Help Desk Geek – Help Desk Tips For IT Pros

Ubuntu is one of the most famous Linux distributions. Dell is even shipping Ubuntu operating system pre-installed on their desktop computers and notebooks in Europe for people that prefer so. Ubuntu is free, secure and easy to use, you only need to get your hands on it to discover its potential.

In this post I will show you how to install Ubuntu 8.04 on your computer as a virtual machine using Microsoft Virtual PC 2007. Is a great way to get familiar with the OS without blowing away your Windows XP or vista installation, or doing a dual boot.

Downloading Microsoft Virtual PC.

The first thing you need to do is to download Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1 from Microsoft download center here scroll to the very bottom and choose 32 BIT\setup.exe, unless you are using a 64-bit operating system client, choose 64 BIT\setup.exe.

Installing Microsoft Virtual PC is as simple as clicking the next button.

Downloading Ubuntu 8.04

Once Virtual PC is installed, download the Ubuntu image CD from here. Choose the release Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition – Supported to 2011 and the Standard personal computer (x86 architecture, PentiumTM, CeleronTM, AthlonTM, SempronTM) again, unless you are using a 64-bit operating system, choose the other option.

Creating the virtual Machine on Microsoft Virtual PC

Once Ubuntu have been downloaded, open Microsoft Virtual PC. The new virtual PC machine wizard will come up. Click next. On the next window, choose the first option Create a virtual machine. Click next. On the next screen, choose the name of the virtual machine, name it, Ubuntu 8.04 and click Next. On the next window, you will need to choose the operating system. Choose other:

Click Next.  On the next window, you will need to allocate how much memory you want to use on your virtual machine. click on Adjusting the RAM and allocate 255 MB for the virtual machine.

Click Next. on the next window, you will need to choose from an Existing virtual hard disk, or choose a new virtual hard disk, choose the last option, New virtual hard disk and click Next. On the next window, you will need to choose how much physical hard drive space on your “host machine” you want to allocate for your virtual machine.

Allocate 10 GB (10240 MB) for your virtual hard disk size. Leave the default location for your virtual machine, and click Next. on the next Window click Finish.

Installing Ubuntu 8.04 on the virtual machine

Once the virtual machine had been created, it should show up on your Virtual PC Console:

Select the Ubuntu 8.04 virtual machine and click on the Start button. A black Window with DHCP trying connect to a network shared installation should come up. go to CD and choose Capture ISO Image. Choose the path to the Ubuntu ISO image we downloaded earlier, select it, and click Open. The Ubuntu Language settings should come up:

Choose English by Default and hit Enter. Unless you want your Ubuntu installation on a different language, choose it from here, and hit Enter.

Next, you have 5 options:

1. Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer ““ this option is good when you are running Ubuntu from a live CD.
2. Install Ubuntu ““ physical installation of Ubuntu on the physical hard disk
3. Check for CD Defects ““ check if anything is wrong on the installation CD
4. Test Memory ““ self explanatory, it checks the memory for any problem.
5. Boot from first hand hard disk.

Here I encountered an error when selecting the Install Ubuntu option:

An unrecoverable processor error has been encountered.

The virtual machine will reset now.

I think, this problem happened because we are installing Ubuntu from the ISO image on our physical hard drive.

Here is the way around this problem. when you get to the option to unstall Ubuntu, press F4 and choose Safe graphics mode. then choose the first option on the menu:Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer.

If you still get the same problem do this:

At the prompt, press F4 and select “Safe graphics mode“.
then press F6.

Modify the following boot line:

“Boot Options seed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.gz quiet splash –” Delete the part that says “quiet splash ““ -” and replace it with “vga=791 noreplace-paravirt”

That will make Ubuntu boot onto the GUI. After logging into Ubuntu Interface you should be able to see an installation folder on the desktop:

Click on the Install folder.  The installation wizard should come up:

Select the language and click Forward.  Next Choose your location:

Choose your city, and click Forward. Don’t worry if the time zone is not OK, you can change that later when you login to Ubuntu.

Next, you will need to choose your Keyboard layout, if you are in the US, mostly all your options will be the default. If you are not in the US, choose your settings accordingly. Click Forward.

Next, you will need to prepare the disk space, remember that we chose to use 10 GB of hard disk space for this virtual machine, so select the default option, Guided ““ use the entire disk.

Click Forward.  Next, you will have fill out, your name, your username, password, and Computer name”:

After you have entered the info, click on Forward. Next, you will get a summary of the installation. Click Install to begin the installation:

The installation should start.

After 20 ““ 30 minutes, the installation will finished, and will ask you if you want to reboot. At this stage Ubuntu is installed on your computer permanently.

Click on Restart now. Now Ubuntu should be installed and ready to be used on your virtual PC. If you have any problem, or question, please use the comments section below.