installation

[varunendra]

The desktop on which I am installing ubuntu is not so new - its a Pentium D 2.80 ghz processor with 4 gb ram. am not sure if my system supports your recommendation.

If you're system is powerful enough to support Ubuntu in a Wubi install, it can support an install to a real position.

+1 to above.

A dual core 2.8 GHz processor is more than fine and 4GB RAM (even if it is DDR2) is more than plenty for 12.04. Just lookup your processor model (or post here) to confirm whether it is 64 bit capable or not.

[sanjibar]

its a Pentium D 820 2.80 Ghz - so what will that run comfortably ?

[varunendra]

its a Pentium D 820 2.80 Ghz - so what will that run comfortably ?

Yep, it is 64-bit capable, as per http://ark.intel.com/products/27512 :

Instruction Set 64-bit

Go for Ubuntu 12.04.2 Desktop (64-bit), via torrent to ensure speed and integrity of the download : http://releases.ubuntu.com/12.04/ubu...64.iso.torrent

However, if the extra features and eye-candy that the default version offers are not very high on your wish-list, you should also take a look at Xubuntu and/or Lubuntu.

That doesn't mean that default ubuntu will be slower 'because of hardware', but xubuntu and lubuntu will be much faster, on any hardware.

[sanjibar]

Will I be able to run ubuntu as a second OS ? While installing will it give me the option of using the drive of my choice ?

[newb85]

Yes and yes.

Depending on how new your machine is, there may be some complications due to GPT and UEFI partitioning, as well as Secure-Boot (a feature Microsoft had installed on newer machines for the purpose of complicating additional OSes). All of these can be overcome fairly easily, but it's nice to be warned.

Before installing, you should defragment your Windows partition from within Windows.

When you boot from the Ubuntu Live installation media (DVD or USB), it will give you two options: install or test. If you select test, you can always initiate the install from the test environment. If there are no complications, the install wizard will recommend three options: overwrite Windows, install alongside Windows, or do something else (a custom partition setup). If there are complications, the alongside option may not be there. At this point, if you're unsure how to proceed, cancel the install and describe your situation here.

[varunendra]

Hello Sanjiv,

Like newb85 mentioned above, you should defragment windows partitions from within windows before proceeding with further partitioning and installation of Ubuntu.

Guessing by the generation of your processor, I'm confident that your desktop is not new enough to have support for GPT or Secure Boot like things. Hence there will be no complications regarding that.

Also, assuming the original partitioning was done by windows XP installer, the hard disk should have only one Primary and one Extended partition (with rest of the partitions being logical ones in it). As such, the best option for you would be to just shrink one of the data partitions (not the one in which windows itself is installed) using gparted on the Ubuntu installation disc, then using gparted, create -

• one EXT4 partition of 26 GB or more
• one swap partition of 1 or 2 GB

..in the empty space gained by shrinking the data partition(s).

Please make sure to defragment all the drives (from within windows) before doing this.

Then start installation (earlier, you'll have to choose "Try Ubuntu" to be able to use gparted) and choose "Something else" option when asked. There, just select the EXT4 partition you just created and make it a mount point for "/". Make sure that the boot loader is going to install on the hard disk itself (sda/sdb etc. NOT sda1, sda2 etc.). Then proceed with installation.

Once installed, it will give you the option at boot time to choose between itself and any other operation systems installed.

Last, like already said above, post back if you have any confusion or complications.

Good Luck !

[sanjibar]

Thank you for all this help. I will revert back with the outcome !

[sanjibar]

Hi,
Nearly gave up, but managed somewhat ! Though problem far from over. In short - I downloaded xubuntu 12.04 and ran it from a cd. it seemed to work and I put it onto a drive. when I rebooted it seemed ok, except went for a command prompt, so I gave up on that. i then tried the ubuntu 13.04 via a cd - it worked except i forgot to 'try' and went for install. then i rebooted and it said grub repair or error !!! so i read up and used boot repair after downloading it. that has worked, except that the options of ubuntu after log in dont work - meaning it boots default ubuntu. so at least all isnt lost. now please tell me how to fix the boot loading, so i can use windows too if i need to. And i also unable to access most of the other drives. i get this msg alongwith 'unable to access volume--
'Error mounting /dev/sda1 at /media/sanjiv/C24C56354C562507: Command-line `mount -t "ntfs" -o "uhelper=udisks2,nodev,nosuid,uid=1000,gid=1000,dm ask=0077,fmask=0177" "/dev/sda1" "/media/sanjiv/C24C56354C562507"' exited with non-zero exit status 14: Windows is hibernated, refused to mount.
Failed to mount '/dev/sda1': Operation not permitted
The NTFS partition is in an unsafe state. Please resume and shutdown
Windows fully (no hibernation or fast restarting), or mount the volume
read-only with the 'ro' mount option.
HOPe i make sense

[varunendra]

14: Windows is hibernated, refused to mount.

That is the problem. You had hibernated windows, not shut-down, before installing Ubuntu.
I am not particularly experienced in fixing this but hope it is not a big problem.

1) What is the version of Windows you have installed?
2) Do you have an installation CD/DVD from which it was installed? We may need it to restore Windows boot loader if required.

As of now, please try -

sudo update-grub

command from within Ubuntu. If it could detect the windows installation, you will get the option to boot into it at startup. Although since you are having mounting problem, I suspect it may fail to do that.

If it fails, run boot-repair and generate "Boot-Info Summary", and post back the summary itself or its pastebin link (will be created if you are connected to internet while running it).

[sanjibar]

Hi Varun, I was using windows 8. The installation cd doesn't work anymore. I ran boot repair and went to advance options and checked the mbr option. On rebooting it went to windows without ubuntu option. So i did boot repair and cheked grub again and it booted into ubuntu, with other options showing that don't work. anyway as per your instructions here is a fresh Boot-info summary - http:// paste.ubuntu.com/5786841/ Also i did try the grub update code, without any difference.