Are you a Windows user who has always been apprehensive of uSIng GNU-Linux, as many people say it's too complicated for home users? I guess they are correct, because it's quite clear that they have not touched any GNU-Linux machine for at least the last few years.

GNU-Linux is today much more simple to install on any machine, but this is not what we are going to discuss. We are going to tell you about something even more excit¬ing. But before we do that, let me ask you if you have ever installed any software on your Windows machine. And if you have, how difficult was that? Like taking a walk in the park, right? Now, what if we tell you that you can install and run one of the most popular GNU-Linux operating systems, Ubuntu, inside your Windows machine just the way you install any other software.

Let me repeat: You can now install Ubuntu in your Windows just as any other software and you can very eas¬ily remove it too, again, like another software. So if you are interested, let's take the next step. What you need to start with is first create a LiveCD of the Ubuntu operating system, as described in the box. When you insert the Ubuntu CD in the drive, you will see a window pop up (Fig. 1). You will find three options here. Select the second one that says "Install Inside Windows." When you click this, you will be greeted by another window (Fig. 2) that says you are about to install Ubuntu. You can see six options here.

'Installation Drive' is the partition on which you want to install Ubuntu. You can change the partition by selecting it from the drop-down menu. Choose a partition that has at least 5-10 GB of free space. The second option says 'Installation Size.' This is the space on your hard drive that you want Ubuntu to use. We recommend you give at least 6-10 GB of space to Ubuntu. Now you can select that too from the drop-down menu. Leave the third option as it is. The fourth option is selecting the language, which you should leave as it is, unless some other language interests you in the drop-down menu.

The fifth option is the username. By default, your user¬name will be taken from your Windows account, but you can change that if you wish. The last option is about the password. Select last two options carefully and remember them, as you will need them to log in to Ubuiltu once it is installed.

Once all options have been selected, you can click 'Install' and your installation will start. At this stage, it will basically copy and install some important files on your machine. Once the copying is being done you will be greeted by the screen shown in, where you are asked to restart your machine. This will also open the DVDjCD drive automatically and you must remove the LiveCD from the drive.

Name: GNU-Linux.jpg Views: 263 Size: 40.2 KB

Now, when you restart your system, you will see a black screen with some text on it. Don't panic or worry. Let it do whatever it has to. Then you will see the text shown in. Now, use your keyboard's up-down arrow keys to select Ubuntu and hit Enter. This will- take a few moments, following which you will see Ubuntu on your screen. Wait for a while, the next screen will be an Ubuntu wallpaper and you will see a box where Ubuntu will install the operating system and prepare your machine. This can take around 10-15 minutes depending on your system specifications.

Once the installation is done, the PC will restart, and once again you will be greeted by the same screen as shown in. Again, select Ubuntu and now you are in! This time, you will be greeted by a typical Ubuntu log-in window where you will have to enter your username and password - hope you still remember them.
Now, you have Ubuntu GNU-Linux running on the same machine So, was it difficult?

Something important now: you will be able to see-Qther partitions under 'Places Computer,' located on the top menu bar of your Ubuntu screen. Remember, if you want to save any data, save it only on these partitions that are also accessible through Windows. If you save anything on the Ubuntu desktop, you will not be able to see it in Windows. I understand the user interface of Ubuntu is quite differ¬ent from what you're used to in Windows, but hey, it's just a matter of time before you get used to this one too.

You can read more about how to install software in Ubuntu and many other things at 'help.ubuntu.com.' The URL has everything that a new user requires, written in plain text. So, what are you waiting for; get started with GNU-Linux.
If you plan to uninstall Ubuntu from Windows because you want to go for an independent Ubuntu installation, go to the Windows Control Panel and under the' Add/Remove Software' section, you can find Ubuntu. Uninstall it the way you uninstall any other software (Fig. 10). But remember, save all your data only on the other partitions of Windows, so you can use that data even after you have completely removed Ubuntu from your machine .•