How-To: Install Linux Risk Free, With No Formatting or Repartitioning Required
Posted 07/28/08 at 08:00:00 PM by Justin Kerr
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4. Install Ubuntu Without Formatting or Repartitioning Your Drives
Your Live CD contains a new feature that can be accessed from the autorun menu in Windows called Wubi (Windows Ubuntu Installer). This interface will allow you to install Linux to any drive on your PC and the option of booting from any OS each time you start your machine. A key advantage here is that since we are installing Ubuntu from within Windows, it can be uninstalled at any time using the Add/Remove Programs utility.
Despite what many people believe, however, this install is not a virtual machine. It works more like a disk image creating a block of data on the drive. This carries a little bit of a performance penalty, but nowhere near what you encounter when you run an OS within an OS. At this point you can simply follow the installer.
Setup Options:
1.) Installation Drive – Which hard disk you wish to install to. If you choose the “C” drive, for example, the image will be located under c:\ubuntu
2.) Installation Size – It is important you pick the size that you think will suit you needs. If you only intend to dabble in the OS, 4 to 8GB should be enough.
3.) Username / Password – Make sure you write this down. Once the OS is installed you will need this to log in.
4.) Click “install”. The amount of time required to complete this step depends very much on the speed of your internet connection, since many of the install files are downloaded on the fly. Upon completion, you will be asked to reboot, after which you’ll be greeted with a new boot loader on startup that’ll give you the option to pick Windows or Ubuntu.
5. Update the OS
Just like a clean install of Windows, one of the first things you will want to do with your fresh copy of Linux is check for updates. This can be accomplished by clicking on System, Administration, Update Manager. Available updates should quickly populate your list. After you have reviewed your options, click Install Updates. If you fail to receive any updates, try launching Firefox by click on the icon along the top to verify a working internet connection. You will want to make sure you are connected to the internet through a wired Ethernet connection since wireless networking may require you to hunt down and download additional wifi hardware drivers first.
Tracking
Submitted by PhoneyVirus on Fri, 09/04/2009 - 6:52pm
Just Tracking Thanks
wifi drivers
Submitted by bomgar on Fri, 08/28/2009 - 6:54am
hey can someone help me find wifi divers for a asus x50gl? I would be really happy because i can't run an ethetnet cabe from my router to my laptop... i could temporarily but not as a long time solution.... Thanks.
sweet guide!!! thx
Submitted by nsk chaos on Thu, 04/16/2009 - 12:28pm
sweet guide!!! thx
Submitted by AndyYankee17 on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 11:12am
pretty much the only thing in linux that conufses, and it's a big one, in compiling and installing programs, there seems to be no good tutorials on writing a build file
Time to broaden my horizens...
Submitted by DDTechGuy on Fri, 08/22/2008 - 3:31pm
Okay! Okay!
I'll try Linux (but if my head explodes from using the last little bit of space up...it's YOUR fault!)
Thanks for the simple, step-by-step article...seriously, I'll give it a try and report on my results.
DDTechGuy
quick question
Submitted by winmaster on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 8:50am
If I download a virus in Ubuntu that was installed using Wubi, will it affect my Windows install?
Nope...
Submitted by Devo85x on Mon, 12/15/2008 - 6:13pm
It wont affect your windows install unless you are using wine and the person who wrote it put in code to check for that...
Submitted by AndyYankee17 on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 7:14pm
doubt it, the virus would have been written for linux, not windows. now if it's running in linux it may affect your files because your window files are accesible in linux
Submitted by EarthBoundMisfit on Thu, 08/07/2008 - 2:26am
Registered Linux User #404122
Microsoft has encountered a critical system error and must now shut down. Better get Bill Gate$ on the phone for this one...
My current computer is a Hewlett Packard 2.8 ghz computer.
I dual boot with a Debian variant Sidux on one side...Windows XP on the other.
My pc comes equipped with onboard video memory...which you HAVE to keep activated in order to install linux on this computer. When installing...I have to dedicate at least 32 mb of video memory...even though I have a ATI Radeon X1300 graphics card installed.
You'll want to boot up in video safe mode....otherwise you'd have top hit ctrl/alt f2 or f3 and edit your xorg.conf file as suchsudo apt-get install nano
sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.confscroll down the list until you see what driver is listed.
On my computer...it would list Driver="Intel810"
I change it to Driver="vesa".....hit ctrl O to save the change I just made....then ctrl X to exit.
Type exit to exit sudo....then type start x.
If the problem is in your video....your linux distro should boot.After your linux has booted...dtermine WHICHdriver you will need...and holler back.
Glenn Condrey
Do you have the right version?
Submitted by Justin.Kerr on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 8:09am
Did you download 8.04 or an older version?
The Hardware testing tool is indeed where the guide says it is.
WHAT ?????
Submitted by ghot on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 5:05am
page 1 step 3 of your' guide is...I believe incorrect...i dont remeber which one but one of those compatability checks is NOT there or NOT where you say it is...sorry but I don't remeber which one and since the internet didnt work running off the live CD I'm not going to try it again ...untill either the Ubuntu people or YOU get the story/functions correct.
Submitted by dcrail on Wed, 07/30/2008 - 1:45pm
For the live disc Unbuntu reqs are below
"System Requirements
Ubuntu is available for PC, 64-Bit PC and Intel based Mac
architectures. At least 256 MB of RAM is required to run the alternate
install CD (384MB of RAM is required to use the live CD based
installer). Install requires at least 4 GB of disk space."and with 256 MB of ram, you're out of luck for the Live cd.
You might try Kubuntu, you may have more luck , although probably not with the live cd.
It's system reqs are:
"Kubuntu is available for PC, 64-Bit and Mac architectures.
CDs require 700MB media. Desktop install requires at least 256MB of RAM and 3GB of available hard drive space."
It's has a smaller footprint, and uses KDE unstead of GNOME. I haven't tried it on hardware as old as yours, but, for what it's worth, I have heard second hand that it is more compatible.
Submitted by Rolandtan on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 8:05pm
I have a copy of Ubuntu 7.10 disc. Several attempts to install it on a very old Sony VAIO Notebook were not successful. I even tried to "test-drive" the software with the disc. The computer will try to read the files in the disc for a few minutes but then nothing happens. The computer has an Intel Pentium III 850 MHz processor and I have upgraded the RAM to 256 MHz.
Currently, I have Window XP installed on the computer. It is running fine, but a bit slow. Could the problem be due to insufficient RAM?
Can anybody please help or comment? Thanks.
Check if there is any damage
Submitted by StimpE on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 9:43am
Check if there is any damage to the disc. If you keep having problems with it, you should download and burn a new ISO from http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Submitted by bf2gameplaya on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 6:12pm
I just installed Unbuntu 8.04.0.1 using the Live CD AMD64 version for my Opteron 185 NForce4/2GDDR/8800GTSG92+CRT/IntelNIC+Cable/USB DVD drive, with many USB devices.
Everything went smoothly using the version slightly older than the current one. Internet connection was configured properly and about 60 updates applied. I chose an additional 30-40 add-ons. Dual booting with XP is well done and partioning was scary, but managable as I am very familiar with disk management and I had upartitioned space available. I am impressed with the jouncy windows and fun visual effects, unexpected. FF3 is also snappy.
Yet I am stoned cold blocked like a rocket sled into a mountain of Jello trying to get my X-fi Elite Pro to work (Which works incredibly well in XP). I saw and downloaded Creatives beta Linux drivers, but I have no idea how or where to put the nested files (I'm still new to Linux's directory trees and commands) and how or when to "make" them or if I need any pre-requisite packages such as OSS, which is similarly opaque with installation routines.
I'm aware of all the drama surrounding PC audio right now but I want to know:
How do I get my X-fi (Elite Pro or not) to work with my otherwise so-far-so-good Unbuntu 8 installation? Don't tell me to read Creative's Linux Readme.txt, I did and it is useless seemingly purposely so.
MP3's
Submitted by MaximumUser3 on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 12:17pm
MP3's aren't really the issue being that their are now several codec solutions via ubuntu packages as well as a dozen or so players for both Gnome and Kde desktop styles. Plus several installable backends with the proper codecs included. What you have to worry about is WMA Lossless.....
Submitted by StimpE on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 11:38pm
Also, you can use the recommended VLC Media Player (which is available in the Synaptic Package Manager) to play your MP3's.
Only Mandriva worked for me...
Submitted by dwr50 on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 7:30am
Out of the 12 live cd's I tried Mandriva 2008.1 Spring Edition live cd found my sound card and WiFi. This is the only live cd where everything worked from the live cd, so this is the version I chose to install. Best advice I can give is to try as many live cd's as you can and install the one that works on your computer.
Acer Aspire 5610z,Vista HP, No problems with Vista... so far, but I'm learning Linux, just in case.
Acer Aspire 5315-2153, $348 Walmart Special,Mandriva Linux 2008.1 Spring Edition
Fake RAID
Submitted by CrimsonKnight13 on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 6:41am
Be warned... Ubuntu doesn't work well with fake RAID (aka NVRAID or SiLRAID). Even when installing with Wubi, it won't boot into Ubuntu on a fake RAID setup.
Submitted by PowerJunkie on Sat, 08/02/2008 - 6:52pm
So that's my problem. Yup, I've got nvidia raid 0 and this install didn't work at all. Happy to uninstall it through windows tho :)
Linux and Youtube
Submitted by Strongbad536 on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 2:16am
So does anyone know how to fix the linux and youtube audio problem???
Complete the free Stamps.com offer for a free 360 Elite
Submitted by Justin.Kerr on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 6:22pm
I would boot into your Linux install and type "adobe flash test" into google. Make sure everything is okay at that end.
Aside from that try running the hardware test described under Step 3 to see if sound is working in general.
If you have motherboard audio + an aftermarket card, likely only your motherboard audio is supported out of the box and thus you might not have sound unless you move your speaker wire.
Submitted by Devo85x on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 10:12am
What problem are you having? I can try to help if you tell me the exact problem
Submitted by Strongbad536 on Wed, 07/30/2008 - 2:29am
Whenever I try to watch youtube or google videos, there is no audio only video, I have yet to find a solution. My soundcard is an audigy SE i think.
Submitted by Devo85x on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 2:13pm
Did you check the volume on youtube/google AND on your computer? i know sometimes ubuntu will turn the sound all the way down on one or the other
Submitted by Marsolin on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 7:40pm
I used the Wubi installer on my laptop at work and it went great. Being a work laptop I didn't want to repartition the drive, but having the ability to install Kubuntu like it's just another program made everything easier. No I can reboot into KDE4 whenever I can't take Windows anymore. Before Wubi I used VMware Player, but I just didn't have enough RAM and couldn't use 3D graphics. Having a native install now is great.
Chad
http://linuxappfinder.com
http://feedsanywhere.com
You don't need the cd to do
Submitted by nmanguy on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 6:33pm
You don't need the cd to do a WUBI install. Just get the Wubi EXE and run it, and wait a bit. It's usefull if you don't have the 700 MB iso yet, since it auto-downloads it for you.
Submitted by Justin.Kerr on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 6:49pm
Booting from a live CD gives you a chance to test drive the interface to decide if you want to even bother with an install. Additionally it allows you to run some basic compatibility checks on your hardware so you can quickly tell what challenges lie in your wake should you decide to try it out. You can download drivers in advance, etc. This guide is designed to be as user friendly as possible to those who may have never tried the OS.
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