 'e' to edit the boot parameters...see forcepae and Pentium M here:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/117744/h ... ot-present