gHacks technology news » wubi http://www.ghacks.net A technology blog covering software, mobile phones, gadgets, security, the Internet and other relevant areas. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:29:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 With Ubuntu 9.10 Arrives Wubi 9.10 http://www.ghacks.net/2009/10/30/with-ubuntu-9-10-arrives-wubi-9-10/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/10/30/with-ubuntu-9-10-arrives-wubi-9-10/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:12:03 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=17903 The Ubuntu development team has just released a new version of their Linux distribution to the public. Ubunutu 9.10 follows the usual bi-annual release cycle. It introduces updates all over the board including a “a redesigned, faster boot and login experience, a revamped audio framework and improved 3G broadband connectivity”. A Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu Netbook edition has also been released by the development team. All versions are available for download at the Ubuntu website. All versions of Ubuntu 9.10 are available for installation or as a so called live cd for testing without installation.

The Linux installation experience has changed tremendously in the past decade. What once required a computer science degree or lots of dedication has now changed to an installation that is comparable to that of the Windows operating system.

Wubi, a Windows application that makes it possible to install Ubuntu right from within Windows, simplifies the installation of Ubuntu Linux even further. We reviewed Wubi back then when it was released publicly by the developers for the first time. It has been updated regularly since then to keep up with the Ubuntu development cycle.

Wubi 9.10 has now been released so that users of the Windows operating system can install Ubuntu 9.10 from within their operating system. A dual-boot environment will be created by the installer so that it is possible to boot either into Windows or Linux once the installation completes. Users who would like to download and use Wubi can find additional information and download links at the Wubi website. Those who prefer a direct installation can download Ubuntu at the website of the Linux distribution.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/10/30/with-ubuntu-9-10-arrives-wubi-9-10/feed/ 2 Portable Ubuntu For Windows http://www.ghacks.net/2009/04/02/portable-ubuntu/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/04/02/portable-ubuntu/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:54:13 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=11602 There are quite a few possibilities to take the Linux distribution Ubuntu for a test drive. It can be run from Live CDs, run in a virtual machine or installed on a free partition on the computer system even from within Windows (using Wubi). Portable Ubuntu adds another possibility to these choices by offering to run Ubuntu directly in Windows without installation or configuration at all.

The Linux distribution can be downloaded directly from its Sourceforge page. It comes as a 438 Megabyte self extracting executable that requires 1.86 Gigabytes on the computer’s hard drive after extraction. Users can then immediately start Ubuntu in Windows by clicking on the run_portable_ubuntu.bat file that is located in the root directory of the software program. Starting portable Ubuntu in Windows will open a command line window which will remain open all the time. This command line window contains information about background processes and the state of the Ubuntu system.

The Ubuntu dock at the top center of the screen will be opened and displayed giving users access to Applications, Places, System and applications like Firefox. Talking about applications. The usual add / remove applications menu can be accessed in portable Ubuntu to install additional applications on the computer system.

ubuntu portable

One could think that running an operating system inside another operating system would surely demand lots of system resources. This is surprisingly not the case. Running Ubuntu portable requires less than 50 Megabytes of computer memory that are occupied by its processes.

Main question however is why someone would use Ubuntu portable instead of the other options outlined above. One of the main reasons is that it is the least complicated to use. It cannot get easier than extracting and running the Linux distribution. Even Live CDs might require changing the boot sequence from hard drive to CD in order to run the distribution that way.

The portable application gives access to many Ubuntu applications and features which can be a great way of taking a look at the options the distribution offers.

portable ubuntu

It comes close to the Linux user experience but does not provide it fully. There is still the Windows Taskbar, icons and wallpapers that make the system look much more like a Windows system than a Linux system. Interested users can download it right at the developer’s website at Sourceforge.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/04/02/portable-ubuntu/feed/ 36 Ubuntu 8 makes it even easier to try out Linux http://www.ghacks.net/2008/04/03/ubuntu-8-makes-it-even-easier-to-try-out-linux/ http://www.ghacks.net/2008/04/03/ubuntu-8-makes-it-even-easier-to-try-out-linux/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:59:09 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=3705 One aspect of installing Linux has always been a major hindrance for inexperienced users. The fact that you had to partition your hard drives in order to install Linux on your computer. While the procedure itself has become easier it was always mandatory to partition your hard drive. The good news is that this is going to change with the release of Ubuntu 8.

According to Techworld (and Dante) Ubuntu 8 can be installed and uninstalled just like any other software in Windows. This is thanks to Wubi which I have written about earlier already. There is no need for an extra partition and no change to the Windows bootloader. This is a fantastic opportunity to test Ubuntu for several days or even weeks before making a decision to switch completely to Linux or dedicate hard drive resources for a Linux partition.

Wubi will be accessible in the root of the Ubuntu CD. The new version of Ubuntu will be released in 21 days, currently a beta version can be downloaded from the homepage of the Linux distribution. I will finally make the switch to Linux when I have ordered and build my new computer. Linux will be the main system and I’m currently not sure if I will keep a Windows partition on another drive. Probably will because I need it to test new applications for Ghacks.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2008/04/03/ubuntu-8-makes-it-even-easier-to-try-out-linux/feed/ 6 Install Ubuntu without partitioning with Wubi http://www.ghacks.net/2007/06/13/install-ubuntu-without-partitioning-with-wubi/ http://www.ghacks.net/2007/06/13/install-ubuntu-without-partitioning-with-wubi/#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2007 06:18:45 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/2007/06/13/install-ubuntu-without-partitioning-with-wubi/ Many novice users fear the technical process that has do be done before or during the installation of a Linux distribution. Partitioning is something that most are not familiar with and the fear to do something wrong and wreck their standard operating system is probably one of the main reasons why many users do not install a Linux distribution.

Wubi is a sweet little program that lets us install Ubuntu – or Kubuntu, Xubuntu and UbuntuStudio – without partitioning your hard disks at all. “Wubi adds an entry to the Windows boot menu which allows you to run Linux. Ubuntu is installed within a file in the windows file system (c:\wubi\disks\system.virtual.disk), this file is seen by Linux as a real hard disk.”

So, the main difference is that Ubuntu is installed into a file instead of its own partition which is a great way to test the Linux distribution without having to partition your hard drives. Ubuntu is not running in a virtual environment at all, this is a real installation. The Windows boot manager will give you the choice to either boot Windows or Ubuntu at every startup from then on.

It is also easy to uninstall Ubuntu again by simply using the Add or Remove Programs dialog in Windows.

wubi ubuntu

I can’t think of an easier way to try and test Ubuntu on your computer without installing it. Live CDs are nice but I personally do not like to play disk jockey whenever I want to try the Live CD.

Wubi is workinx extremely stable although it is currently in beta.

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