Installing Ubuntu

coldfire1x

The new version of Ubuntu is out and looking promising. I downloaded it yesterday to give it a try.

Now I need a clarification before I do so.

I only have one laptop and dont want to dual boot. Instead I will take out the existing HDD (which has windows7 installed). Then put in a new HDD and install ubuntu on it. I am only doing this to play around ubuntu for a while.

My question is - when I again want to swap the HDD and put the windows7 one back, will it work as normal? Do I need to take any precaution? I dont want to mess up the windows7 installed HDD. Just want it to work when I put it back.

On a sidenote - What do I need to keep in mind and be careful while installing Ubuntu.

softdancomputer

You should be OK, make sure you store the HDD in an antistatic bag.

wobbles-grogan

To be honest, the best thing you can do if your only trying it out is to install a Virtual machine and put Ubuntu 10.04 on it.

You can read about (and download) virtual box here http://www.virtualbox.org/

Then, simply download the ubuntu iso (edit: you already have that) and install on the virtual machine. You might need to enable virtualisation on your processor on the bios but thats easy, if ya need help on that just ask or do some searches on google.

Virtual box is simple use and installing the virtual OS shouldnt be too hard.

Doing it that way will be much easier than flipping harddrives in and out and will allow you to get a feel for Ubuntu.

Dual booting is another option(the best one imo) but you dont want to use that so thats ok.

Gimme a shout if you've any other questions!

edit: As a matter of interest, how much RAM is in your machine?

coldfire1x

Thanks a lot for the quick replies.

Installing on Virtual box sounds like a good option. I must read about it.

I have 3gb ram on my machine. Using the 32bit Windows7 on it. Do you think that will be ok?

Thanks a lot for your offer of helping me out. I will give you a shout if I get stuck with something.

coldfire1x

How easy will it be to virtual box or dual boot if I dont want it later? As I said I want to install ubuntu just to play around it for the moment.

I may like it and want to keep it but thats another story

wobbles-grogan

3 GB of ram is more than enough for a Virtual Machine so yes, 32 bit os is fine too.

Uninstalling Virtual Box is simple, just click un-install :-).

Virtual box creates a virtual hard drive located on your main drive for every virtual machine you install (you could have any number of them). When you want un-install, it will just delete these hardrives too.

The virtual box program itself is tiny, only a hundred megs or so.

Thats the best option for what you want to do anyway!

Let me know how ya get on!

ED E

If you decide to Dualboot later you'll have to shrink your primary partition and create a new one for Ubuntu, then install it again.

I use different drives in my lappy, its a fine solution, 2.5"s are very robust.

Lord Nikon

Would a gig of ram be enough when running a Virtual Box and install Ubuntu in it? I too want to mess around with Linux a bit. I know nothing about Linux and would like to expand my brain a bit.

Acer laptop with Vista Home Basic 80gig HD.

wobbles-grogan

Im not sure to be honest. I'd say you'll be able to install and run it, i dont know about what performance you'll get however...

It can do no harm to give it a try, if it doesnt work then scrap it and try something else. You can install ubuntu onto a USB Thumb drive, then boot of that. This would allow you to use ubuntu without having windows run in the background, thus saving ram! I've never tried installing it on a thumb drive so i dont know what performance you'll get...

calex71

Wubi is another option for dual booting ubuntu with windows, and eliminates a lot of the difficulties with dual booting. Have a read here http://wubi-installer.org/faq.php

bonzodog2

Yet another option is to get the live CD image and boot from that.

JonathanAnon

bonzodog2 wrote: »

Yet another option is to get the live CD image and boot from that.

was just gonna suggest that.. It has NTFS support so you should be able to read the files from the hard drive. Ubuntu is excellent, have it on my spare PC and it's a very good OS.

billymitchell

Or something that might be a little more complex, but you could try creating a bootable USB with ubuntu
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-usb-flash-drive-the-easy-way/

jpl888

If you are only trying it out wubi is the best option. It will run *a lot* faster than the live CD and you can un-install it easily by going into add/remove programs in Windows. It's easier to install than VirtualBox too. Just write the Ubuntu desktop ISO to CD and autoplay it and wubi will be one of the options.