[Theflyingpig]

What ways are there to run ubuntu and Windows XP simultaneously on a laptop. Preferably I'd like to start the computer up and then select which operating system to use.

[leroys1000]

You can install both to the same hard drive and use the included grub
boot loader that ubuntu has,however,you can now install ubuntu 8.04
as an application in windows and not mess with your partitions and
windows installation.
You might consider going that way.

[TerryNet]

The alternative to partitioning is Wubi: http://wubi-installer.org/ That has been my choice simply because I did not want to partition. However, when I need to reinstall Windows I will at that time create a separate partition.

[namenotfound]

Originally Posted by Theflyingpig

simultaneously on a laptop.

You could try VirtualBox

That will let you run both OS's at the same time. One will be your main (host) OS, and the other will be your guest OS.

[Elvandil]

WUBI is a good choice. You have the option at boot of Windows or Linux and you don't need to take any risks partitioning. InstLux is another.

[saikee]

One can have any number of operating systems in a hard disk as long as each system is held inside its own partition. The rest is just how to boot them.

Virtualisation method is to put several systems as guests inside one host operating system. One need a big partition for this and each guest operating system is just one huge file managed by the virtualisation software under the host operating system. Both Linux and Xp can act as a host.

Wubi I believe is a special way of installing Ubuntu inside Xp. The standard way is to arrange the hard disk to free spare space for creating the new partition for the new operating system. The tools are available in Linux. It so happens Xp does not have in-built function to resize the partitions.

[Theflyingpig]

Other quick question, in your opinion is Ubuntu the best version of Linux to use?

[namenotfound]

Originally Posted by saikee

One can have any number of operating systems in a hard disk as long as each system is held inside its own partition. The rest is just how to boot them.

Virtualisation method is to put several systems as guests inside one host operating system. One need a big partition for this and each guest operating system is just one huge file managed by the virtualisation software under the host operating system. Both Linux and Xp can act as a host.

Wubi I believe is a special way of installing Ubuntu inside Xp. The standard way is to arrange the hard disk to free spare space for creating the new partition for the new operating system. The tools are available in Linux. It so happens Xp does not have in-built function to resize the partitions.

Didn't he say "simultaneously". I haven't used Wubi myself, but what I gather from others I know that has used it, you boot one at a time. That's why I suggested virtual machines.

[namenotfound]

Originally Posted by Theflyingpig

Other quick question, in your opinion is Ubuntu the best version of Linux to use?

I like Ubuntu, if you want a smaller footprint then Xubuntu is good too.

Puppy seemed to be more "out of the box" workable, since Ubuntu doesn't seem to work out of the box with my wireless card (I had to install firmware for it to work). However, Puppy is a pain in the butt to install (since it was mainly designed to run off a disk, rather than installing it).

I wouldn't say there is a "best" version of Linux, just what you like using. Each version has their own advantages and disadvantages.

[TerryNet]

Among us we've provided you with a pretty good range of options.

You haven't given us any criteria to be more specific. By "simultaneous" do you mean running at the same time or do you mean both installed and selectable at boot time?

Are you looking for something powerful and robust? Something fairly easy to get used to if Windows is your only computer experience? Something small and neat that you can get your arms around and call it your own?

[Theflyingpig]

Wubi is pretty much exactly what I was after with regards to running both Windows and Linux. I wanted to be able to select either Linux or Windows XP at boot time but with the ability to uninstall Linux if I want to i.e. for Windows to be the 'main' operating system but the option to use Linux.

The laptop I'm planning on running both on only has a 35 Gig HD (it's pretty old) so I want something fairly small but similar enough to Windows since thats what I'm used to. My main priority is security, which is something Windows seems to lack. But I want to be able to do the standard Email, Word processing etc. which comes with Ubuntu as standard. The laptop I'm using I'm planning on taking to university for a non-IT based course.

[Wino]

I recently installed 8.04 Hardy Heron on a desktop. While in XP pop in the ubuntu CD and options will be offered - I chose to be installed in Windows (I think it was the first option). It did it's thing and when I rebooted I had the option of XP as default or ubuntu as option. It self-installed on my [E] partition of HDD. The entire process was simple and painless. So far, very impressed withis latest version of ubuntu. I had used 5.0 & 6.0 in the past (skipped 7.0). The configuration I'm using allows transferring files and folders from XP to ubuntu while booted into the latter. Ubuntu shows in XP Add/Remove utility as a removable program.

While ubuntu plays nicely with XP (re files and folders stated above) XP doesn't seem to allow the same access to ubuntu when booted into XP (at least not that I've found).

[utanja]

dual booting is the easiest but cannot run simultaneously...for that use some form of visualization such as VMWare