Ideally, any user should be able to install Ubuntu on a Vista computer without any problems, but in order to be safe, it’s always a good idea to back up important files and have another computer available to search online for help.
Following the link on GettingUbuntu, the Official Download Page will allow a user to download the appropriate edition of Ubuntu, most likely the desktop edition for a standard personal computer. Set the downloaded file, an ISO image, aside for the moment.
Create the Ubuntu Install CD
- A user should return to the GettingUbuntu page, then follow the next step, linking to the BurningIsoHowto article. This article offers a link to the downloadable InfraRecorder. This program will allow a user to burn the downloaded Ubuntu file to CD, creating the Ubuntu Install CD.
- Following the BurningIsoHowto link to InfraRecorder will bring up the InfraRecorder main site.
- Among the blue links in the menu on the right is Downloads. Clicking on Downloads will bring up an option to Download for Windows (Vista).
- After installing InfraRecorder, a user should open the program. The BurningIsoHowto article shows, with a screenshot, how to select the Ubuntu CD image file in InfraRecorder.
- A user should place a blank CD in the drive, then "Burn image."
After creating the Ubuntu install CD, it’s a good idea to also create a Vista Recovery Disk using Infra Recorder, if the disk is not prepared already. The only difference between burning the Ubuntu CD and burning a Vista Recovery Disk is the Vista Recovery Disk image file.
Burning a Vista Recovery Disk is especially important for those who would like to only experiment with installing Ubuntu for a while, and later return the computer to its original pre-Ubuntu state.
Using the Ubuntu CD
With a freshly burned Ubuntu CD in hand (and all important data files backed up), a user should reboot the computer so that it starts running the Ubuntu program on the CD, instead of running Vista from the hard drive.
- In order to do this, a user may have to access a computer’s BIOS settings, usually by pressing F10, F2, or Esc on the very first screen on startup.
- The owner's manual or startup screen itself should state which key to press. BIOS settings also vary by computer, but all should have the option to rearrange the boot order so that the CD boots before the hard drive.
- With the proper BIOS settings and the Ubuntu CD in the computer’s CD drive, an unfamiliar orange Ubuntu load screen appearing upon reboot will confirm that the Ubuntu install is booting correctly.
Ubuntu Software Installation
- After selecting "Install Ubuntu," on the main menu, a user needs to choose the appropriate language, time zone, and keyboard (choosing the default keyboard should not present problems for standard computer users). The apc website has a good screenshot walkthrough illustrating these steps toward installing Ubuntu.
- On the Prepare disk space screen, however, this Suite101.com author recommends using a spare, separate physical hard drive (Guided - use entire disk) rather than trying to install Ubuntu and Vista on the same physical drive, as apc recommends.
- Under the option "Guided – use entire disk," clicking on the appropriate empty drive is very important. Often the difference between used and unused drives can be understood by the relative size of each drive. By clicking Forward, more specific information can be seen, including the amount of space filled by files on each drive.
Whether using the entire hard drive disk or using only part (the largest continuous free space), a user should be careful not to install Ubuntu on Vista’s main (C) drive. Installing Ubuntu in the same place as Vista would erase Vista and leave only Ubuntu, leaving the separate hard drive blank.
- The install can be finished by following the remaining steps on apc’s website.
- Rebooting the system (without the Ubuntu CD in the CD drive) should bring up a list of boot options. The first (default) option will be to boot from the new Ubuntu hard drive, and a lower option should take a user back into a normal Vista boot.
A careful user can follow these steps to enjoy the flexibility of 2 operating systems on one computer. Accessing the BIOS settings to boot from the hard drive first, rather than the CD drive, should be the first step to tweaking the computer toward dual-booting bliss. Enjoy Vista and Ubuntu!
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