Linux AND XP

[KU0DM]

I am interested in playing around with Linux, Ubuntu, but want to be able to use XP at the same time, at least till I get comfortable with Linux.
Is it possible to use both at once?
Not simultaneously of course, but have both on the same machine.
Tnx, 73

[dj1yfk]

Yes. During the installation of Ubuntu, a bootloader (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootloader) will be set up on your hard disk. This boot loader will let you chose which operating system to boot when you start the computer.
Ubuntu's installer will automatically detect all operating systems which are present on the machine (in your case Windows XP) and add them to the boot menu.

[KU0DM]

Cool!
I guess all that's left for me to do is install Ubuntu!
Tnx!

Will let you all know how the transition goes!
73

[WA9UAA]

Hi Duncan,
Yes, there a couple of things you must do. You'll need some windows CD burning software that allows you to burn an ISO image. Once you have the Ubuntu image down loaded to your desktop it will be possible to burn a CD that will boot up in your machine. You'll need to go into the BIOS and set the CD drive to be checked for an OS before the hard drive. If you want to 'Dual Boot' you have the choice of installing the Linux distro along side your Windows stuff. Here is the tricky part. You'll need to repartition your hard disk and then be able to pick out that partition so that you don't over write your windows stuff when installing the Linux. If you have an older machine that still works it could be used as a stand alone Linux box to experiment with. There are great forums for Ubuntu where questions can be answered and researched. Always backup anything you can't replace before experimenting with your main computer. I highly recommend reading the Ubuntu forums to see what problems others are encountering. More than once, I used my work computer to research a problem I had gotten myself into at home.
Good Luck, I highly recommend an older computer if possible so as not to risk your newer machine.
73,
Rob WA9UAA

[KU0DM]

Tnx Rob,
I am planning to use it on an old computer.
It's an old Compaq, am loading XP on it and thought What the Heck, why not try Linux.
So I have literally nothing to lose on this machine.
Tnx!

[WA9UAA]

Hi Duncan,
OK, great, I believe you'll have to put the windows on first then your Linux Distro.
73,
Rob WA9UAA

[AC0H]

Quote[/b] (KU0DM @ Dec. 16 2007,14:36)]Tnx Rob,
I am planning to use it on an old computer.
It's an old Compaq, am loading XP on it and thought What the Heck, why not try Linux.
So I have literally nothing to lose on this machine.
Tnx!
Whenever your going to do a dual boot with Windows and Linux always load Windows first. If you don't and load Linux first the Windows install will come behind you and overwrite the MBR and you lose the ability to boot Linux from the hard drive.

It's fixable booting from a CD or floppy but probably not for a Linux newby.

I have succesfully setup a "quint" boot with Win95, Win98, Win NT3.51, Win2K, and Red Hat Linux. The secret is to load the oldest windows version first, and in cronological order, with any flavor of Linux last. The older versions of the windows bootloader don't know a thing about newer versions of windows and won't load them.

[w8gtf]

To be honest, before jumping into a dual boot setup. I would use a 'live CD'. When you first put an ubuntu disk into your computer and restart, you are looking at a desktop that is fully useaable. There is also a link for installation. Another good live CD is 'Slax'.

Live CD's allow you to test drive linux before actually taking the plunge of installing. The best part is that when you are done and restart the computer, you have windows back. If you decide to install, then you can do the dual boot.

[WD8OQX]

May I suggest using some sort of drive swapping?
On a tower you can use a swap kit. (easy)
On a NB may be more of a challenge, maybe a PCMCIA HD?

[KU0DM]

Quote[/b] (w8gtf @ Dec. 16 2007,20:05)]To be honest, before jumping into a dual boot setup. #I would use a 'live CD'. #When you first put an ubuntu disk into your computer and restart, you are looking at a desktop that is fully useaable. #There is also a link for installation. #Another good live CD is 'Slax'.

Live CD's allow you to test drive linux before actually taking the plunge of installing. #The best part is that when you are done and restart the computer, you have windows back. #If you decide to install, then you can do the dual boot.
cool! thanks!
sounds like that is what i want to do, the reason i wanted dualboot was so i could go back to windoze if i didn't like linux.
this will be my first time EVER using linux so i think you have the right idea there.

tnx to all! making the CD now, should be ready to install on my other machine this afternoon!

tnx agn! will let you all know how things go!
73 for now

[KC2HJN]

Just a quick note on running Ubuntu as a live cd. If it is an older machine with not very much memory it may be painfully slow. While running live it creates a virtual disk in memory and uses it as a swap disk to run your OS and any programs you run. The more memory the less swapping it will do.

I had set up an old machine for my son (he's almost 3) because he would never leave me alone while working on mine. I set up Edubuntu for him and tested it on a machine with only 128mb ram and a p3 866mhz. It was unusable (slow and would lock up) until I added more memory. Installed, it ran ok with 128mb but it was still slow.

Running it live I would say don't bother if you have less than 256mb, preferably 384 or higher for it to run fairly smoothly. Installed you can get away with 128mb but would be better off with more.

[N0NB]

If your interest lies in playing with a Linux based desktop, then Ubuntu, Kubuntu, etc. are worthwhile starting points. If you want to play with the ham radio software like Flidigi, look into the Fldigi thread I started that contains a link to a version of Puppy Linux that includes such software.

[KU0DM]

When I insert the disk with the ISO image on it, it opens and everything goes good untill installation.
It says:
"Your computer doesn't support the Long version, please try the 32 bit distribution"

I have no clue what this means, went to Ubuntu.com and looked it up in the "search" query with no results.

All help appreciated!
Tnx

[dj1yfk]

Looks like you're trying to install a 64-bit Version on a 32-bit system. You probably downloaded the wrong ISO. The file should have a name like: ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso, yours probably has amd64 or x86_64 instead?

Get a 32-bit version [Standard personal computer (x86 architecture, PentiumTM, CeleronTM, AthlonTM, SempronTM)] at:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

[WA7KKP]

Yes, it is called dual-booting . . . a special loading program is installed on the MBR, and you can select which O/S you want.

I'm not sure how Ubuntu does it, but I am a SuSE user (but not Windows), and YAST allows you to set up a dual-boot machine . . . after you de-frag the Windows partition.

What I plan on doing is having both ATAPI and SCSI drives with dedicated O/Ses on them and just going into my BIOS to change boot priorities when needed.

Gary WA7KKP

[KU0DM]

Quote[/b] (dj1yfk @ Dec. 17 2007,18:21)]Looks like you're trying to install a 64-bit Version on a 32-bit system. You probably downloaded the wrong ISO. The file should have a name like: ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso, yours probably has amd64 or x86_64 instead?

Get a 32-bit version [Standard personal computer (x86 architecture, PentiumTM, CeleronTM, AthlonTM, SempronTM)] at:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
that's it!

can't believe i missed that, i guess that teaches me not to do things in a hurry.

off topic but the reason i was in a hurry was that i have begun work on my eagle scout project! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

tnx!

[kf6rdn]

On another point, if you have important data on your windows area you may want to back it up.

Sometime these things go awry and jack up data on a drive.
(Not often and usually fixable if you know how)

[KU0DM]

I know have a NEW error message:

[ 399.322371] Buffer I/O error on device sr0, logical block 131807
[519.606458] Buffer I/O error on device sr0, logical block 131807


http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[dj1yfk]

Quote[/b] ]I know have a NEW error message:
When exactly does it appear, and what is the effect? Are you installing Ubuntu or using a Live CD?

There seems to be a problem with your CD-ROM drive (srX = SCSI CD-ROM drives). The easiest cause would be a faulty CD, because either the image you downloaded was faulty (did you test the checksum?) or some bits were flipped during burning (did you verify the burnt CD against the ISO file?).

[KU0DM]

Just ran a diagnostics on the CD, 20 different errors found.
So for now I think that is the main problem.

[KU0DM]

Quote[/b] (KU0DM @ Dec. 18 2007,16:46)]Just ran a diagnostics on the CD, 20 different errors found.
So for now I think that is the main problem.


just tested the Checksum, "MD5 Check Sums are the same"
so my guess is now something went wrong when the ISO image was being burned to a CD.
what though I dont know, i will set the burn speed to
careful, and see what happens.

[WA9UAA]

Duncan,
Slow burn speeds are recommended. Also, you'll need special software (its free) for burning an .iso image on a windows machine. Also, use a good disk, I bought cheap ones at Chinamart and they didn't work well. Gl HTH
73,
Rob WA9UAA

[KU0DM]

I downloaded a program from ubuntu.com
it works, the problem is with the computer I am trying to install it on I'm afraid.
It runs fine on my Dell (newer, 2007 machine), it started fine, checked for errors and it detected none.
So I believe it is now a problem with my old computer, since the same disk works fine on a newer machine.

Ran the live disk on my newer machine, loved it!
Runs great, looks great, a bit slow and doesn't have all the features. The only way to fix that...install it! Forget the live CD, time to install it.

Tnx, will update soon

[k5phw]

Just a tip, always burn the ISO at 4X and you shhould be fine. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

[AC0H]

Quote[/b] (WA9UAA @ Dec. 19 2007,09:16)]Duncan,
Slow burn speeds are recommended. Also, you'll need special software (its free) for burning an .iso image on a windows machine. Also, use a good disk, I bought cheap ones at Chinamart and they didn't work well. Gl HTH
73,
Rob WA9UAA
As far as I know all of the major burning suites on Windows support burning .iso's.

I know Nero does and I'd be surprised if Roxio didn't.

[KU0DM]

Hello from Ubuntu!
Got it to run and am trying it now, so much nicer than XP.
They say it is a bit slower because it is on a disk, not the hard-drive, well it must be extremely fast when installed, because it already matches XP (in terms of speed) on this machine!

Will post final results of the install.
Tnx es 73

[KU0DM]

Got everything installed last night!
The install went smooth, didn't lose any files, and the dual boot is great, comes up first thing when I turn my computer on!
Still getting used to using the terminal, it is a lot easier than cmd on windows but still takes some getting used to.

Thanks for everyones help!
Merry Christmas, 73

[WA9UAA]

Hi Duncan,
Glad to hear that. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
73,
Rob WA9UAA

[N7VQM]

If you're just testing the waters and you have a relatively recent computer, there's another option: VMWare Server (http://www.vmware.com/products/server/). VMWare offers their Server product free of charge.

There's also an interesting hack to use your existing Windows install in VMWare Server on Ubuntu if you dual-boot: Existing Windows Install in Ubuntu (http://www.venturecake.com/a-simple-guide-to-using-your-existing-windows-install-apps-in-ubuntu/).