Tips on moving to Linux?

[ferrellsl]

Why switch?  Why not make your system dual-boot Windows and Linux and have the best of both worlds?  It's much easier to do than you might think.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to add a second drive exclusively for Linux and then use the BIOS settings to select which drive/OS you want to boot with.

[ferrellsl]

I agree to a certain extent - your setup could have been handled better. But keep in mind that...

1. you could have solved the problem using the installer, if you had used the partitioning tool
2. installing Windows alongside Linux isn't possible at all - so far Linux beats Windows hands down, as far as you are concerned

Number 2 is an utter falsehood.  I have several systems at home that have Windows 7 installed along side Linux.  In fact, the Toshiba laptop I'm using to post this message is triple boot.  It boots Windows 7, Ubuntu 13, and OSX 10.8.5

The easiest way to install Linux alongside Windows without all the partitioning and @ss pain of losing or accidentally formatting your non-Linux partitions is to use WUBI.  See:  http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/windows-installer

Officially WUBI only supports Ubuntu 12.04 but I've used it on later versions of Linux without any issues.

WUBI leaves your Windows partition intact and put the linux filesystem into a loop-file on your NTFS drive/partition so there's no need to re-partition and risk losing your other operating systems.

[ferrellsl]

I was talking about installing Windows without having your existing operating systems wiped off the disk - which isn't possible.


I wasn't making an argument, I was joking. You know, I tried to illustrate that by putting a smilie behind it - stupid me.

ral-clan was disappointed with his his very first Linux experience - I'm simply trying to put that in context. Yeah, that was a (minor) bug, but a slight inconvenience while doing things that Windows can't do at all isn't exactly a reason to ditch Linux.

Maybe he should try reinstalling WIndows XP on his 160 GB HD (it doesn't even support 160 GB out of the box, does it?) to realize what he's been putting up with so far

(psxphill: that last paragraph was another joke)

Again, you're spreading falsehoods.  Yes, it is possible and it's done all the time.  I have several systems that have Linux AND Windows installed together on different as well as the same boot drives.  Stop spreading false info.  Linux coexists quite nicely with all of my systems!

[ferrellsl]

Of course you can install Windows after Linux (the "after" part being my whole point) - if you're willing to create the necessary partitions from within Linux and manually restore and modify the Master Boot Record after installing Windows. But I wouldn't call that "Windows offering the same install options as Linux", so I jokingly told ral-clan he shouldn't blame Linux for not being user friendly.

Better now?

No, you're still spreading falsehoods.  Every system I have in my home had Windows installed first, and then I installed Linux.  No reformatting or creating new partitions or manually modifying the MBR was required.

[ferrellsl]

This is  now the fourth (and definitely the last) time that I tell you I'm talking about the other case where one is trying to install Windows after Linux.

Please read what you're replying to, it would have saved both of us quite some time.

No, you weren't talking about trying to install Windows AFTER Linux.  You made earlier statements that it was impossible to have Windows and Linux coexist on the same system at all. Then, after being confronted by more than one person that you were incorrect, you started changing your story.  Now you're changing it again.

Care to go for five now?

[ferrellsl]

My first post in  this thread says: "Ubuntu can also be installed in parallel to an existing Windows install, without having to reformat your existing harddisk partitions".

Not sure what thread you're reading, certainly not this one.

Yes, I'm reading this thread quite well and on page 14 here's what you had to say about Linux and Windows being unable to coexist:

2. installing Windows alongside Linux isn't possible at all - so far Linux beats Windows hands down, as far as you are concerned.