Wubi, Full or Partion

[Jkwc]

Which one is better to install Ubuntu

[darkod]

I guess it depends but IMHO a full install is always better. It allows you to use the full potential of ubuntu (linux) because it's working on its own partition and filesystem, as opposed to wubi.
Not to make confusion, the full install is usually what's called installation on its own partition. It's the same.

[julianb]

In case you are considering installing Ubuntu to your entire hard drive rather than part of your hard drive:

if you have enough hard drive space, i recommend you keep your old operating system (windows?) until you've had a chance to try Ubuntu. if you try Ubuntu while keeping your previous system on the hard drive, then you'll have the opportunity to switch back and forth OR to delete one or the other if you want to.

[Bartender]

wubi runs from within Windows. Never made any sense to me. If your Windows install is glitchy and infected and filled with crud, how does that affect wubi??

The average computer user is not comfortable with hard drive partitioning, and wubi is a tool for getting to some of those users who would otherwise never see Ubuntu in action.

Sounds pretty good on paper, but from the number of people posting with wubi problems, I'm beginning to wonder if they oughta just shelve it.

+1 on darkod's comments. There have been a few posts lately that are described as "dual boot" and then five pages later we figure out they're running wubi. I don't know what you call a wubi install but I don't think of that as dual-boot. Maybe that is the proper term?

IMO, the best way to get started with Linux is to practice on a spare PC that's not the rig you rely on for your daily email, work, school papers, etc. Even things that are pretty simple will seem so foreign at first that people tend to make mistakes that they wouldn't make with just a bit of familiarisation. If you can't get your hands on a spare PC, then proceed with caution.