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82 Comments
- hbweb500, on 10/12/2007, -3/+109"...when I was learning to duel boot."
Duel boot: the footwear worn by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in their infamous 1804 confrontation. - ToadMcFrog, on 10/12/2007, -5/+40@ schestowitz
There is a lot to learn about Linux naming conventions (hard drive / partition naming, for instance) if you want to get a dual-boot system working without accidentally overwriting your Windows partition. When most people are used to looking at C: and D:, hda1, hda2, and hdb1 can be pretty confusing. Also, how should each partition be formatted? What do you mean I should have a separate swap partition? What the hell is an ext3 file system?
Linux installs have a whole lot more options than Windows installs; a windows installer on a major distro is just what is needed to keep people from getting that "jumping in head first" feeling. - pufuwozu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+36Installing Linux distros from within Windows has been around for a few years, the only problem is that they don't usually get supported by the distro so they tend to go un-noticed.
I'm thinking the Ubuntu version will take off pretty well, though. - schestowitz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+22@crowsattack
> "learning to duel boot."
There's not much to learn. The only reason people fear it is becuase it takes them away from the 'comfort zone'. - xxNIRVANAxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11considering their OS is already on your system when the user is installing linux: they don't care, because they would have already made their money!
- nayr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9hey, if you want to do linux, get an nvidia card. the ati support sucks.
- MasterChi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8If you are going to try it please also seed it for a few days to help everyone's experience, thanks.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/install.exe/Prototype - Ignotus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7If you don't like Ubuntu, then don't read the article. Just dig it down and move on. Obviously, enough people like Ubuntu that it gets diggs and moves to the front. It doesn't mean that it's the best distro, or that it's a good story, or that it's even newsworthy. Someone read the story and thought "wow, I dig this". Then, a lot of other people read it and said "I dig this too". That's ALL it means. You people that continually cry about the Ubuntu stories aren't quite grasping Digg's purpose. As long as people continue to like Ubuntu, it's going to get a lot of diggs. Just bury it and move on FFS. Do you write letters to all of the magazines you dislike and say "why do you publish this? why did you put this on your cover? this sucks!" Probably not, you simply don't read or purchase what you aren't interested in.
- justintime32, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I don't think this is an official project. I think this was started by community members rather than true Ubuntu devs. But, hey, I might be wrong.
- strabes, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8@markpdotcom: because it's not easier.
- Evic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Wow - awesome idea. Before going to the grocery store I was contemplating dual booting Windows & Ubuntu (I've run Ubuntu only before). I come home and see this at the top of digg - guess who's giving it a shot?
- sherlockian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I'm getting 214k down through utorrent, and there is 180 people in the swarm. Will definitely be seeding though.
Very very very intriguing!
I wonder if there are any major limitations compared to the average Ubuntu distro? - chandler, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@Markpdot
You were probably sarcastic but did you know the "double click" is actually patented by Microsoft? So yeah, no distro can technically offer it except for Novell/SUSE.
US Patent Number: 6727830 - pillfred, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4http://digg.com/linux_unix/Windows_Based_Ubuntu_Installer_Screenshots_and_demo
- geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"They don't, the installer supposedly resizes the NTFS partition and creates its own"
Wrong, wrong wrong. This installer installs Ubuntu into an image file located on the NTFS partition. In this way, it's completely non-destructive to the file system, however it presents some challenges if the user wants to make the install permanent (aka removing Windows later). This is why the install is "no risk"; if you don't like it, boot back into Windows, remove the image, and remove the entry from Grub for Ubuntu (thusly immediately chainloading Windows' bootloader). Theoretically, someone could make a disk that installs this package, then allows you to download *any* Linux for a test drive (or even multiple Linicies at a time, all side-by-side on your NTFS partition). - drakia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4It doesn't overwrite your MBR, it just installs Grub for Windows to the C: drive and adds an entry to the Windows bootloader that tells it to load Grub if you select it. So you aren't using Grub in the sense you think. (I thought, since people were digging you down without even trying to explain, that I'd give it a shot)
- scabbers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4If there's one thing that'll put someone off Linux for life, it's an incident where it FUBARs their windows install.
- deadbaby, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5A good Windows based installer opens the door for Linux to sneak into the OEM space. Most Microsoft OEM agreements preclude pre-installing a second operating system but they don't say a thing about installing an installer.
- Reddwarfusa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I love this, gonna try it soon. I have used Ubuntu many times but this could really help to drive install base, its the next step to moving ubuntu and linux into the mainstream. Yes I am a windows and linux user... don't be hat'in.
- regeya, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Clearly you're too goddamn stupid to understand how Digg works. Kindly go away.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I wish I'd had this when I first installed Ubuntu ... I bought a second hard drive and installed Ubuntu to that, since the partitioning instructions I'd seen were way over my newbie head, and I wanted to keep Windows around for stuff like tax prep software. (I am NOT taking the risk of trying *that* on WINE.)
I think more people would be willing to try Linux if they weren't worried about toasting their existing setup. - naiku, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3i have to say the make dmgs are extremely easy. In linux if you have apt-get, yum or any program that gets dependences and installs, its very easy.
- z00k, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Looks really good... Can't wait till they fix most of the bugs... then I will be able to finally move away from Instlux. (Not saying that I hate Instlux =p)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/instlux - joe0891, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This isn't Ubuntu emulating a Windows feel, it is a method for installing it in Windows. It's in the article.
- geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This will work with any distro, you just need a disk image and kernel image from it.
[edit: Actually, if you know your way around Linux, and your distro works with vanilla kernels, then all you need is the right disk image, you could share kernel images between distros.] - geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"isn't there some kind of performance impact if they install linux onto an NTFS partition?"
Not really; the NTFS partition recognizes the image file as just that, an image file sitting on disk. If NTFS is acting right, the large file won't be broken up into sparse bits and spread all over the disk, meaning that once you start reading the image file from one side, you can get all the way to the other side of the image file without other files in between. Thusly, when the Linux bootloader starts at the head of the image file, it looks just like a hard disk to it. If you tell the bootloader exactly how big the image file is, the kernel will know that the end of the virtual disk is the end of the image file, and thusly you have virtualized a file into a file system. The biggest thing that can go wrong here is passing the kernel the wrong size for the image file, or your NTFS file system fragmenting the image file (which is why they recommend defragging if you have issues). - Markpdotcom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Link to direct download/images of the install process here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/install.exe/Prototype
- Tordenflesk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1So will you be able to install it anywhere else than C:? I like to keep my C: clean
- sulf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Can't think of any reason why any major OEM would want to include such installer for any non-commercial Linux on their system. Also, I don't see why windows-based install of Linux would be easier and safer than regular install launched from a boot CD with some idiot-proof features like disallowing to mess with any NTFS or FAT partitions or renaming /dev/hda to C:, etc.
- chapinmesa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Love how they said:
provide a no risk installation...then say later
low risk. - flaxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1FINALLY!! This installer and image idea sounds like it'll definitely solve a lot of the issues with going to linux. Now you get the full performance and you can play around with Linux, but always go back to your untouched windows install. Furthermore, if you need to free space, move the image to another drive! Brilliant!
- xxNIRVANAxx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3and instlux:
http://instlux.sourceforge.net/
edit: umm, should be a comment to bkhl... one comment up... looks kinda awkward down here - orb_nsc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1When I first read the title I thought it was "Wiibuntu", and I was getting all excited about that. But, this is cool too.
- mojaam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Perfect timing or what? I just tried to install ubuntu and crashed my windows in the process. Should have backed up. But oh well.
- MrTea, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This looks interesting. I think the only individuals who this will be of good use to will be those who are frightened of duel booting.
- curmudgeon7205, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I look forward to this. As an absolutely clueless newbie, I have tried Ubuntu 6.10 Live CD and had unresolved issues with USB devices (but had Internet). "Unresolved", in that I tried to get help in U forum and my issue withered on the vine.
I also tried each of Ubuntu 6.10, 6.06, and 5.10 on my VMWare Player (downloading the three versions as VMWare appliances from the VMWare site. Of the three, only version 5.10 (in the form of a VMWare "Browser appliance") was able to connect to the Internet through the VMWare player. The later versions could not connect to Internet. None of the 3 VMWare "appliances" was able to see my USB drives and flash drives.
My postings to the Ubuntu forum left those issues, too, unresolved. Probably because I didn't RTFM (but there are so many FMs, it's hard to know which one to read).
Maybe this new development will yield different results. I, too, am not about to abandon my tax software and my Excel models (which use Excel-specific functionality which I have been unable to duplicate using the latest version of OO). Consequently, I need to "ease into" Ubuntu gradually, while retaining essential functionality in Win XP (not to mention my sanity). - pozzoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't think your last sentence is completely right. Linux is more complicated to install only if you need to dual boot. (but think about trying to do the opposite, i.e. trying to install Windows with an existing Linux partition, it is impossible to do that without having to restore your MBR, talk about complicated).
But on the other hand, installing Linux on a new machine is an easy deal (at least Ubuntu is, that's the distro I'm using). You just use the default disk structure. Even more, the installation is better than Windows since you can use your computer during the installation (for example, to surf the web or play a simple game). Mind I'm talking about Ubuntu Edgy and Windows XP, I don't know about Vista.
I think is time to give credit Linux for what it is doing right. And be fair about the comparisons we make. - timjbart, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I know that now! Maybe it's time for an upgrade...
- netferret, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1shame it doesnt work once its installed.
- raynevandunem, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ regeya
http://gobolinux.org/
OR
http://rox.sourceforge.net/desktop/static.html
They both accomplish what you were asking for (the AppDir thing). - SabahArif, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Reminds me of BeOS Personal Edition, which created a BFS image on the hard drive through a Windows installer and booted with either a Windows application or boot floppy. Shame it didn't support NTFS, though.
http://www.bebits.com/app/2680 - drakia, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I think you're right, when this was on Digg 4 days ago (Yeah, it's a dupe) I checked it out, and the guys who were developing it couldn't get support from the official Ubuntu dev's, so this has nothing to do with them. Awesome project, but I'm burying this digg as innacurate.
- timjbart, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2"A partially functioning prototype is now available for downloading and testing"
How partially functioning is it? Will it cause problems when Ubuntu doesn't detect my ATI X800 like usual :( - woody56292, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Why couldn't this have been around when I was trying to install Ubuntu. I thought I was pretty computer-savy, but I messed up my installation and through the course of trying to "fix" it, I ended up wiping my harddrive and having to reinstall windows.
- dAbReAkA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1what happens if u have vista installed? will it do something to its bootloader?
EDIT: Bugs
Report bugs here
* Does not use a bug tracker * Does not support Vista (which does not use boot.ini) ## This one is from the comments section you have
ahh.. - theratster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Totally awesome idea. Just boot straight into windows, and install it from your windows desktop. It will certainly look a lot more user friendly!
Its great too that they have choices of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu while installing, and it only downloads the one you need. - johnstar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1it didn't see my network card? ubuntu live cd sees it?
- pitchdark, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1this is a great idea as I like others have had issues with installing with a partition. However I can't seem to get this one working yet. Installs fine then says something about "Job turned off" and that's as far as I get. Guess I'll search around on the forums and see if anyone can help.
- Farticus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1The thought of that becoming a viral payload is mind boggling.
- JrGhoull, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1i'm a total freakin moron when it comes to this stuff...my suggesttion is to make urself a g parted live cd...it kicks all kinds of ass, its very well made and easy to use.
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