Run ubuntu under windows vista

[Colin Law]

2009/9/19 Andrew Farris <flyindragon1 at aol.com>:
> On Sat, 2009-09-19 at 11:22 -0500, John/Pat Heinen wrote:
>> I have wubi-ubuntu installed within windows vista, I don't see it on the
>> control panel but it is visible on explore "ubuntu" 134 mb.How do I get
>> this ubuntu started?
>
> when you reboot, the windows boot menu will come up with the option of
> booting into Windows, or Ubuntu. This is when you should choose to start
> Ubuntu.
>
> Also note that if you have not yet booted into Ubuntu, you may need to
> have the CD in the drive yet the first time you boot, so the wubi
> installer can finish it's work.
>
> Also, wubi-installed Ubuntu doesn't run in a virtual machine or
> anything, its basically a full install running in a virtual disk (which
> is really just a plain file on your hard drive, that's pretending to be
> a hard-drive itself). This allows you to get near the native install
> performance, direct hardware access, etc. that are all good for Ubuntu,
> while also allowing you the option of not messing with your partitions,
> or buying a new drive to put Ubuntu on. This also means, though, that
> you cant run ubuntu from within windows...you instead choose which one
> you want from the boot menu. hence my instructions above.
>

Just a note about my experience with wubi-installed Ubuntu, which may
not be at all typical of course.  I followed that route when first
trying Ubuntu as it seemed the easiest course. It ran well for a
couple of weeks, just long enough to get the system set up how I liked
it, then I had a Windows crash and it seemed to mess up the Ubuntu
virtual disk file so it would not boot.  I then decided to start again
with a full dual boot and have never looked back.  Of course there is
a risk if you have to adjust partitions on the disk to do this though
I had no problems there.

Colin