Bootable CD ISO(s) -> DVD ISO

[K]

Here's a rather odd question. I'm installing a new linux distro on my computer (dual boot), and I have downloaded the three CD ISOs.  Unfortunantly, I don't have any CDRs on hand and I don't think my roommate will give me his last three.  I do, however have a DVD+RW to spare -- does anyone know how I can possibly combine these three CD images into one bootable (if you can have a bootable DVD? I don't even know.) DVD image?

[iago]

You do realize that cd's are like 50 cents/each now, don't you? Go buy a pack of 5 for $3

[cipher]

What distribution are you attempting to install, there is more than one way to install Linux and perhaps a Network Install may be the way for you to go. Chances are that all the stuff on the CDs you won't have a need for, why not get only the stuff as you need it. Please provide the name of the distribution you are using, or perhaps I can make a recommendation... in the case of a network install you'd really only need one or two floppy disks, which these days can sometimes be harder to find than CD-R's lol. If you do have a Floppy disk/Floppy drive handy then this might be the way to go. Some major distributions that I would recommend are Mandrake (I believe has the ability to do a fully network install, but not sure -- and also more apt for a newbie to Linux) and Gentoo (this is ideally for someone more experienced with Linux but if you're intelligent you shouldn't have any real problems). I can attempt to help you either way... but if you get CD-R's before you get back to this message than go ahead and use the CDs instead, as it'll probably be faster
-cipher

[K]

iago, you're forgetting that many of us are very lazy.  Lazy, and without cars or a store that sells CDRs within walking distance.  Not to mention I was hoping to learn something new  .  

Cipher:  I have previously used Mandrake 9.1 (dumped it because I couldn't get the nokia J2ME sdk / JBuilder 9 to run on it), Red Hat 9, and some very old versions of debian that a friend set up for me a long time ago.  The three CDs I have now are for the Fedora Project, which I thought I would use since a) Red Hat is going to discontinue supporting it's home user OS, and b) I'm pretty sure it'll run what I need it to, since it's based off of Red Hat.  I thought about going with another distro, but the truth is I really don't use it that much -- just for J2ME programming and some stuff for my Algorithms class.  I don't want to spend a long time editing config files just to do homework.    With that said, if you want to recommend a different distro, go ahead -- I'm open to suggestions.

[cipher]

Honestly, I'm partisan towards Gentoo -- my love -- but I can understand your reasoning for being apprehensive about it, you've probably heard that it takes a bit of configuration, when in reality it's not all that bad. Once you are up and running, you're good to go, for just about ever. No more upgrades and such to the Distribution, there's no reason for it as you can upgrade all of your applications, including those that make Gentoo what it is, like portage, using one simple command -- "emerge." This talk of not being able to get JBuilder or J2ME sdk seems silly. Call me ignorant (I honestly am limited in my knowledge of Java, though I am learning and have had experience coding with it) but couldn't you use something like Eclipse (www.eclipse.org) as an IDE and use whatever installer for the J2ME SDK they have on the java.sun.com site and get this working without a hitch? I know how one can be attatched to using a specific IDE and such, but I believe Eclipse could offer a very good alternative if you're running into problems -- I know for a fact that there is an Eclipse build in Gentoo's portage.
While I'd rather offer an answer to your original question, and allow you to keep learning in your own way, I can't help but make my recommendation of Gentoo as it is _just that good_ (TM)
Gentoo has a HUGE userbase that could help you, and I would like you to go to Gentoo forums (http://forums.gentoo.org/) and just do a quick search for the J2ME. I believe I found something that may be of interest in the J2ME problem: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=46203&highlight=j2me aswell, which may help you for the distribution that you end up choosing in the end. Thanks.
-cipher

[K]

I was actually very tempted to pick gentoo as I looked over linuxiso.org -- that post you found is encouraging -- the problem wasn't that I couldn't use another IDE, but that the Nokia SDK integrates so nicely with JBuilder.  Right now I'm downloading a Debian DVD ISO, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to install it --  I remember it being kinda difficult.  When I get ahold of some CDRs I'll give gentoo a poke.

[cipher]

Like I said, Gentoo can also be installed using the Network Install approach.
Also, there is no build for Gentoo for JBuilder but this post: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=65933&highlight=jbuilder (doesn't mean it's not possible) would shed some light on the subject.

[K]

In case anyone else is wondering, I found a nice piece of software that will do exactly what my original post requires -- combine several images into one, as well as extract and use the boot image from one of the images. It's called MagicISO -- you can get a free trial (limited to 300mb images ) at most download sites (download.com, tucows.com)

[cipher]

I believe that you could also use ISOBuster which runs on Windows, and take all the information out of the ISOs and recombine it into something for a DVD-R (this part i'm not sure on, cause I can't afford a DVD burner )

[K]

I believe that you could also use ISOBuster which runs on Windows, and take all the information out of the ISOs and recombine it into something for a DVD-R (this part i'm not sure on, cause I can't afford a DVD burner )

You're right, I think -- I have ISOBuster but I didn't even think about that.  Plus ISOBuster is free.