Dual-Booting Ubuntu Linux 9.04 With Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7

Ubuntu is quickly growing to be a popular alternative to Windows. Some users may not be ready to switch over to Linux completely, however. It is possible to dual-boot Ubuntu with Windows and share files between the two operating systems easily. This guide can be applied to other distros besides Ubuntu, but are specific to the latest Ubuntu, 9.04.

Step 1: Install and prepare Windows:

Most people already are at this step. They have Windows already installed. If you don't, then there are few things you can do to make it more Linux-friendly. The first thing is if you are running Windows XP to use the FAT32 file system. FAT32 is more compatible with Linux than NTFS. If you are using an NTFS, no sweat, 9.04 supports NTFS now for the most part and your drive should be accessible. If you are having trouble try installing ntfs-config. On the Windows side install, also install FS-Driver which will allow you to access Ext2 and Ext3 formatted drives. This will allow you to easily see the Windows drivers in Linux and the Windows drives in Linux.

Make sure you have enough space to Ubuntu. A standard install will fit in 3gb of space, but I recommend 10gb or so for a comfortable install of the OS if you plan on adding a few apps. Larger apps such as Games would mean you should dedicate more space to Ubuntu. Also keep some space free for Windows. Once that's done it's a good idea to defragment your hard drive, especially if Windows has been running on your computer for a while now. Afterwords you're ready to install Ubuntu!

Step 2: Boot off the CD and run the installer:

If you haven't downloaded the disc image or received a free Ubuntu CD in the mail, head over to Ubuntu's download page to download the ISO of the Ubuntu Live CD. Once that's burned to a CD restart your computer and boot from it. You may need to change the boot priority in your computer's BIOS or press a button to change the boot medium. When you first start to boot off the CD you've be given a number of options. You can jump right into the installation or run a Live CD session. If you want, you can test-drive Ubuntu from the CD and then install it from the Live CD environment.

The installer is very straight forward. Since you want to dual-boot pay particular attention to the partition page. When you get here you'll see that Ubuntu has detected Windows on your system and is offering to set up dual boot. Select this option. If you don't see it, then something is wrong. Selecting any other option may cause you to loose your Windows partition, so make sure you select the right one. Ubuntu will allow you to select the size of the partition for Ubuntu while preserving the Windows install in-tact. Keep the points made above in mind when selecting a partition size. While you can get away with 4gb of space for Ubuntu, this isn't much room for adding new programs.

At the end of the pages for installation Ubuntu will summarize all changes that will be made to your computer. Be sure to double check everything it lists, especially the new partition settings. Once you confirm, all these changes will start to take place. If everything looks good, then continue on and the installation will commence. All you have to do now is wait.

Step 3: Post-Installation:

Once the installation is complete restart your computer and remove the Live CD. A prompt for GRUB will appear, and by bringing it up you'll see Ubuntu and your Windows installation. Congratulations! You've dual booted Windows and Ubuntu. All that's left is making sure both operating systems are working together. In Ubuntu you should be able to see or mount your Windows partition, and in Windows if you installed FS-Driver you should see your Ubuntu partition. This is useful for sharing files between the two operating systems. While in Windows, if you wish to find your Linux users' folders, you'll find them in the "home" folder on the Linux drive.

If you do not currently use Open Source software in Windows, it'll be worth trying out software such as OpenOffice. Most Open-Source software found in Windows is also available for Linux, so you'll be running the same software on both platforms which will help moving over to Linux.

In Linux you may want to install additional media codec packs or try using VLC, which is available for both platforms. This will allow you to share all your media between Linux and Windows. (The exception to this is music and videos that contain DRM however.)

If you want to try to run Windows software in Linux, try installing WINE or Crossover Office. If you have another copy of Windows that you want to run in a window, virtualization software such as VMWare can help.