Monday, June 22, 2009

Steps to Install Windows On Linux.

Her are the steps that you can follow to install second OS (Windows) on your already existing OS(Linux.)

1. Back up the GRUB boot menu
Regardless of which bootloader you end up using, it's a very good move to first back up the GRUB bootloader. It's easy to lose it and unless you know how to re-write it from scratch then you're generally facing a full reinstallation of Ubuntu.

Firstly, boot into Ubuntu and go to Applications --> Accessories --> Terminal. Then, type in sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst.

This text file contains all the information GRUB uses to configure various boot options. Scroll down and the entries between "## ## End Default Options ##" and "### END DEBIAN AUTOMATIC KERNELS LIST" are the Linux boot options.

Make a backup of the file by going to File, Save As and selecting a different location. Or take a full copy of the contents and place it into a new text file. If you can, create the backup on a removable disk or networked location.

2. Make space For XP

Now we need to create space on the hard drive for XP, so this will involve resizing the main Ubuntu partition. Restart the system using the Ubuntu Live CD as this gives you access to GNOME Partition Editor. When the CD loads, select "Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer".

Once the CD loads, go to System, Administration, Partition Editor.

Right-click on the main data partition which has been formatted with ext3 - it should be /dev/sda1 - and select "Resize/Move"

Move the slider from the right to shrink the ext3 partition and create free space on the hard drive, which will take the NTFS XP partition. Make sure that the free space is sufficient to hold XP (at least 2GB - preferably 5GB). Then click "Resize/Move" to confirm the selection, and "Apply" back in the main screen to carry out the pending change.

3.Install Windows XP

Restart the system with the Windows XP CD and boot into the install program.

Unfortunately XP isn't so adaptive at handling existing partitions during installation. It detects the two Ubuntu partitions and marks then C: and E: accordingly. The remaining unpartitioned space which is available for XP will be marked as F:.

For the operating system and the vast majority of Windows applications which have properly-coded installation scripts, this is not a problem. Some older applications will assume that C: is the system partition and may bring up errors. There are ways of changing the drive letter assignation of the system partition, but in this scenario it's strongly discouraged.

To insult to injury, XP detects the Linux partition as an active system partition and won't install unless it marks this partition as inactive.

4.Restore the GRUB boot loader

Once XP has been installed, it will boot happily into XP but there's no sign of Ubuntu. To reinstate GRUB as the system bootloader it needs to be reinstalled into the MBR.

Boot the system from the Ubuntu Live CD and select "Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer".

Open a Terminal session - Applications, Accessories, Terminal

To enter the GRUB configuration mode, type in "sudo grub" and press Enter. Then type in the following commands in sequence:
- root (hd0,0)
- setup (hd0)
- quit
- exit

Reboot the system. You'll get the GRUB bootloader but Vista won't be an option - we need to add this to the boot options.

Boot into Ubuntu and open up another Terminal session. Then, type in sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Scroll down to the bottom of the file and type in the following text strings:

title Windows XP
root (hd0,1)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Save the file and reboot. When the GRUB loader launches hit ESC for the boot menu. Windows XP is the last option - select it and XP will load.

If you want to make the GRUB menu always available, boot back into Ubuntu and edit the MENU.LST file. Find the hiddenmenu text string and change it to #hiddenmenu.

To increase the menu timeout, change the default timeout 3 to something more appropriate.



How to Install Ubuntu 9.04 to your system

Here are the steps that you can follow to install Ubuntu 9.04 directly to youe system.


First thing is you need to download ubuntu jaunty .iso image from . once you have the .iso image you need to create a bootable CD from this and you need to boot your machine using this CD.

Once It starts booting from CD you should see screen select your language and press enter

Then in next screen you need to select “Install ubuntu” option and press enter

Ubuntu jaunty start installing.

Select your language for ubuntu installation click on forward

Select your region and city.In this example i am using Europe region,London city and click on forward.

Select your keyboad layout in this example i am using united kingdom and click on forward

Now you will See screen with the disks available in your machine here you need to create partitions ,if you want to create manually use the other option you need to click on forward.

Next you need to create User name, password and computer name you can also choose if you want to login automatically or not

List of information available for installation will come you need to click on install to start the installation.

Partitions formating starts.

Installation of ubuntu jaunty to your system starts.

When installation completes you need to restart.

When you restart it will ask for loging and password and thn you can start working on your Ubuntu 9.04.

Hope this will help all the user who are installing Ubuntu for first time.

Thank you.


Sunday, June 21, 2009

Steps for Installing Linux with Windows

Hi friends, this is my first post which will help you all to install LINUX on windows.
for any query please leave comment, i will try to fix it.

REQUIREMENTS:


The installation CD or an ISO image to burn. It is possible with some distributions as Suse to install from Windows.

STEPS:

1. It is better to use a second disk specially for Linux. Otherwise you can split the Windows partition.

2.If you have a partition available and free, ignore this section, go to (3)
- Use SCANDISK (System Tools) to repair any errors on the hard disk.
- Use DEFRAG to prepare partitioning leaving a block of free space.
Take note of the available disk space is you resize the partition from Linux.
Vista makes it possible to resize the partition to create another which can be used for Linux.
You can also choose installation on USB disk. Verify prior that the boot sector of the system can be restored from the Vista disk!

3.Insert the CD in the drive.
Restart your computer, press DEL or F1 or any key that open the Bios configuration panel, and configure options in the BIOS so that the computer starts with CD-ROM. Save and continue the boot process. You then need to boot from the Linux CD.

4.You are asked to choose between the expert mode or not. The second will install Lilo Grub or without prompting you. If you install Lilo on the Windows partition, you will have to choose between Windows and Linux at each startup.

5.Choose keyboard, language, etc ...
At the option of partition, if you do not have a free disk or a free partition, you have to resize that of Windows. Create a swap partition in this space according to the table below.
It takes at least 2 gigabytes to install Linux. Linux read Windows FAT and NTFS directories, do not try to create a too large partition.

6.
Click on the space for the swap partition, make it SWAP and MOUNT it.
Click on the other Linux partition. Make it Linux and put / for the root directory.
The file system recommended is ext3.

7.Continue with the graphical install.
You might be asked to install Lilo or Grub, the boot loader, choose Grub.

8.Continue with the other options.

9.To start on the USB disk, reboot your computer and go to the BIOS. Choose the USB reader as the first unit to start (boot).

10.Change according your need prompt and environment variables.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

My Story.

Hi Guys...

I am Alok Sen. I am from Bhopal but currently in Chennai doing my master's course here from IITmadras.
Will be posting some useful material soon.
keep visiting..