
Throughout the linux community I hear lots of complaints about why people do not support something free and easy to use? Well quite simply people hardly access a bios in a computer let alone can partition something correctly. Searching youtube or google video we can find nice step by step programs, but how do we watch the video while installing, you don’t!
I love the attempts of others to spread the word but it is important to think of the end users needs rather than what your preference, passion or wants are. There in lies a solution for people to remain happy, test a new operating system while keeping their old one intact. Wubi which is a Windows Based Ubuntu Installer is a great solution to those not wanting to setup partitions or deal with learning how to partition a hard drive.
Wubi is a revolution in the computing world for those who want to introduce people to Linux and Ubuntu. Linux heads should be thankful that a program is going to help revolutionize how people compute from this day forward. Much like the Live CD did for ease of use Wubi is adding yet one more tool in the battle between proprietary and open source software.
Wubi very new on the scene is making life easier for the volunteer sales force of Ubuntu, daily we try to convert our friends family and co-workers. Read what Wubi Says!
Wubi Internals
How does Wubi work?Wubi adds an entry to the Windows boot menu which allows you to run Linux. Ubuntu is installed within a file in the windows file system (c:\wubi\harddisks\ubuntu.hd), this file is seen by Linux as a real hard disk.
Is this running Ubuntu within a virtual environment or something similar?No. This is a real installation, the only difference is that Ubuntu is installed within a file as opposed to being installed within its own partition. Thus we spare you the trouble to create a free partition for Ubuntu. And we spare you the trouble to have to burn a CD-Rom.
Important Make Sure You Read
Requirements
What are the system requirements?If you can run Windows XP, you will have no problem running Ubuntu, since Ubuntu has lower system requirements than Windows XP. As for disk space, the installation requires a minimum of 3GB. This space is mostly used by the virtual hard disk file.
What platform is supported?For the moment Wubi will only run on Windows XP, but the back-end is quite flexible and it can support multiple platforms as hosts and guests (provided they are debian-based).
What is the performance? The performance is identical to a standard installation, except for hard-disk access which is slightly slower. If your hard disk is very fragmented the performance will degenerate.
Can I run the images within an emulator?Yes, but you will have to use other software to do that. The intended use of Wubi is to provide an installation which is as close as possible to a standard one with minimal fuss for the user.
Use, Installation, Uninstallation
How do I install Ubuntu?Run wubi, answer the few questions, reboot and select “Ubuntu” from the boot menu, go grab a coffee and when you are back Ubuntu will be ready for you.How do I run Ubuntu?You have to reboot and choose “Ubuntu”.
How do I run Windows?You have to reboot and choose “Windows”.
How do I uninstall it?You uninstall it as any other applications. In windows go to the control panel and select “Add or Remove Programs”, then select Wubi and uninstall it. You can also use the uninstaller that you find in C:\wubi\uninstaller.exe.
How do I uninstall it manually?The preferred way is to use the uninstaller as described above. Most of the files are in c:\ubuntu, you can simply remove such folder. Then remove c:\grldr, c:\grub.exe, c:\menu.lst. Finally remove the “ubuntu” line in the boot.ini file.
Can I use my free hard disk space and install Ubuntu there?Not at the moment, but the feature is in the pipeline
Can I move my image file to a dedicated partition?
Not at the moment, but the feature is in the pipeline
Warranty
What warranty do I get?None whatsoever. This is free software, and you are free to modify it, use it and redistribute it as you see fit, provided you also allow others the same freedom. Since we do not make any money out of it, it would not be fair for us to be liable if something goes wrong. We think that the technology is safe, but you run it at your own risk. See the license for more details.
Is there any spyware/virus?The software is open source, which means that anybody can look at the code, therefore it would be pretty difficult for someone to hide a spyware/virus within the software, but you should always run all your usual security checks. As explained above, there is no warranty.
Wubi Development
What is the release schedule of Wubi?We try to follow Ubuntu, so we keep the same version numbers and release schedule.
Is Wubi beta software?At the moment, yes.
How can I help you guys?The main development happens in two separate launchpad projects: lupin (the loop-installer), which is the back-end and wubi, which is the windows front-end. You can help us by filing/fixing bugs, writing code, or translating the project… …or simply spreading the word.
TRY WUBI AND UBUNTU