installing linux

[grumpyoldman]

I am considering installing Unbuntu 14.04 on my laptop with dual boot.

So far I have succeeded in downloading Ubuntu and with www.freeisoburner.com have failed to burn to a DVD.  The burn process either stops immediately with error message 'hardware error 9216' or it did start to install on one disc and then stopped with unknown error. Could it be formatting incompatibilty?

Back in April 2014 CA printed a workshop on how to dual-boot with XP.  I am trying to dual boot on laptop installed with W8.1.  I have done some research and it seems that when installing the process is different to XP due to W8.1 BIOS being changed to something called UEFI.  Is it possible that this is preventing the disc being burnt?

Assuming that I get past first base and get ubuntu burnt to a disc can I just use the install menu from Ubuntu.  The article I read on installing dual boot makes reference to disabling fast start and secureboot.

However any suggestions as to why I am failing to create the install disc would be welcome.

Thanks

gom

[Ratae]

Oct 4, 2014 18:01:22 GMT grumpyoldman said:

I am considering installing Unbuntu 14.04 on my laptop with dual boot.

So far I have succeeded in downloading Ubuntu and with www.freeisoburner.com have failed to burn to a DVD.  The burn process either stops immediately with error message 'hardware error 9216' or it did start to install on one disc and then stopped with unknown error. Could it be formatting incompatibilty?

Back in April 2014 CA printed a workshop on how to dual-boot with XP.  I am trying to dual boot on laptop installed with W8.1.  I have done some research and it seems that when installing the process is different to XP due to W8.1 BIOS being changed to something called UEFI.  Is it possible that this is preventing the disc being burnt?

Assuming that I get past first base and get ubuntu burnt to a disc can I just use the install menu from Ubuntu.  The article I read on installing dual boot makes reference to disabling fast start and secureboot.

However any suggestions as to why I am failing to create the install disc would be welcome.

Thanks

gom

Hmmm Grumps, I once had ubuntu 10.4 dual booting with XP on my netbook, and had no strange messages like you seem to have got with 8.1

I have only ever installed Linux on either a 'wiped' drive or over XP, so I'm unaware of any issues regarding doing it over W8

Possibly mr may be able to help you, and the Ubuntu forums would be a good place to look for advice.

I dunno why the 'burn' was unsuccessful, I assume that you did make sure to burn it as an iso.

You could always try CdburnerXP, which is free. It's always worked perfectly for me!

[grumpyoldman]

Ratae

CdburnerXP worked perfectly and I now have a disc with Unbuntu on it.

I have tried to install this along side Vista but I keep getting error message 'no root file system is defined.  please correct this from the partitioning menu'.  Are able to advise what root system needs defining and how do I do this?

gom

[Ratae]

Oct 5, 2014 16:19:16 GMT grumpyoldman said:

Ratae

CdburnerXP worked perfectly and I now have a disc with Unbuntu on it.

I have tried to install this along side Vista but I keep getting error message 'no root file system is defined.  please correct this from the partitioning menu'.  Are able to advise what root system needs defining and how do I do this?

gom

Ah yes...the penny drops!

The root file system you want is ext4....that is what it is on my Linux Mint machine anyway, and as Mint is based on Ubuntu, I assume that it's the same.

[grumpyoldman]

After further research it would appear that when trying to install Unbuntu I am not getting the option to install alongside Vista?

gom

[Ratae]

Oct 5, 2014 17:47:49 GMT grumpyoldman said:

After further research it would appear that when trying to install Unbuntu I am not getting the option to install alongside Vista?

gom

GOM....where did you get the Ubuntu iso from?

When I installed it, it asked me if I wanted to use the whole hdd or partition it, then asked me how big did I want each partition!

Also make sure that you select the correct bit rate ISO according to your machine, either 64bit or 32bit.

[mr]

Just a thought, Mint is based on Ubuntu but is a 'tamed' version, meaning that everything works out of the box. You might fancy trying it instead of Ubuntu itself? Download it here, www.linuxmint.com/download.php , I'd suggest Mate which is less power hungry than Cinnamon.

[grumpyoldman]

I have successfully installed Ubuntu.  When I reloaded software from dvd the option for installing alongside Vista appeared.

Thanks however for the suggestions.  I will try ubuntu and see how I get on, and look at mint later.

gom

[Ratae]

Oct 10, 2014 14:17:14 GMT grumpyoldman said:

I have successfully installed Ubuntu.  When I reloaded software from dvd the option for installing alongside Vista appeared.

Thanks however for the suggestions.  I will try ubuntu and see how I get on, and look at mint later.

gom

Nice one GOM.....Now, the worst mistake that you can make, is to expect Linux to work like Windows, then get frustrated when you find that it doesn't.

Linux IS NOT windows!

[mr]

Well said Ratae, this article should be a 'must read' for anyone switching from Windows to Linux, linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm, (Linux is Not Windows)!

[Ratae]

But Linux has grown up quite a bit since its early days. There are distros that almost anybody can install, even distros that live on CDs and detect all your hardware for you without any intervention. It's become attractive to non-hobbyist users who are just interested in it because it's virus-free and cheap to upgrade. It's not uncommon for there to be friction between the two camps. It's important to bear in mind, however, that there's no real malice on either side: It's lack of understanding that causes the problems.

Firstly, you get the hard-core geeks who still assume that everybody using Linux is a fellow geek. This means they expect a high level of knowledge, and often leads to accusations of arrogance, elitism, and rudeness. And in truth, sometimes that's what it is. But quite often, it's not: It's elitist to say "Everybody ought to know this". It's not elitist to say "Everybody knows this" - quite the opposite.

Secondly, you get the new users who're trying to make the switch after a lifetime of using commercial OSes. These users are used to software that anybody can sit down & use, out-of-the-box.

The issues arise because group 1 is made up of people who enjoy being able to tear their OS apart and rebuild it the way they like it, while group 2 tends to be indifferent to the way the OS works, so long as it does work.

Never was a truer word written about an operating system!