installing linux

ranny17

am installing linux but experiencing problems like cannot install LILO, cannot copy data and other major procedures. its a dual boot am trying to create using WUBI. please help me. am new to linux and so wouldn't know much.

sprkymrk

I've never used Wubi.

Have you checked their FAQ and Support pages?

liven

If your new to linux and trying to dual boot, I would highly recommend:

ubuntu

It has probably the best or one of the most user friendly GUIs/desktop environments out there. As well as a pretty decent set of default drivers.

Is this a laptop or desktop? Older or newer?

Fedora is also a very good choice, for similar reasons mentioned above.

Plus both of these distros have a massive community and getting answers to specific problems is pretty easy just using google.

Finally both of those operating systems offer live CDs that make trying linux easy and painless.

Oh ya, you can always just run linux in a virtual machine until you get a better feel for it.

Plus doing this will give you a pretty good idea if the distro you chose will jive with HAL on the machine your using.

Once again thats just my 2 cents.

BeaverC32

I would personally download VMware server and install linux as a VM; in my opinion, this is a much better option than a dual boot config.

ULWiz

I would also run VMware or Virtual PC for these kinds of things. Once you get your image done make a backup somewhere of the file and start using your linux copy if something goes wrong you can always reload your backup again and be back to where you started.

Schluep

Google quickly brings up a number of tutorials for setting up a dual boot Windows/Ubuntu box quickly and easily if you aren't familiar with Linux. I had never heard of WUBI until you mentioned it and after looking at it would say that it certainly isn't needed to set up a proper dual boot configuration. It is much easier to install Windows first when setting up a dual boot configuration between either XP/Vista and Linux. If you are re-partitioning your hard drive to keep your existing Windows installation and also install Ubuntu I would highly recommend backing up your drive first.

Personally I have always dual booted as opposed to VMWare or Virtual PC but maybe I am just old fashioned.

Slowhand

When dual-booting Linux/Unix and Windows, the specific instructions depend on the distro and the version of Windows you're using. There is, however, one golden rule: NTLDR does not handle dual-booting well. You'll want to install the boot-manager, (like LILO or GRUB,) first. In other words, install Linux first, then install Windows, so that you can take advantage of the more versatile bootloader program. After that, it's all about reading those howto's.

sprkymrk

What he is using is not a normal setup, check out the links I posted - he is installing linux inside windows like an application.

Wubi is an unofficial Ubuntu installer for Windows users that will bring you into the Linux world with a single click. Wubi allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu as any other application. If you heard about Linux and Ubuntu, if you wanted to try them but you were afraid, this is for you.

Wubi is Safe
It does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader.

Wubi is Simple
Just run the installer, no need to burn a CD.

Wubi is Discrete
Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and If you do not like, you can simply uninstall it.

Wubi is Free
Wubi (like Ubuntu) is free as in beer and as in freedom. You will get this part later on, the important thing now is that it costs absolutely nothing, it is our gift to you...

Slowhand

sprkymrk wrote:

What he is using is not a normal setup, check out the links I posted - he is installing linux inside windows like an application.

Wubi is an unofficial Ubuntu installer for Windows users that will bring you into the Linux world with a single click. Wubi allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu as any other application. If you heard about Linux and Ubuntu, if you wanted to try them but you were afraid, this is for you.

Wubi is Safe
It does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader.

Wubi is Simple
Just run the installer, no need to burn a CD.

Wubi is Discrete
Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and If you do not like, you can simply uninstall it.

Wubi is Free
Wubi (like Ubuntu) is free as in beer and as in freedom. You will get this part later on, the important thing now is that it costs absolutely nothing, it is our gift to you...

Ouch. Then I hate to say it, ranny17, but I think you're on your own. Read up on the Wubi website to see if there's a howto on getting it running the way you want. Otherwise, I'd recommend using a standard installable version of Linux.

Schluep

I am not at all familiar with WUBI but it seems like an interesting idea. The support pages seem to have forum threads and also references to the Ubuntu forums that could be helpful places of information for installer issues with WUBI.


I don't mean to hijack your thread, but to respond to what Slowhand said with a bit of a question:

I am not a Linux expert by any means, but I have set up dual boot configurations with Windows and several distributions of Linux always by installing Windows first. When installing Windows I only set up the NTFS partition for Windows. Then I usually boot from a Linux LiveCD and use gparted or qtpared to set up my Linux partitions. Once they are ready I install the Linux distribution to those partitions and configure the boot-loader (usually GRUB) afterwards using a how-to from the website of forums of the distribution I am using.

I will likely be reformatting one of my desktop PCs to install triple boot XP, Debian or Ubuntu, and Backtrack soon. Since I will likely end up using the Linux bootloader under my usual install method mentioned above could you please explain the benefit of installing Linux first? I am just trying to understand it better to save myself some headaches in a few weeks since you seem more knowledgable on the subject.

Maybe I should consider the Linux+ certification for later this year after the ones I am currently working on. Thanks for any follow-up clarification.

dynamik

I've always installed Windows first. I thought Windows would wipe out your linux boot loader during the installation. I'm sure you could repair it, but it just seems like a hassle. I put Ubuntu 7.10 on after Vista, and it worked out slick. Linux+ is definitely on my todo list as well. I'm not nearly as familiar with it as I'd like to be.

liven

sounds kinda like

cygwin to me...

Which is actually a killer appliation.

It is a great way to get all kinds of daemons running on windows. And it looks and feels very much like linux. Plus it doesn't mess with your partitions.


I would use that before anything else.

Lots of admins I work with use it as alternative to putty.


And you can access all your windows files and paritions from cygwin. Worth checking out. Dunno if it is the best for studying for the linux+ exam.

But like I said, reminds me more of this new app he is installing.

liven

dynamik wrote:

I've always installed Windows first. I thought Windows would wipe out your linux boot loader during the installation. I'm sure you could repair it, but it just seems like a hassle. I put Ubuntu 7.10 on after Vista, and it worked out slick. Linux+ is definitely on my todo list as well. I'm not nearly as familiar with it as I'd like to be.

Bump, I like this method.

Plus many of the distros now offer killer re-partitioning tools.

I like to install windows. Then linux. On a clean hard drive.

Sure anytime you mess with the partitions it is risky, but if you back stuff up all should be good to go!

Slowhand

Schluep wrote:

I am not at all familiar with WUBI but it seems like an interesting idea. The support pages seem to have forum threads and also references to the Ubuntu forums that could be helpful places of information for installer issues with WUBI.


I don't mean to hijack your thread, but to respond to what Slowhand said with a bit of a question:

I am not a Linux expert by any means, but I have set up dual boot configurations with Windows and several distributions of Linux always by installing Windows first. When installing Windows I only set up the NTFS partition for Windows. Then I usually boot from a Linux LiveCD and use gparted or qtpared to set up my Linux partitions. Once they are ready I install the Linux distribution to those partitions and configure the boot-loader (usually GRUB) afterwards using a how-to from the website of forums of the distribution I am using.

I will likely be reformatting one of my desktop PCs to install triple boot XP, Debian or Ubuntu, and Backtrack soon. Since I will likely end up using the Linux bootloader under my usual install method mentioned above could you please explain the benefit of installing Linux first? I am just trying to understand it better to save myself some headaches in a few weeks since you seem more knowledgable on the subject.

Maybe I should consider the Linux+ certification for later this year after the ones I am currently working on. Thanks for any follow-up clarification.

The only reason I recommend going in this order is because that's how I was successful in the past. Boot-loaders have come a long way since I first started messing with Linux, so follow the instructions you get in howtos or any other documentation related to the distros you're using.

BeaverC32

Always install Windows first when dual-booting.

GRUB automatically detects the existing Windows OS and creates a boot option for it automatically; Windows generally DOES NOT detect Linux if it is installed first. Just remember that the bootloader of the last OS installed is the one installed in the MBR.

ranny17

ok guys, i appreciate the help. And yes am new to ubuntu quite like it, but i want to ionstall it with the least system requirements. i have tried to intsall ubuntu,edubuntu and kubuntu from the live CDs but it takes forever. so if i try to install WUbi i go all the way to the stage where i have to set the root account but then when i try to merge the data from the windows xp OS, i just cant get through.

Talic

ranny17 wrote:

ok guys, i appreciate the help. And yes am new to ubuntu quite like it, but i want to ionstall it with the least system requirements. i have tried to intsall ubuntu,edubuntu and kubuntu from the live CDs but it takes forever. so if i try to install WUbi i go all the way to the stage where i have to set the root account but then when i try to merge the data from the windows xp OS, i just cant get through.

Try the alternate cd, it'll let you install without the gui. Just hit the check mark when you download the image. I assume your only running with a low amount of ram? 256 MBs or so? The live cd needs around 512 to run at its best I believe.

Depending on how old the machine is you might want to check out Xubuntu, its made for older machines. It still sounds like alternate install is your best option though. Maybe post the machine's specs for us?

It is best to have Windows installed first then install a Linux distro of your choice. The Windows installer thinks Linux is just free space when it installs and overwrites any bootloaders. As for applications for installing Linux in Windows, I don't think I would trust it, just try doing it from a alternate cd if your having problems with the live cd.