I could access it through network via michnet back then. I had no idea where to obtain one, and I think when I did finally find one for sale through some computer magazine, it was in hundreds of dollars (easily $500+) when I barely had pennies to rub together as a high schooler. When I got Linux, I put money together with friends to get a CD. Our major expense was really buying pack of floppies to transfer and install it since we didn't have a CD drive then.