Posted on 04/06/2014 1:04:45 PM PDT by Mad Dawgg
I got an older Compaq Presario Laptop and I've been toying with the idea of putting Ubuntu on it. I was wondering if I would need to totally wipe the HD to get Ubuntu to run properly or can I install it while leaving Windows 7 on and it will still run OK.
I am going to get a new laptop eventually but am in no hurry so it would be nice to still keep windows But I can manage for now without it being I use my Entertainment System Computer most of the time.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and tips.
One way to dual boot is to use Linux (Mint, for instance) on a USB Flash drive.
FYI, I completely overwrote XP with Mint on my FIL’s laptop and it works fine. I stopped trying to get it to connect to the printer, however. He never prints anyway.
It will install Ubuntu along side your Windows and modify the boot.ini file so you have a choice of operating system at startup.
You will need about 5gb of free space to do this...though more is better.
Be sure to backup all data you can't afford to lose. An image od yor current drive is best. That way you can restore it back if something goes wrong. But it won't.
Of course, od yor=of your.
Wubi is like strapping a Ferrari to the top of your Cobalt and making VROOM noises. :-)
should not be a problem I duel boot with mint. Although I’m never in windows.
If that is all you are doing, consider the Mint distribution. It will look and feel a lot like XP. http://www.linuxmint.com/
Under the concept of try before you buy (or commit), I would run from a liveCD first. If you like it, you may be able to install as a USB or dual boot on your laptop hard drive if you have enough room.
Yeah...but it’s an option for the people who don’t want to lose Winders and aren’t up to the task of doing a dual boot partitioning and install of Ubuntu. Ease of use does have its price.
Ubuntu says you can keep Win 7 but I have doubts
M4LwhenXPdies
from Mad Dawgg.
I recommend Linux Mint. The installation process will leave windows on if you want and take care of the partitioning.
I use it mostly for web browsing and some minor network and occasional open office work.
It is possible to install Ubuntu on a machine that already has Windows on it (dual-booting), but the difficulty is in making the space available for the linux partition.
I read that the Windows disk management can handle shrinking the Windows partition in order to make room for Linux.
This article explains how to do it with Windows 7 Disk Management.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg309169.aspx
Here is an article about how to install Win 7 and Ubuntu side by side.
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/dual-boot-windows-7-ubuntu.html
Although the article recommends using linux’s GPARTED, I would avoid using a linux tool because I consider Microsoft’s own tool to be safer.
If all you’re looking for is Open Office and websurfing, probably 20 GB should be sufficient for a partition size, but if you have more that you don’t mind Windows 7 losing it.
I would recommend that you do a full backup of the computer before attempting the disk shrinking and Ubuntu install. I generally would trust Windows and Ubuntu to play nice together, but you never know how things work out.
While installing Ubuntu, avoid using full disk encryption. I had that backfire on me once before and lost a linux machine when the private key got corrupted.
The Ubuntu disk manager on the installer should be able to detect the Windows 7 partition and give you the option to wipe or install on the now vacant partition.
In the installer, you can tell GRUB (the linux booter) to make Windows 7 available as a boot option. Linux has to be in control of the boot options.
Ubuntu is probably the best version of linux to use if you’re new to linux. I’ve been using linux since 1993, and even as a pro, I would use it.
And let me reiterate: make a good backup.
Good luck!
For a desk top, I’d just buy a second drive. Of course, that isn’t as easy for a laptop.
If you put Ubuntu on a windows machine the two versions will engage in a death match with each other until all that remains is a molten bubbling ooze of former plastic computer molecules.
Just go get a 64+GB USB stick and run everything from it.
I’d recommend something a little more lean than Ubuntu for older machines. I played with several distros several years ago, and I found Ubuntu as much of a resource hog as MS Windows.
If it’s a really old machine, you might try Puppy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_Linux
Good idea. Although, I wonder about the reliability of flash media.
A lot of laptops use flash drives versus disk drives. Means less power but how does the failure rate compare?
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