Installing Linux through Wubi

Alright, Linux has messed up my computer two times already, both times requiring a reformat. But I still love it. So instead of installing it on it's own partition, I have decided to install it via Wubi to maintain some control over uninstalling Linux. I will update with my results.

 

Golden Rule of Linux: It doesn't screw up. You screw up.

 

He has a point, anyway be sure to remember that installing it via Wubi will slow down your performance.

 

Which distro is giving you trouble, Leon? Some obviously are much easier to install than others, especially if you're doing a dual-boot. Today, for at least the third time, I failed with a Gentoo install, even though this time a graphical installer is available. What to do: try again! As I'm typing, I'm attempting AGAIN, to get that damn distro installed. LOL

Good luck with your own install.

BTW, for any Gentoo guru, my problem arises when I get to the point where I try to install packages at the end of the process. Nothing happens; no progress on the install bar even after an hour+. When I then end the attempt to install the packages, the distro won't allow continuation of the rest of the install. Can this portion just be by-passed and the packages installed later as with other distros? I couldn't find any guidance in the Wiki. Maybe the distro is rebelling against the graphical installer. lol

 

Don't use the Live CD - use the minimal install CD. It will always work if you follow the instructions in the handbook.

 

Thanks, srunni. I know you're right, but the person installing has to be smarter than an average rock in order to pull that off.

I made a copy of the minimal install disk along with the Live CD. I've tried in the past to install Gentoo the old-fashioned way, but not only am I too dumb, I don't seem to have the required patience, either. lol I'm tryhing as I type, with the Live CD - again. If it doesn't work, I'll give the minimal install disk a shot this weekend.

Wish me luck; I'm gonna need a lot of it!

 

But if you get it to work, you'll become part of an elite team, and be able to act like a snob in front of almost every other computer user on the planet. "Oh yeah? Well, I installed Gentoo!"

 

That's not really one of my goals. None of my friends would be the least bit impressed; they aren't interested in computers and never see my machines anyway.

I'm already part of an elite team: I have an awesome eMachines desktop which cost $429! What could possibly be more elitist or impressive than that, no matter what OS is installed? That blows you away doesn't it? Admit it! LOL

 

(Sorry for the continuation of the thread hijacking)

It would be really tough to determine why the Gentoo install won't complete for you without more information. I don't know of many Gentoo users that have used the LiveCD to do an install, mostly because Gentoo has had a very bad track record with GUI installers. Fair to say that Ubuntu does that much better. Gentoo devs can always improve it in the future, but the thing about the minimal install is that you really do learn a lot about how Linux works by doing the installation. I started with Gentoo several years ago because it was one of the few distros that supported PPC, when I was using Powerbooks as my laptops. I've since moved to Wintel (Asus), but never really had a desire to change my Linux distro. It's not flashy, and it's not really a more complicated installation, it just takes longer to compile stuff from source. As a matter of fact the best description of Gentoo comes from the above mentioned thread;

Doing the minimal installation using the handbook is really simple reading and plodding, that only requires patience and not much intelligence. Now if you really want to be Gentoo and yet want a great installer, by all means support the Sabayon distro. I think that Gentoo should give up the idea of ever doing a LiveCD and let the Sabayon folks do it instead. It's the only real distro that I've ever considered switching to.

Good Luck..

 

Thanks for the comments, jas. You're right about highjacking Leon's thread, too. I started a new one, and attempted to better describe my situation.

Leon, have you gotten your issue sorted out yet?

 

I'll bet if you let us know specifically what happened, we could collectively help you through a third install that would not require any reformatting of your Windows partition. My preference for dual boot installs is, since I dislike the idea of re-sizing partitions so much, that when I get a new laptop, I use a Windows XP install CD, to reformat and re-partition my HDD, giving XP the partition(s) I want it to have, and leaving the rest for Linux. That way when I go to install Linux, it's into empty unallocated partitions. It's pretty mistake proof, and you can install and then reinstall any Linux distro to your hearts content, all without destroying your Windows install.

There's lots of partitioning schemes you could use if you wanted to do this. The simplest scheme would be to partition your HDD with a single primary partition for your Windows installation (OS, Apps, and Data), and then just partition the rest of your HDD with a single Extended partition. Most Linux installers would see the empty Extended partition and offer to logically partition and then format that space for your Linux install. You wouldn't have to worry about corrupting your Windows partition by resizing, and you would be free to install any Linux distro you wanted, and then blow it away and install another one.

Anyway, let us know if we can help with your specific situation.

Good Luck..

 

Tried it, slow as hell, don't use it in Kubuntu I'll add.......

 

It's a Grub issue anyways. But the thing is, I don't want to have another partition. And I don't find it that slow...

 

That's the truth....I tried a Gentoo install in 2001! needless to say it didn't get installed lol

 

That's exactly my methodology.....good advice. I do it rather with Vista at this time.