I think it's easier to just softmod the XBox first with UDE2 (the greatest softmod out there). Then make a backup of the eeprom using on of the saved game hacks.
Then you just send over the contents of the C: and E: drive and put the backedup eeprom in the eeprom folder. Then make the linux cd and burn it to some form of medium.
Then use xbhdm 1.9, with the new Xbox harddrive the primary master device. Have your optical device on the secondary controller. No problems here.
Sometimes when I use step #1 to build a new HDD from scratch it gives me an error, so I just reboot and reformat the drive with #5, then when I do #1 again it goes through fine.
Step #6 generates the proper locking key, after that it's a piece of cake.
To me, that's the easiest way to go.
This post has been edited by Lightsier: Oct 5 2004, 01:28 AM