Is an Ubuntu trial possible?

Question

Hi,

I wish to start using ubuntu, but i dont want to jump straight in and completly abandon vista (although i'd be surprised if anything is worse!)

is it possible to instal ubuntu, and run both os together?
eventually i would like to scrap windows completly. forever. im aware that this might require me to split my harddrive (is this very technical/reversable?)...

thanks... again

Answer 1

Wubi installer allows you to install Ubuntu 9.04 within Windows without the need to download the ISO. image and create a LiveCD http://wubi-installer.org/



You keep Windows as it is, Wubi only adds an extra option to boot into Ubuntu. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.



Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.



Installing Ubuntu From A Windows System With Wubi

http://www.howtoforge.com/wubi_ubuntu_on_windows



Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) User Guide

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Jaunty



RECOMMENDATION



I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 7 Main Edition which is Ubuntu 9.04 based. Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled



Linux Mint has a feature called mint4win based on the Wubi installer (Ubuntu) http://wubi-installer.org/ which enables you to install Linux Mint within windows



You keep Windows as it is, mint4win only adds an extra option to boot into Linux Mint. mint4win does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.



mint4win like Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.



Linux Mint 7 Download

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=38



Linux Mint 7 Release notes

http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_gloria_whatsnew.php



You download the iso. image of Linux Mint then you need to create a Bootable LiveCD



Boot in to windows insert the LiveCD you have just created and you will offered the option of installing inside windows which is where mint4win comes in, you will be asked how many gigabytes you wish to allocate to Linux Mint (I recommend 8gb) then you set a password for your installation then click install and thats it.



Once Linux Mint is fully installed upon starting your PC you will be given a choice of which operating system you want to use Windows or Linux Mint.



Linux Mint can also be run direct from the LiveCD from Booting up without touching your Hard Drive



WORTH CONSIDERING LINUX MINT 6 (also incudes mint4win)



Linux Mint 6 Download

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=31



Linux Mint 6 Release notes

http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_felicia_whatsnew.php



CURRENT SESSION



Linux Mint 7 ext4 (GRUB 2) with Compiz 0.8.2

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=38

http://wiki.compiz-fusion.org/





LUg.

Answer 2

wubi wubi wubi wubi!!

At least to start with. Forget the live disk it is too slow now. That was the old way! uNetbootin (get it for windows) will let you put a live version of Ubuntu on a USB flash drive (1GB at least) but if you are installing to an independent partition then the CD is fine.

The problem with having Vista already installed is shrinking the drive to make space for Ubuntu. Microsoft have some strange practices when it comes to where they place the data on your hard drive. It is scattered everywhere and degragging doesn't get it all to the front. You'll see the list of problems if you Google "shrink Vista partition". I would use your Vista install disk to start from scratch if I was you Or, there's a few commercial products that are really good at moving these system files to the front of the disk (you turn certain things off too whilst doing it). You can use said products for a 15 day trial.



If you install Ubuntu you must install ubuntu-restricted-extras as it has the codecs and flash player etc. So you can play movies, music and You Tube etc.

Answer 3

There are several ways to try Ubuntu. The first is the "live CD," which is actually the standard download. Once burned to disk and loaded in your tray and booted, you can run the OS without installing it. The installation is a choice you can make once you're sure you want to do so.



Another way is called WUBI, which installs Ubuntu as a Windows program. You get a boot menu (GRUB), which allows you to select either OS at start time, but it does not require you to partition your disk, and can be removed using the standard Windows Add/Remove programs. I'm typing on an Ubuntu installed this way right now!



Finally, if you want a stripped down version, you can either build a bootable USB key (or even a non-bootable, if you wish) and run Ubuntu from a thumb drive you just connect to your computer.



Ubuntu makes it ridiculously easy to try!

Answer 4

If I remember correctly, any Ubuntu cd can be run as a Live CD. This allows it to boot off of the CD and it will not touch your hard disk. This will let you see how it looks and runs. The downside of Live CD's is they are extremely slow. Also, you may not get the full support of its capabilities because you may not be able to install them (such as the video card drivers from the nVidia website that allow 3d acceleration on nVidia cards).



One of the other people suggested a new feature in Ubuntu in which you put the CD in your drive while you are running windows and install it like a Windows application. I have not tried that, but I have heard of that before and it sounds like your best bet. You can try it, it will be faster than the Live CD (although I am not sure if it will be as fast as the regular install or not), and you will not have to worry about repartitioning the hard drive and potentially damaging data.



Your last option would be to modify the existing partitions and make your windows NTFS file system smaller to create new partitions for linux. Then you can have a dual-boot system. I am not sure if Ubuntu's regular installed has a feature to allow you to resize the Windows partition without losing data or not. I know third party programs like Partition Magic can do it though... but they aren't free.

Answer 5

You can download a LiveCD straight from the Ubuntu site. A LiveCD is a bootable OS, you put it into your CD drive when you start your computer and it boots up Ubuntu, when you remove the CD, you'll be back to Vista. It's not an Ubuntu installation, and you won't get the full power of Ubuntu through a live CD. You can partition your Hard Drive to Dual-Boot Ubuntu and Vista by making 2 separate partitions for each OS. Rather than constantly using the CD, a boot-loader screen (GRUB) will appear when you start the computer and ask you which OS you want to boot.



To partition your Hard drive, you just have to start the LiveCD, go to "Install" then a GUI installer will appear, just follow through it until you get to the Parition menu. You'll be asked 3 options, choose the one that sets each OS to the desired file size you want. Or if you want to use the manual option (3rd option) you'll have to make 1 parition tree for Ubuntu (KEEP the NTFS partition, that's your Windows Partition). In the Ubuntu Partition tree, you'll need 3 sectors, a boot sector (50mb), a swap (from 1gb to 4gb how much your computer can handle), and the rest for the Ubuntu File System.

Answer 6

Latest ubuntu versions (available for free download in ubuntu website/it's open source) comes with the new idea of install ubuntu within the same hard disk where your windows is installed. You will run the installer in your windows, install ubuntu just like a program. After reboot, you will find os selector loaded before windows loads. Just select ubuntu and run, that is all.



By the way, don't delete windows. Try play with both first. There are many difference between both. From vista to ubuntu, not recommended. Ubuntu is more coding/terminal based unlike vista GUI based. I'll suggest downgrade from vista to xp for more stable and mind peace operating.

Answer 7

Do yourself a favor, get a second hard drive. Install the hard drive. Boot from the Ubuntu CD. Let the Ubuntu installation wizard take control of the new hard drive. Leave the old hard drive alone.





You will need to change the boot sequence priority so that the new hard drive is the first hard drive in the sequence. This way, the Ubuntu installation wizard will write its boot code to the new hard drive by default (and you won't need to bother with learning how to put the boot code there yourself).





The Ubuntu installation wizard will detect your current installation of Microsoft Windows and provide a boot option to choose between Ubuntu and Windows when you boot the computer (after you've installed Ubuntu).





Using a second hard drive saves you from the heartache of having to reinstall Microsoft Windows when you screw up the repartitioning of a Windows-based hard drive.

Answer 8

as you're employing vista you are able to in basic terms cut back the no longer easychronic area attainable to vista employing the disk administration, then you fairly can set up ubuntu on the freed up area. i could propose keeping vista on your computing gadget as there is going to be something which you fairly desire which will require domicile windows, i attempted to alter a on the same time as in the past yet maximum courses i ran necessary to be run on domicile windows.

Answer 9

Yep, i think you can get a version of Xubuntu that you can load up directly from a CD or even a flash drive, with no need to install.