Switching from Windows 8 to Linux?

[tommaxwelll]

Hi,

I recently installed Windows 8 on my laptop, but decided that I'd prefer to give Ubuntu a try. I downloaded an ISO and put it on Seagate FreeAgent drive, but I don't exactly know what to do next. First off, do I just leave the ISO file on the drive? Do I need to do anything else to it? Also, when I hit F2 on a reboot it brings up the BIOS but doesn't let me specifically select the drive. It has a few boot options that list something like Legacy OS or something starting in UE (can't remember the full name). I'm using a Lenovo Ideapad N585. Hope I gave enough details.

 

[Ijack]

You can find complete instructions for installing Ubuntu here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation

 

[The Stealthinator]

Download wubi.exe from the Ubuntu website. Run the setup. You can choose to install Ubuntu alongside windows or have it overwrite your current windows install. To install alongside Windows, you need to have minimum 2 partitions.

 

[kmnfive]

Hi,

I recently installed Windows 8 on my laptop, but decided that I'd prefer to give Ubuntu a try. I downloaded an ISO and put it on Seagate FreeAgent drive, but I don't exactly know what to do next. First off, do I just leave the ISO file on the drive? Do I need to do anything else to it? Also, when I hit F2 on a reboot it brings up the BIOS but doesn't let me specifically select the drive. It has a few boot options that list something like Legacy OS or something starting in UE (can't remember the full name). I'm using a Lenovo Ideapad N585. Hope I gave enough details.

don't use wubi. it's buggy. it's fine for trying it out but i have had problems using wubi in the past with larger partitions.

ubuntu is a debian based os that is pretty user friendly. the installation console / screen or whatever you wanna call it is graphical, you don't need to mess with any command lines just to get it installed unless you have some strange archaic hardware, but most, if not all the computer hardware / chips from the past ten years are supported.

i would install the image to a usb drive, the read speeds are faster than that of a external HDD that spins.

there should be an option in your bios to boot from USB.

hope that helps.

 

[The Stealthinator]

Maybe you've had problems, but it works fine for me. It's the easiest method available, but you do have the option of downloading the OS on a USB, then install it to a partition on your HD if you want.

 

[hadji457]

I have used Live Linux USB Creator to make bootable linux usb sticks. You run it in Windows to create your usb install, then just boot from it. Ubuntu is very compatible with this method. Just download the regular cd iso image, plug your drive in, open LiLi USB Creator and let 'er rip. (I think it will even download the image for you otherwise just tell it where it is.) If you can't do it on your machine ask a friend to let you create your usb disk on their computer. The program runs in XP, Vista, or 7 for sure. http://www.linuxliveusb.com/

 

[Aristotelian]

Before you do anything, I suggest that you run Ubuntu on a USB stick. Do not install your Ubuntu ISO until you have done this first, otherwise you may wipe out your Windows installation, never to get it back.

To put Ubuntu on a USB stick, the easiest way is to download the program unetbootin in Windows and use this program to burn your ISO to a USB stick. You can then use the USB stick to run Ubuntu live or as your installation disk once you decide to do so.

 

[hadji457]

Unetbootin is a good one too. Either way it's a good way to try linux and also as a tool to recover data on a disk that for whatever reason you can't boot to.