I will upload the pics in a min or two

Ok thanks to tECh it looks like XS has gone Linux crazy, I have to say I to have jumped on the linux wagen. After trying one or two linux distirbution I when with Ubuntu Studio , but what happens if you can’t give up Windows for good.
You have three choices

1. Live will the fact that you can’t give up windows and give up all dreams of becoming a linux user

2. Buy /Build a second PC and then install linux

3. Do what is know as a dual-boot . Where you have windows and linux on the same PC and at boot you you can pick which it is you need to load.

So below I will show you have to install a dual boot on a PC when Vista is install already (I know I will be getting some stick for using Vista and not XP but hey it what I have installed at this time)

I am using Ubuntu Studio 7.04 which is base on Ubuntu 7.04. 7.04 does a much better job then 6.10 in interacting with Vista and its bootloader. If you'll need the latest desktop ISO of Ubuntu Studio (7.04) you can choose a list of download mirrors from the Ubuntu Studio site HERE. Download the ISO and burn it to CD to create an Ubuntu Live CD.

The PC I am well be using to do all this is as fellows :

Processor : AMD Sempron 3000+ (1.8 GHz)
Ram : 1023 Mb
HDD 1 : 80GB Seagate
HDD 2 : 120GB WD
Graphics : Radeon 9550

Let’s Get Started

Boot into Windows Vista and go into Disk Management - right-click My Computer, Manage, Disk Management.


Right-click on the main Vista partition and select Shrink Volume. The Shrink tool will assess how much space can be free up.


As a rule of thumb Shrink will reduce the main system partition by about 50%. As long as the partition is big enough to begin with (at least 10GB) it should accommodate both operating systems. Select Shrink and the tool will reduce the volume of the primary partition, leaving the rest of the disk free as unpartitioned space.


Once that's done, shut down the Vista machine.

Install Ubuntu Studio

(Sorry about the pics)

To get the CD to load you will have to set your PC to load from the CD drive first you can do this by going it to you bios by pressing F2, Delete or Esc (most common buttons used) and change the first boot option in your bios (If you can not find this option download CPUZ and post your MB make and version number here at Xtreme-Source and I am sure someone can help you out)

Boot the PC from the CD you burnt earlier and select "Install Ubuntu Studio"from the main menu.


After a minute or two you will be at the first installation screen. Choose a language that will work best for you.


Now pick your country, territory or area


You can now have Ubuntu Studio try to detect your keyboard layout (If I was you I would pick yes to this.)


After a miute or two Ubuntu Studio should of picked up your keyboard layout. If it’s right hit continue to start the installer .After a short time Ubuntu will ask your for a hostname for your system. Enter one and hit continue


Now it’s partiton time Ubuntu Studio has a list of five options to pick from. Pick the "Manual" option and continue


It will now show you a list of all the HDD partitons on your PC. Your Master HDD (The one with Vista on it)should show two partitions the one with Vista on and the one you just made in Vista. It should say “FREE SPACE” in caps.


Use the arrows keys to high light the free space and press enter. You will then see a screen asking you how you want to use the free space choose “Automatically partiton the free space” when it is all done you will see an overview of what has been done . You will see Vista has one primary and that Linux now has two one primary and one logical (swap). Now high light the “Finish partitoning and write changes to disk” option and hit enter. A warning screen will show and if all is ok click “yes”.


After the partitioning is all done you will be asked for the full name of the new user. The next screen will ask for a username and the screen that follows will ask for a password, you will be asked to re-enter it to verify it.


Now the base installing will start. Ubuntu Studio has some nice extars that you may wish to install now Audio, graphics, Plugins and Video software (All the things a good XS member needs)


Use the arrows to move up and down and space to select the ones you want, then hit tab and enter to continue.

Once the installer is at about 80%, It will ask you to pick what screen sizes you will need , Pick the ones you know your screen can handle again use the arrows and space to select the ones you nee, then hit tab and enter to continue.


After the linux installer is all done its time to install GRUB. The GRUB installer will load and take over just where the Ubuntu installer stoped. GRUB will/should detect that Vista is installed on the same HDD and ask if you want it to install the GRUB bootloader to the master boot record. Pick yes and hit enter.


The next screen will tell you what you have waited to hear (or see in this case) that your installation is complete and its now time to remove the cd, So that you can reboot into the GRUB bootloader. Once the cd is removed hit enter.


Now you have rebooted your PC you will see your nice new bootloader. It will show 6 options 5 for Ubuntu Studio* and one for Vista. Pick the one titled “Ubuntu Kernel 2.6.20.5 generic” It will then load do some small checks then restart. Once it is load up pick the same option to load linux.


(*Read note one at the end)

Configure GRUB

If you want to modify how GRUB handles the new dualbooting environment, you need to edit the boot menu. Boot into Ubuntu and open up a Terminal window (Applications, Accessories, Terminal), and type in:

[PHP]sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst_bak[/PHP]

and enter your root password when asked - this makes a backup of the GRUB menu file just in case things go wrong. Next, type in:

[PHP]sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst[/PHP]

This opens up the boot menu as a text file in gedit.

There are loads of options you can change, but only a couple that you’re likely to be interested in. The default boot entry is defined by the “default” value.
The default value is 0, which means that the first entry in the list (which is Ubuntu) always gets loaded.

If you want to make it so that Windows Vista loads by default, change the value to 4, as Vista is the fifth item in the list (the numbering system starts at 0 and "Other operating systems" counts as a line).

The other way to load Windows Vista by default is to change the value for “default” from a numerical value to “saved”. Then, GRUB will load whichever boot entry has been marked with “savedefault”.

If you scroll down the list and have a look at the entries, you’ll notice that both the main Ubuntu entry and Windows Vista have been marked with “savedefault”. Remove the value for Ubuntu and Windows Vista will launch by default.

It's also worthwhile changing the description of the Vista entry from "Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader" to just "Windows Vista".

You can also increase the boot menu timeout – just change the value for “timeout”. You can also hide the GRUB boot menu by removing the hash in front of “hiddenmenu”. Save and exit gedit to keep any changes.

Uninstalling Linux

Ok so you have tryed linux out and you have found that its just not for you and you what to uninstall it all you have to do is the following :

Download and install EasyBCD for HERE

Once it is installed run the program and go to “Manage Bootloader”, then “Reinstall the Vista Bootloader” and click the write MBR button. This will reset Vista’s bootloader when you restart you PC.


Now restart your PC and you will see that Vista is all back to normal. Ok not 100% normal now we need to get back the HDD space. Go into Disk Management - right-click My Computer, Manage, Disk Management.


Right click on the two linux parts of the HDD and click delete volume you will end up with one unallocted space and one free space. Right click the free space and delete partition making it in to one big unallocted space.


Now to make the Vista partition bigger right click the Vista part of the HDD and click extend volume bad to how it was When I did mineit had 9MB unallocted so thats what I have put it back to.


Notes :

N1 : Just to make sure I have put all the info you all need into this tutorial I toke the time to reinstall linux and at the GRUB bootloader it only showed 3 options for linux and not 5 as it did beofre. I am not sure why this is but it will not stop you loading linux up and I will do my best to look it to it.

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PSN: PTU360 250GB (40GB Model PS3) - 35 PS3 games + 41 on the HDD
Live: PTU 360 Xbox360 x2 (Pro + Elite) - 102 360 games + 32 XBLA games
Why not stop by the XS Facebook Group

Nice guide P, approved and moved.

Hope you don't mind, I corrected some spelling errors and added some punctuation where necessary. Excellent guide!

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Thanks LS just trying to help XS members I will start on a XP version as should as I can

__________________
PSN: PTU360 250GB (40GB Model PS3) - 35 PS3 games + 41 on the HDD
Live: PTU 360 Xbox360 x2 (Pro + Elite) - 102 360 games + 32 XBLA games
Why not stop by the XS Facebook Group

I see someone is taking my "Approved & Moved" slogan *cough cough*. It's all good.

Nice guide PTU. I was actually writing one for those with XP on their system but of course they work the same way. Hadn't hooked it up so I could take screenshots prior to the O/S booting so I held back. You did a real good job...Kudos man!!

Additionally, I think you selected on of the 3 best Linux distros for beginners. The other two would be Ubuntu and Mandriva along with the one you picked, Ubuntu Studio.

**Stickied**

suse is pretty good for beginers too...mainly because it's got alot going for it with alot of "stuff" out of the box. Mandriva is one of the fastest distros I've used...it uses the power rather efficiently. Also with Ubuntu...I dunno if they still do this,but you can actually order FREE original disks to install,right from their site. They mail them to you for free,depending on where you live I think....but I live in canada so I imagine they deliver pretty far.


Also...it's always a good idea to install the Linux OS after the windows OS....windows will always try to be the boss and take control of the MBR.

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Thanks all, Do you think we need an XP version tECh or not form what I have read Windows Xp needs no preparation as Ubuntu as it will do it all in house. When you get to the disk partitioner screen you just pick the first option, to resize the main partition and use the freed space and the installer will do all the rest. When you then load up XP after linux is all done it will probably launch a check on its partition. This is because the partition has been resized since last boot, and it will want to run a consistency check to make sure there are no problems.

When XP loads, it will also probably detect new hardware (again, the resized partition) and will prompt to reboot. On reboot it will probably run through another, longer consistency check and then reboot.

__________________
PSN: PTU360 250GB (40GB Model PS3) - 35 PS3 games + 41 on the HDD
Live: PTU 360 Xbox360 x2 (Pro + Elite) - 102 360 games + 32 XBLA games
Why not stop by the XS Facebook Group

Thanks PTU! Awesome job! What is the difference between Ubuntu Studio 7.04 and Ubuntu 7.04? Is it easy to upgrade to if I want to see for myself? I'm not installing Linux for any specific application. I'm just experimenting anyway.

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Hi black Ubuntu Studio has the same core as Ubuntu but Studio has some built in extras the installer (Audio, graphics, Plugins and Video software) Its great if you are into that type of stuff and you don't want to go look for the software after you install Ubuntu.

Ubuntu uses a graphic installer and Studio is all text based.

I have just finished work on an XP,linux dual boot tut that I will post up as some as I have put my PC back together.

The next thing I want to do is a Tri boot XP,Vista and Linux but not sure if there is a call for one .

__________________
PSN: PTU360 250GB (40GB Model PS3) - 35 PS3 games + 41 on the HDD
Live: PTU 360 Xbox360 x2 (Pro + Elite) - 102 360 games + 32 XBLA games
Why not stop by the XS Facebook Group

@PTU
I've got one started that involves XP and using G-Parted. The process is pretty much the same but the partitioning to the hdd is done using a Live CD versus inside Windows. So I'll get that one up...

All in all, the process is the same. It's not the O/S that users should be worried about, it's the proper formatting and partitioning of the hard drive.

The one I did with XP was using the live cd, If you post that tECh. I will work on my tri boot one then.

__________________
PSN: PTU360 250GB (40GB Model PS3) - 35 PS3 games + 41 on the HDD
Live: PTU 360 Xbox360 x2 (Pro + Elite) - 102 360 games + 32 XBLA games
Why not stop by the XS Facebook Group