How to boot from an external dvd/cd because your superdrive is broken

This is in response to a previous archived thread that was never fully answered, found here:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/12410086#12410086
Advice given on previous thread that did not work for me:
You have to hold the ALT key in order to boot from the external drive.
~Lyssa
This advice is correct, except here are the full directions:
1. Press power and startup macbook OR click on apple icon in upper right corner and click restart.
2. As computer starts/restarts, hold down the option (ALT) key until you see a choice of options to boot from. There will not be an option for external cd/dvd, until the computer has finished reading that drive.
3. Wait as much as a 30 seconds to 5 minutes as macbook recognizes the bootable disk in the external cd/dvd drive. As long as the drive is making noise/reading disk, wait it out. The new selection will appear on its own.
4. Select dvd to boot from, then click the arrow below. It will begin to boot from that drive and install/reinstall your OSX.
5. Follow the prompts to install OSX
Notes: I was using a macbook 4,1 and external dvd burner with separate power supply, and Mac OSX Install disc that came with my macbook (OSX 10.5.4)

Your Mac requires a firmware (Boot ROM version in System Profiler) update to 4.2.8 See Mac OS X: Available firmware updates
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86117 The update should be installed (using OS 9) BEFORE you install OS X.
If you depress the Option key at startup, which activates the Startup Manager, does the external drive show up?
 Cheers, Tom

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