[SOLVED] Wubi tougher than Windows

[stevelasvegas]

I have Ubuntu installed on my laptop; I used WUBI. Everything there is good.
Now I want to put Ubuntu on my desktop. I would really like to do it without the training wheels (WUBI), but maybe later (that looks like it's going to be a REAL headache).
So, I installed WUBI and rebooted into Ubuntu but as far as I can get is a black screen that says;
Booting GRLDR.....
Turning on gate A20... success.
And then it stops, with no disk activity.
Here's the info I think is important.
I sure hope someone can get me past this, I really want Ubuntu running on my desktop.
I would like to have the WUBI folder on K:. K is a SATA drive.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

[tuxcantfly]

Seems like you have a lot of spare partitions there. Maybe you should just make a standard installation of Ubuntu, it will work better and be less problematic (just clear out one of those partitions and let Ubuntu use it); if you don't want to use a CD to install Ubuntu use UNetbootin at http://lubi.sourceforge.net/unetbootin.html

[stevelasvegas]

Yeah, if I proceed with Ubuntu on this machine, my Windows desktop, I will probably try the 'real' install. I can tell you that the WUBI install gives me some comfort in knowing that Windows is isolated. One of the downsides of the WUBI install that I have perceived is that when I want to back up my Ubuntu installation, I have to backup the entire WUBI folder (image) instead of only the files that have changed. I don't know what other 'cons' there are associated with a WUBI install. I want a 'real' installation, but I read so many forum postings that say after installing Ubuntu the 'traditional' way, that they are unable to get back into Windows. If the separate partition isolated my Windows installation, then that would be a good thing. I know of only one file that is changed outside of the WUBI folder; boot.ini. Although, all I have to do is image my Windows partitions and even if there is a problem, I can recover.
In the meantime, I have done a traditional installation of Ubuntu on a different Windows machine, and all went well. It might even be better this way because I can see the Ubuntu machine and my Windows machine by using VNC and Remote Desktop, so I can be on my Windows machine (or any other machine in my network) and work with my Ubuntu machine remotely.
This has been a gradual migration for me. I don't think I could ever completely dump Windows, just because I have worked with Windows for so long, and I enjoy tinkering with the newest apps and utilities. It's a comfort zone thing, and that's important to the people around me (since my attitude is directly influenced by how well my computer 'kingdom' is working). So, I started with Ubuntu installed with WUBI, and now I have installed Ubuntu through the traditional method. Working with Linux is a challenge for me; the learning curve is rather steep.
I appreciate your suggestion.
I do have one more question albeit premature. As I said, I am accessing my newly installed Ubuntu by running remote desktop on Ubuntu, and VNC on my Windows machine. How can I get the remote desktop (Ubuntu) to run 'as a service' (the way I do in Windows), so I can connect to it after it has booted. Now, I have to physically log on to that machine before I can connect.
Thanks again for the help.

[stevelasvegas]

I want to install Ubuntu in the partition Windows refers to as Linux L: but it doesn't seem to be an option during the install using Ubuntu current Live CD.

[ago]

[IMG]
I want to install Ubuntu in the partition Windows refers to as Linux L: but it doesn't seem to be an option during the install using Ubuntu current Live CD.

Should be available if you select manual partitioning

[stevelasvegas]

Yeah, I looked at that, but I don't know what I'm seeing and I don't know enough about where to put what and the sizing and all. I was trying for something more automatic.

[ago]

Yeah, I looked at that, but I don't know what I'm seeing and I don't know enough about where to put what and the sizing and all. I was trying for something more automatic.

In this case the easiest way is to use windows, delete the Linux partition, then create a partition of 261000MB (do not bother formattaing it), this should leave about 15GB unallocated. Then in Ubuntu select: "Use the largest contiguous free space".

[stevelasvegas]

And it will pick the unallocated space, for sure, not the newly created 261000 MB or any other space?

[ago]

It should pick the largest unallocated space, and you should see some confirmation message anyway

[stevelasvegas]

This is what I see, but it gives me no comfort. Does it look right to you?