I am a regular windows user but now...

[tudor]

Can anyone in the house help?!
I am a regular user of windows based platform. But now I want to try something else. I have already requested for the Ubuntu CD, but what I want to know is how to install it on my Hard drive without deleting existing Windows XP. I need step by step procedures. Please can anyone help?

Thanks in anticipation of the replies.

Tudor

[Little Girl]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

Hey there,

First of all, welcome to Ubuntu! Here is a video that shows how to dual boot Ubuntu with Windows:

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?...93842637434537

There are also links to other pages with videos of how to dual boot.

[Qqmike]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

And dedo does good work here:

Dual booting - Windows & Linux
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/dual_boot.html

[7penselen]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

Try Wubi.

This is a safe Ubuntu installation, which will be installed like a Windows program. (It is no partition, but it is a Windows file).
When installed you simply reboot the computer and the Windows bootmanager offers you the choose Windows or Ubuntu.
If you like it. Deinstall the Wubi partition on Windows like a Windows program and install a dualboot. Dualboot is faster than a Wubi install.
And if you still prefer Windows simply de-install it like a Windows application and you have the complete disk for Windows.

http://wubi-installer.org/

I use it for people who want to have a look on Linux without any problems or risks.

[tudor]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

I just want to thank you guys. I found all of the replied posts very helpful. Now I just need to arrange my pc. I'm exiting Windows,.
Thanks a bill.

[sithlord48]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

just be sure to play with the live cd BEFORE you install , that way you know what works hardware wise, no sound/wifi on the live cd means, you will want to check to make sure you hardware has a driver for linux, also if you plan to use compiz (or kde's desktop effects) be sure to check that your hardware is supported by the linux driver from your card's manufacture.

welcome to the forum, and congrats on your first step in to a larger world.

[GreyGeek]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

just be sure to play with the live cd BEFORE you install , .....
...

Sithlord48's advice is excellent. Not only that, if you have sufficient memory, you can "install" applications from the repository (but they won't be on your HD, they are in RAM), which will allow you to switch to wicd, for example, if network-manager doesn't work, or if you need to install ndiswrapper. You can install Stellarium to test out the acceleration of your video chip. If Stellarium loads within a couple seconds you are good. If it takes 30 seconds your acceleration isn't so hot. Tux Racer is another acceleration canary. You can modify your KMixer settings and then test them using Audacity to see if you can record a sound file, which will also test out your microphone and allow you to adjust it to its best setting. If you have a web camera you can use Skype or Ekiga to test it.

[barbolani]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

Tudor, I also think Wubi could be a good option for you. With that you can play to your hearth content without risking anything.

Just remember that if you use Wubi suspend and hibernate are not going to work properly.

[GreyGeek]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

Also remember that as long as Windows is the underlying OS your security is not any better than what it offers, which is not very much.


I work it the other way around. I gave Kubuntu my ENTIRE HD, and installed my copy of XP Pro as a guest OS under Kubuntu using VMWare player. There is nothing I do with XP, except to log in every month or so and let it update files, then log off. I keep it as a sort of museum.

[Little Girl]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

Also remember that as long as Windows is the underlying OS your security is not any better than what it offers, which is not very much.

Also, Ubuntu will suffer from the resource use of Windows if run that way. It won't be nearly as spunky as it would be if it were installed directly.

[barbolani]

Re: I am a regular windows user but now...

Also remember that as long as Windows is the underlying OS your security is not any better than what it offers, which is not very much.

Not quite. Wubi does not use Windows as the underlying OS. In fact, Wubi does not use Windows at all except for installation. The end result of a Wubi install is one huge file located somewhere in your Windows filesystem and a Windows bootloader entry that allows you to choose what do you want to boot when you turn on your machine.

When you choose Wubi, it mounts your huge Windows file as if it were a disk partition and continues booting Linux normally from that huge file-as-a-disk.

The only drawbacks I've found to Wubi are the slight worse disk access times (since each time Linux access what it believes is a raw disk the request has to be translated to a file access) and the lack of hibernate support.

I work it the other way around. I gave Kubuntu my ENTIRE HD, and installed my copy of XP Pro as a guest OS under Kubuntu using VMWare player. There is nothing I do with XP, except to log in every month or so and let it update files, then log off. I keep it as a sort of museum.

That is a very good option if you don't plan to keep playing Windows games. For a reforming Windows user I'd not recommend that approach, since you need to install and make Linux work as a prerequisite. But once you're comfortable with Linux and if you don't need graphics performance out of Windows it's a very nice one.