Ok, well dumb question numero uno for today. But installing Ubuntu from the live cd I've got 3 options. Use free space on C: 29% of a 110G drive windows and previously installed programs and files are taking 71% I'm assuming that if i take this option it will not overwrite anything that's on there but instead install on the free space? What i'm worried about is will i be able to install programs and use the space that ubuntu doesn't really need from windows?
Option 2 is taking the whole drive which i'm not interested in doing.
Option 3 is manual, which i'm understanding most people do when setting up dual boots? When i click that one i get 2 partions opened up a 7G recovery and the 103 main partition. If i told it to take the 10G or whatever that most people have recommended does it just the free space on the partition or will it partition the whole thing?

Also i've got an external harddrive that it wants to install to when its plugged in during this phase, that's probably not such a good idea eh?

the tutorial i read on the ubuntu site said it will let you change the % do you have to type something to get it to work cuz i tried clicking everywhere and couldn't get into the box

Using the first option will shrink Windows and install Ubuntu on the freed space. Assuming you have the latest version of Ubuntu, you should be able to drag-adjust the relative sizes of the partitions like so:


Manual partitioning does allow for far greater control, and is not as difficult as it sounds, but is still recommended only if you're comfortable with it.

As for an external drive, Ubuntu will be just as happy there as inside your computer! I initially installed Ubuntu on an external USB drive. Granted, things won't be as snappy and fast as they would be on an internal drive, but it's a good way to have a real live Ubuntu system at your beck and call (though your computer will fail to boot properly if you try to startup without the drive attached.)

One thing to add that hardly gets mentioned. Be sure to run defrag to clean up
Windows before resizing the partition. I do this just to make sure there's no
data loss after the resize. After the defrag follow Andrews instructions and
you should be all good.

thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated. Got it running now with minimal damage to windows, had to run checkdisk and it reinstalled a couple of drivers but should be worth it in the end. now i just gotta figure out how to change the font and stuff with this new firefox lol

For some reason this made me laugh for about 2 minutes. I can't fathom why.

Amazing....I know why?
I too am going to install Ubuntu 8.04. Tried it on a live CD and liked what I saw.
I've defragged and cleaned up any unnecessary junk and maybe this weekend will
do the deed. Heck, maybe even today....If I partition correctly I'll have Ubuntu
and WinXP Pro on the same machine..If I don't, well then goodbye to Windows as
I don't have the install disk that was used....Yes, it's a used computer I bought a
few days ago...If successful, I still don't see how you differentiate which system
to boot up from and how you can tell. I was going to use Windows as the default
and Ubuntu next in line. I know you have to re-boot to change the OS but how do
you tell the computer which one you want at boot-up?

Off the subject maybe, but in the "sample panel" you used, it's really muddy using
IE browser, but clear as can be with Firefox, which is my favorite browser.

EDIT: About the browser thing, I was only half right.....it's very clear using one computer
versus the other....however it IS the Firefox browser which is clear, and not IE on either
computer.

After installing Ubuntu, you'll get a menu each time you boot up letting you choose between Ubuntu and Windows. You can edit the menu from within Ubuntu to change the default selection, timeout, and even add a background image to the menu. Further reading: GRUB

Amazing, Thanks for the input and the GRUB info.
I tried the disk I was going to use, Ubuntu 8.04 which I
made from a mirror....What do you think about the idea
of getting one from Ubuntu (mail). I know if might take
a while but wouldn't that be the best disk I could get?

In reality, the only difference between a downloaded Ubuntu CD and a mailed one is the appearance. I think the mailed ones have a nice Ubuntu Logo motif, whereas the ones I've downloaded (for example) have "Ubuntu 8.04" scrawled in magic marker on them. And perhaps a crude smilie face...

Sounds like mine.....What I meant was the content of the disk
not the disk itself....The one I'm using now as live CD has Firefox
as as Firefox 3 Beta. Thought that the real thing now and not in
beta form. That's why I was questioning my CD. It really should be
the latest and greatest, but I'm not sure.

FF3 bete 5 is what comes with it. You can revert to FF2, of course. See my post here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic145036.html

I had 7.10 installed on an old computer and just upgraded to 8.04...Time was a little over
three hours, but here it is....now I still may partition another machine and will certainly follow
your instructions here....Thanks for all your help.

A red disc with the Ubuntu logo and some stickers to slap on MS. Got mine weeks ago, around 4 weeks from release.

joe883, have you taken "the plunge"? I'll be removing everything MS soon.

I sure have...have an old computer expressly for Ubuntu and love it...I'm going to try
partitioning another computer, but right now I'm just enjoying what I have...It actually
went very smoothly, and the guys postings above were of immeasurable help..Takes a
lot of patience with me.

Joe883: It puts a smile on my face when I read posts like that.
I wish more people would at least try Linux, just a LiveCD even.
They would be happier with their computer performance and the HJT
thread would not have so many posts!

shhhh! Raw. Are you trying to put the HJT team out of work?

Now that I have Ubuntu installed using the entire harddrive,
is it possible to install another Linux OS on the same computer?
OR, do you have to have one Windows OS to do that? I have
10 gigs of harddrive space. Ubuntu is turning out to be just great
by the way.