my opinion about wubi

[garba]

i've just given wubi a try on a spare windows 2000 disk i had laying around and boys, this thing simply rocks, I seem to understand it will be a supported installation method in the upcoming hardy release... it's a greate chance imo for ubuntu to find its way on the home pc of many windows users... right now trying ubuntu means:

- download an iso
- burn it to a cd
- boot from the livecd

believe it or not but most pc users don't even know what all of that is about, they don't even know what an OS is... but wubi gives ubuntu a great chance, it can be installed just like any other windows application: double click on an .exe and that's it! what's best, it won't pollute the windows registry, removing it is totally painless, and it's 100% safe... and you also get the extra benefit of an installed system, no need to repartition, accessible cd drive

i hope canonical will give this tool the visibility it deserves on the ubuntu home page, it's simply great, well done wubi devs

[Tundro Walker]

Anything they can do to remove hurdles for installation / adoption only increases the number of folks willing to try it (and potentially stick with it).

But, even then, you'll have those folks who just stick with MS out of habit, or due to skepticism in Linux.

A lot of folks just need it handed to them on a silver platter for them to eat it up, which is why it'd be nice if more comp's came pre-installed with Ubuntu.

But, if they come pre-installed with Windows, and Wubi lets them alternate to Linux, that's a second best option. Only problem I could see for the not-so tech-savvy folks is for them to figure out a reason why they'd bother hopping into Ubuntu. I mean, you can get Open Office for Windows. You can get Firefox for Windows. You can play computer games in Windows.

Linux distro's make it so easy to use and install them now, it's ridiculous, but folks just don't see a reason to do so. There needs to be some unique, "killer" reason to use Linux (and Ubuntu preferablly). We're missing our "killer app".

I'd like to think that access to tons of great software, an awesome development community, a solid OS, etc are "killer apps" in and of themselves. But the "common person" doesn't think more than 5 minutes in front of their face, and doesn't consider those features as reasons to use the OS. They need a hands-on, unique, almost "superficial" reason to use Ubuntu.

I'm not sure what that would be (it's not Compiz), but once one comes along, all the other hurdles will be out of the way, and there will just be an absolute flood of folks stopping by to see what all the excitement is. Then they'll notice all the other things, and will wonder why they didn't stop by sooner.

[gn2]

As I see it the "killer app" for Linux isn't an app, it's the enhanced security and the fact that it doesn't require a suite of security programs, AVG, SpyBot S&D AdAware, etc.

The Achilles heel is that it can be tricky getting some peripherals to work.

As it happens I think Wubi is'nt that great, because if Windows falls down dead with a terminal illness it will take the Wubi installation with it.

[phenest]

As it happens I think Wubi is'nt that great, because if Windows falls down dead with a terminal illness it will take the Wubi installation with it.

I agree here. There is also the possibility that Windows users won't understand what they've installed and will think Wubi/Ubuntu/Linux as a Windows application.

Wubi is a clever idea, but all these 'alternative' installation methods will really be for those who understand what it is they are doing. For those who do not understand what an OS is, should stick with Windows, and do some research first, or find someone who does know and can demonstrate for them.

[rasmus91]

common person" doesn't think more than 5 minutes in front of their face, and doesn't consider those features as reasons to use the OS. They need a hands-on, unique, almost "superficial" reason to use Ubuntu.
I'm not angry or anoyed, but HOW THE HECK DO YOU KNOW MY PARENTS!

they keep complaining about how windows SUCKS! and they talk's about how slow theyre computer is, but will they install Ubuntu?

no way, they have to learn to use it first, and they say it'll take hours.

i just keep telling them, there is really nothing to learn, + they'll save a lot of time, using the computer instead of just sittin there waiting for windows to drag its lazy *** to do some work...

Every one who isn't the ultimate gamer should really consider switching.

BTW:

As it happens I think Wubi is'nt that great, because if Windows falls down dead with a terminal illness it will take the Wubi installation with it.


Yeah, as if it doesn't take everything else with it. and just when we're at it, it might be an idea just thinking of that wubi is (or was) at the 7.10 just a installation, making you able to boot from the cd (and install while booting) . booting from a cd is MAINLY a thing you do TEMPORARILY, which means its just for checking out the system, and then choose if you want to install or not to install! And BTW, i don't think that anybody who doesn't know what an OS is will go to www.ubuntu.com and download the installer burn it to a CD, and install on the computer without first reading the "How To" on the web page to.

I'm pretty sure this would be more realistic than just assuming that people who has no idea what an OS is will just go try and install the wubi... where should they get the CD's from? and how the heck should they know what theyre actually installing.

(Thank you for you're attention)

[madjr]

i've just given wubi a try on a spare windows 2000 disk i had laying around and boys, this thing simply rocks, I seem to understand it will be a supported installation method in the upcoming hardy release... it's a greate chance imo for ubuntu to find its way on the home pc of many windows users... right now trying ubuntu means:

- download an iso
- burn it to a cd
- boot from the livecd

believe it or not but most pc users don't even know what all of that is about, they don't even know what an OS is... but wubi gives ubuntu a great chance, it can be installed just like any other windows application: double click on an .exe and that's it! what's best, it won't pollute the windows registry, removing it is totally painless, and it's 100% safe... and you also get the extra benefit of an installed system, no need to repartition, accessible cd drive

i hope canonical will give this tool the visibility it deserves on the ubuntu home page, it's simply great, well done wubi devs

temporary Wubi is great so people can test and try ubuntu.

But Unetbootin is a better long term solution than wubi or lubi if u want a permanent install without depending on windows's fragility.

unetbootin and lubi homepage:
http://lubi.sourceforge.net/

[Joeb454]

I don't think Linux will ever have a "killer app" as such.

Instead I think it will be it's own"killer app" because it's open source, and less vulnerable to security vulnerabilities (well...anybody can see them, which means anybody can exploit them...but more people patch them than exploit ;))

And as for Wubi - I've never tried it, but I think it's a good idea for people to give Ubuntu a try :)

[Tundro Walker]

As I see it the "killer app" for Linux isn't an app, it's the enhanced security and the fact that it doesn't require a suite of security programs, AVG, SpyBot S&D AdAware, etc.

Yeah, but those aren't things the "common person" considers.

It's like Dr.'s that try to help out their patients by putting them on a decent diet that lowers their cholesterol, reduces fat, builds muscle ... but the common person doesn't care about that. However, if the same diet was proven to grow hair on the top of bald guys heads, or put 2" on a certain part of anatomy, then guys would be flocking to use that diet, regardless of all the other, more spectacular health benefits they get from it instead.

Most people are superficial that way.



As it happens I think Wubi is'nt that great, because if Windows falls down dead with a terminal illness it will take the Wubi installation with it.

Got the same issue if you VM-ware stuff, but folks do that anyways. But, I do see your logic, and agree with it.

At least if you dual-booted, if the Windows partition took a dive, the Linux partition could still save your bacon.

I guess it would be better if instead of installing Ubuntu as an app under Windows (so if Windows goes down, Ubuntu's screwed, too), Wubi partitioned the drive and actually did an install that way, and then just let you use Ubuntu as an "app" inside Windows. But, if Windows took a dive, you could still boot directly into the Ubuntu partition still. Windows crapping out would just mean you lost your windows app front-end into Ubuntu, but not your whole Ubuntu. That'd be pretty slick. (Heck, it may do that. I haven't used Wubi, so I don't know it's full capability).

[KLR650]

Wubi isn't meant to be your permanent ubuntu installation, I see it as a weekend rental.

If someone is buying a new car, they are more likely to buy a car a friend has had a positive experience with. This is why everyone drives windows... their next door neighbor, best friend and boss all drive windows.

If I plan to buy a car that nobody I know has any experience with, I would first take it for a test drive around the block. Then if I like it, I'd rent it for a weekend to make sure it fits my everyday life, then I'd buy it.

The ubuntu live cd is the test drive. Wubi is the weekend rental. A full install is the purchase.

I have been playing with the live-cd since last spring when I had a major windows meltdown. But I was never willing to take the plunge for the full install and dual-booting looked like a lot of work for a n00b with the possibility of a messed up MBR.

But then I found wubi, and am happy with the weekend test drive and will install 8.04 when it comes out.

[forrestcupp]

As it happens I think Wubi is'nt that great, because if Windows falls down dead with a terminal illness it will take the Wubi installation with it.
That's the whole problem there with using Wubi as your permanent Linux OS. If it's run like a Windows app, that throws the security benefits out the window. I don't think it's good for your main Linux experience. But I do see some benefits of Wubi, just like VM's. It could be very useful for cross platform development so that you don't have to keep rebooting.

Also, there are some killer apps that people could run in Wubi. A while back when I defected to Windows for a short time, I really wished that there was a Windows version of Cinelerra. There aren't any good free video editors for Windows out there with the features that Cinelerra has. Also, the Windows version of GCompris is crippled to promote Linux. I think that is a load of crap, but nevertheless, it's something that someone may run in Wubi to get the full effect.

But I really don't think that Wubi is a viable option if you want to use Ubuntu as your OS.