BleepingComputer.com: Question

I've heard that you can test out linux online without it actually installing over your operating system...

i don't want to talk too much into technical things as i am no PC genius, but i heard you can sort of install like a program and see if you like it and like a program you can just close it by clicking the cross...

If this is wrong, sorry for wasting time...i was just wondering as i wanted to see what its like..

Thanks

Joe

You are talking about a Live CD version of Linux. You boot from a Live CD, and you can run Linux without messing with anything else on your system. You will have to burn your own cd, and I would recommend that you try Ubuntu, as it is probably the most "Windows-like" system, so will not be as intimidating. It should also detect all of your hardware, so there should be no problems with Internet or anything like that. Download the image from here:
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Once it is done being downloaded to your system, you will need to burn an ISO (which means you will probably create a few coasters in the process due to unsuccessful burns... it happens to everybody). Every burner creates ISO's in a slightly different way, so you will have to research a bit how to burn an ISO using your particular burning software. Or use something like Magic Iso, or some other ISO burning software. Once you have successfully burnt a working ISO, then put it in your cd player and reboot your system. Chances are that it will boot from the cd by itself, but you may have to force it to boot from the cd manually.

One thing to keep in mind is that a live CD runs completely in memory, so it will run slower than if it were installed. You will also not be able to save anything. When you are done, reboot, take out the cd, and you will be able to boot into Windows like normal.

**** Just as a note, there are many other distributions of Linux that have live cds, and other people have their own 'favorites'. I have been helping quite a few people use Ubuntu over the last couple of weeks, and it seems that they are picking up on it pretty fast.

If you don't mind waiting 3 plus weeks to get a free Ubuntu CD, you can order one from the link below.
https://shipit.ubuntu.com/

Actually I believe your referring to a "Virtual Machine" such as VMware or Virtualbox. These are programs that create an imaginary computer inside your computer. The program then allows you to install various Operating Systems (Windows, OSX, Linux, BSD, BeOS, etc, etc) to different Virtual hard disks (a file in the programs folder really). You then start the Virtual machine and use the OS inside of Windows(mouse/keyboard and internet emulation should be taken care of by the VM program).

There are a few things to be aware of:

1)Amount of memory needed. WindowsXP and Ubuntu 7.04 can operate at 512 mb total (256Mb to Windows 256Mb to the VM) but its laggy (should fly with 1GB). Smaller versions of Linux (or any OS) will take less (Damn Small Linux only requires 64Mb, FreeDOS gets by with the same and probably less). My geuss is if your using Vista its gonna be about 2-4 GB RAM needed

2)CPU processing power. Running a full modern distro such as Ubuntu 7.10 on top of Windows Requires a good bit of processing power (especially with Compiz-fusion running)

but judging by the computer specs in your profile you should be fine to try a Virtual Machine.

VMWare player
VirtualBox

RE: BlackSpyder

You're quite right about the requirements, especially for the very latest distros. I have Ububtu 7.10 installed in VMware. My machine is pretty capable (3.2GHz Celeron, 2GB Ram, ATI Radeon x550) so I can run the VM and other programs prety smoothly. I would recommend at least 1GB of RAM for running Ubuntu in a VM. One thing I noticed was that Compiz didn't work right under VMware, but worked just fine when I installed it in real life on an alternate drive.

Useful resources for Ubuntu/Virtual machines:
Ubuntu Beginners Guide
Running Ubuntu In MS VirtualPC 2004
Microsoft VirtualPC Download 2004 (Free)
Microsoft VirtualPC 2007 Download (Free) (note: I don't know if the instructions for installing ubuntu in VirtualPC 2004 can be used for VirtualPC 2007, so I'm including both)

And:
VMware Player (Free Virtual machine Program)
Ubuntu 7.10 VMware Image (preinstalled/configured, just open it in VMware Player)

Thanks for the help guys!

I'll definately order that free CD and will even attempt burning the ISO amongst looking at other options!

Once Again...Cheers

Joe

Re: Amazing Andrew

Compiz/Beryl/Compiz-Fusion do not run well in a VM due to the video adapter that is emulated. Even with a top of the line card in your system you're using so much of it to power 2 Desktop enviroments that a Composting Window Manager has very little to work with.

I figured as much.

When I installed in for real, I spent about an hour just moving windows around!

Hey everyone... I'm in ubuntu now. Look at those windows jiggle!

Hey Joe....
A good place to start
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic41001.html
here is a "bunch" of "live" CD's to play with http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php
Be sure to try Distros that use both GNOME and KDE

Quote

http://wubi-installer.org/

It installs like a file, instead of on a partition.

Wubi install mechanism bound for Ubuntu Gusty Gibbon10 Sep 2007 by Jack Loftus
One of my Ubuntu ninjas wrote me this morning to point out that the mechanism behind the Wubi installer for Ubuntu (http://wubi-installer.org/) is being incorporated into the next version of Ubuntu (7.10 aka Gutsy Gibbon; ...
http://enterpriselinuxlog.blogs.techtarget...u-gusty-gibbon/

Has anyone who has Gutsy Gibbon found this to be true?

I just checked the disk. Wubi is indeed there.

Thanks for checking,
Thinking out loud here, I wonder if they will offer that WUBI installer at the front end of the Ubuntu install? I might not be asking that right. I am expecting the CDs in the mail for Gutsy Gibbon any day. My plan was to install as usual on a separate partition but............

Found this--

he functionality of Wubi was expected to be incorporated into the 7.10 (aka "Gutsy Gibbon") release of Ubuntu, but was not finished on time. The Gutsy Live CD contains a file "wubi-cdboot.exe" but this is only to facilitate booting from the CD to then do a normal Ubuntu install (which usually requires partitioning). An alpha version of the 7.10 Wubi installer is available for separate download however...............

Also found out that one of the negatives of installing in Windows is that Ubuntu can't withstand a hard shutdown when installed on Windows. Big drawback unless you have a backup power supply.