Re: [PLUG] Ubuntu Hardy and Wubi on Windows

[JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org>]

JP Vossen wrote:
> The latest Ubuntu just released (8.04 "Hardy") is able to use something 
> called wubi, which:
> * Installs Ubuntu from within Windows just like it was a Windows app
> * Does NOT require hard drive partioning
> * Is a dual-boot solution, not virtualized, though the loopbacked 
> virtual disk does incur a slight performance hit (I can't notice it)
> * Adds an "Ubuntu" option to the native NT bootloader
> * Allows you to remove Ubuntu from Add/Remove Programs, just like it was 
> a Windows app
> * Adds a /host directory on the Ubuntu side with read-write access to 
> the NTFS file system
> 
> It basically creates a big file inside the NTFS partition, sized at 
> install-time, and puts all the Linux stuff inside that virtual disk.  So 
> you end up with 2 Ubuntu files, a tweak to boot.ini and a c:\ubuntu 
> directory on the Windows/NTFS side.  My stock install uses about 2.2G 
> and since you can store and access files in the NTFS side, you probably 
> don't have to worry too much about the Ubuntu disk size.  I'll probably 
> try to create a symlink from ~/MyDocs to '/host/Documents and 
> Settings/jp/My Documents' or something.
> 
> I just installed it on my new Dell Latitude D630 and it works great. 
> Once it installed on the Windows side and rebooted I did have to hit 
> ESCAPE and use the "safe graphics mode" option, to finish the install on 
> the Ubuntu side, as the built-in video otherwise won't work.  After the 
> second phase install and reboot the screen came up in 800x600 mode, but 
> almost immediately informed me that restricted drivers were available. I 
> installed those and the updates and restarted and it's working GREAT!!!  
> I haven't tested all the hardware yet, and IIRC suspend and/or hibernate 
> don't work in Ubuntu under wubi.  But still...
> 
> One catch; if the NTFS side gets the dirty-bit set, Ubuntu won't boot 
> and the error message is not very clear: something about being unable to 
> mount the NTFS partition.  The solution is to simply allow a Windows 
> boot to complete and optionally but recommended: run a scandisk.  This 
> situation can and will occur when you restart and are not paying 
> attention, so you miss the NT Boot loader prompt and start booting 
> Windows, then hard-power-off to save time (can you guess how I know 
> this?).  I bet this is going to be a really F.A.Q. with Wubi.  I plan to 
> file a bug report on this; it seems like it would be possible for a 
> little shim to detect this and provide a useful error.
> 
> PS--I plan on using this machine to do my 2008-05-12 preso for PLUG 
> West, if anyone wants to see it in action.

If you suffer from the Vista virus, I've been told by IT at work that:

"When Wubi is run from an up-to-date Windows Vista system it will eject 
the Ubuntu CD when it is done preparing the installation environment, 
however this will cause Wubi to crash 
(https://bugs.launchpad.net/wubi/+bug/204128). To avoid this problem, 
please press Start and click on Computer then right click on the CD 
drive in the window that opens. Select explore and look for a file named 
"wubi" or "wubi.exe". Copy and paste this file to your desktop and run 
it from there. Alternatively, you can download Wubi from 
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/downloadmirrors#wubi and run it from the 
location you saved it to."

Later,
JP
----------------------------|:::======|-------------------------------
JP Vossen, CISSP            |:::======|        jp{at}jpsdomain{dot}org
My Account, My Opinions     |=========|      http://www.jpsdomain.org/
----------------------------|=========|-------------------------------
"Microsoft Tax" = the additional hardware & yearly fees for the add-on
software required to protect Windows from its own poorly designed and
implemented self, while the overhead incidentally flattens Moore's Law.
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