I would love to install ubuntu on my laptop but the problem is I have windows installed and it's an OEM for ACER and I don't have any cds to install.. just a recovery disk.

So I got two questions.

First one is a little off subject but if I leave the recovery partition intact and install over the windows partition (the c partition that windows is installed on) and formatted it and I wanted to come back to windows could I just pop in the recovery disk and have windows back?

What about installing it on my D partition? If I format the D partition and install linux on it while the recovery partion and the C partition with windows on it stays intact? Would that work?

Second of all

Can anyone tell me if the "Atheros AR5005G Wireless Network Adapter" will work on ubuntu. My computer is an Acer Aspire 5043 (It's written 5040 on the front but I am guessing the 3 is just a more precise version of the particular model)

BTW Could I run ubuntu as a live cd and try to get my wireless card working to see if it works that way and then make the decision to transfer over or do I have to do a full installation to be able to use wireless internet?



Moved from the Networking Forum. ~acklan~

Have you considered installing it to a 2 or 4 gb flash drive till you get the bugs worked out? Once you have it working on the flash drive install it on your HD.

the ubuntu CD is a "live CD" so you can try it out without installing ovver anything.

here is the "incomplete" wiki on what Wireless Networking devices work with Ubuntu 7.04 (aka Feisty Fawn) https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/...sCardsSupported

As for the Install over Windows. How much HardDrive Space do you have available? It would probably be wise to leave the Windows partitions alone if at all possible and just install in your unused space (assuming you have enough)

Thanks Acklan you gave me a good scare there for a minute. LOL

How so?

you moved the topic right as I was posting. I hit the Post button and it took me a second to figure out what had happened.

Well it's a "60" gig hard drive, it actually only shows 51 (probably because of the invisible recovery partition) and each drive is divided in 25 gigs each...

Thanks for the idea of the 2-4 gig flash drive, but I don't have one nor a portable hard disk and kind of low on cash right now until pay day...

Just an idea.

resize partition, install, dual-boot with bootpart? ubuntu has a built in resizer and such...i think anyway...if not...g-parted

Ubuntu uses Gparted to format and partition (great tool btw) and Grub as a boot loader. If you wanna use bootpart, that's up to you. I however would stick to Grub until I got more familiar with it. Once you get used to it, then start farting around with changing packages and bootloaders and alternate desktops and recompiling...and stufff.

I just did a Debian 4.0 net install on a 20 Gb hard drive and am having some problems getting passed the log in screen after I had done some updates. So I am afraid all of my time is going to be taken up sorting this out for a while

yes im kind of a devotee to bootpart =P

sorry bout your debian issue btw now im getting issues with every linux i install BUT Xandros....*sigh*