rockinaway

I have just installed Ubuntu so I have dual boot with that and Windows Vista.

However I have several questions:

1) I have an Actiontec wireless adapter that works fine in Windows; however, when I load Ubuntu up and insert the disc to install it, nothing runs and the internet doesn't work. Do I need a different disc or to download a patch somewhere so I can use it with Linux.

2) I am sure I have seen this somewhere, but since I have dual boot, is it possible, while running on the Ubuntu OS that I can have a window that allows me to access my windows desktop and use that as I wish? http://win4lin.net/content/ - thing shown there that has a window with the XP OS open and in use.

3) Are there a list of the best things to do with Ubuntu once installed i.e. customisations etc?

4) What do I do if I want to uninstall the Ubuntu OS from the hard drive and get it back as it was with just windows Vista?

Thanks

wmorri

Hi,

Welcome to linux! You will find that somethings are better than windows but at the same time others might seem worse, but you just have to work at them to make them work.

1. Wireless is a tricky subject when it comes to linux. If the wireless manufacturers would open their code the linux developers then there would be a lot more options. However, there is hope for your wireless adapter. I am guessing that this is a usb doggle, not an internal card. Take a look at this site for some help with it Troubleshooting. If this dosen't answer the problem there are a couple of other options.

2. The simple answer is NO! What you are seeing is a virtual machine. They allow a user to run a second os inside of the main os that is running. So, you can run linux and windows at the same time, but not from different partitions on the hdd.

3. There are a unlimited number of things that you can do to "customize" your computer. Take a look at 8.04 for a lot of good information.

4. If you choose to uninstall Ubuntu(and i hope you don't) there are a couple of programs that can be used to change the partitions. But I will get to that if i have to.

Cheers!

rockinaway

Thanks for the info. Hmm, it is a struggle with the fact I can't have all my windows stuff working. Is there a list of all the Linux compatible software? SO I know what I can install.

Also, when I wish to logout of Linux, is there any way to log onto the Vista OS after Linux instead of restarting?

Which is the best version of Linux? Is it Ubuntu? (I think that is the most popular) Thanks again..

rockinaway

I am trying to get ndiswrapper, so that I can install the windows drivers from CD. But no such luck. Any step-by-step process on how to do it?

That troubleshooting page doesn't show any Hardware Information as that option is no loner present.. so I can't see it anyway. I look in the Admin area and there wasn't my wireless detected

rockinaway

I have another question. I don't want my windows files to be killed on the hard drive, in case the dual-boot goes wrong. I have a 750GB external hard drive. is it possible to install Ubuntu onto the external hard drive and leave Windows on the internal hard drive. Because if something goes wrong, the problems will be with the external hard drive and not with the internal windows one.

rockinaway

Sorry, after all that, I have decided I wish to uninstall it. I am too dependent on Windows software and so I don't think I will be able to switch easily.

Any help on how to uninstall?

wmorri

Hi,

Before I give you the information on how to repartition your hdd, i have a couple of questions for you.

No. The only way to boot into windows is to reboot the computer and then at the bootloader choose windows or whatever you have the Windows partition set as.

This is a hard question. I feel that for beginners Ubuntu is about the easiest that there is. It has a great GUI (General User Interface). Installing programs is really easy, and once you get used to it there isn't anything that you can't do for free.

Here is the simplest way that I can describe it for you:

• Go to the Applications menu and click on Accessories
• Next click on Terminal
• At the prompt type sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper
• Enter your root password
• Allow the install

If you give me a list of the software that you need then I might be able to find some compatible software for you.

Give Ubuntu more than a week, you should try it for a least a month before kicking the bucket. I am sure that with a little work that you can be up and running in no time.

Cheers!

rockinaway

Hmm.. Okay. I got ndiswrapper installed but I still don't know how to get .exes installed using it.

Thanks for the help :)

If I update my files in Linux, will they be updated in Windows? (if I access the windows area)

My biggest fear with using Linux is incase my Windows locks up and stops working - this cannot happen.

rockinaway

Any help?

Bartender

If it were me, I'd probably sign up at the Ubuntu forums, go into the "Networking and Wireless" section, then do a Search with the exact model # of your wireless adapter. Chances are good that someone has been there with the same device.

Don't try to update Windows while in Linux. If you've done a classic dual-boot, you can run Windows or you can run Linux. You can't do both. Update the Linux operating system, restart the PC, choose Windows, let Windows come up, then update Windows.
You have to understand that you now have, in essence, two computers.

The Windows computer can access all of your actual devices (HDD, RAM, video card, etc.) just like before.

The Linux computer can access all (or most!) of your devices also. It does so using different code that Windows, but as long as it can access the devices you're good to go.

As long as you built the dual-boot successfully, and it sounds like you did, Linux can't "lock up" Windows. Well, I should qualify that. If the HDD destroys itself while you're in Linux, your Windows install will be ruined too, but that's not because of Linux. That's just a case of hardware failure that would have happened anyway. But don't worry about Linux somehow ruining your Windows data. Plenty of folks have ruined their Windows data when they installed Linux incorrectly, but once it's installed correctly I don't think anyone has ever had Linux ruin Windows.

wmorri

Hi,

If you are concerned with making sure that you have the "dual-boot" set up correctly please do the following in terminal:Then post the output for the menu.lst file and we can look at it. Otherwise don't worry.

Cheers!

rockinaway

I can't seem to find the driver for a USB connected Actioned Wireless adapter. I have found a short tutorial on how to install a driver with ndiswrapper.. but I need an INF file.

Bartender

Can you tell us what USB adapter it is, and give some links to the tutorials you've found? Someone with more Linux experience might be able to make sense of it...

rockinaway

My Wireless adapter is an Actiontec 802.11g but it also says 802UG-1 on side..

The steps I followed were these:

Download the driver and extract it to you home directory. Then use the following commands (assuming you have the ndiswrapper-utils package installed from synaptic):

sudo ndiswrapper -i LSIPNDS.inf
sudo ndiswrapper -l (to make sure the driver and hardware are present)
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper
sudo ndiswrapper -m (to add an alias wlan0)

configure with System --> Network or use iwconfig command.

Found here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=7319&page=1

But the first problem is that I couldn't find a driver for my adapter as the site provided wasn't working.. The CD I have got to install it only has one INF file on it and that is the AUTORUN one.. all the other files are bin and those.. So I am confused

rockinaway

Okay, good progress. I somehow have a driver installed from the disc and I am connected to the internet by connecting to SOMEONE ELSEs router. I can't connect to my Actiontec Router.. it doesn't appear on the list of available connections. What should I do? It may appear there, but some don't have names, so they can't be connected to.

Bartender

Hey, rockin -
I'm glad to hear you got your USB adapter working. Maybe ndiswrapper is working? I don't know.
As far as finding your router, there oughta be several ways. I'm just thinking off the top of my head here...
One would be to get into your router settings (you'd need a piece of ethernet cable, and probably a Windows PC?) and give your network a name. Then restart Linux and find your network.
Another might be to write down all the networks Linux sees, then turn off your router, then go back to Network Manager and see which network disappeared.
Watch the signal strengths while placing a piece of sheet metal or aluminum foil or something similar between your router and the PC. Maybe even moving the router antennae or spinning the router around would do it. From what I've seen Network Manager signal strength is pretty much real-time and it will respond quickly to a change in signal strength.

wmorri

Bartender those are a great start, there are a couple of other things that rockin can do.
To start rockin, you need to find out all of the ESSID's of all the routers in the area. That would be yours, and and other that you might have. To do this use this command:You have to use sudo because you have to be using root to do the scan.

Next, if you want to connect to only one router, such as your router you can use this command and connect solely to it:The "essid" and "My Network, can be changed for whatever you need them to be.

This should help you out if you need any other assistance with the setup feel free to ask.

Cheers!

rockinaway

Okay, I will try them. I can connect to my Network fine when on Windows. The network has already been given a name. (Windows picks it up as ACTIONTEC).

Bartender

Try everything suggested in Ubuntu Troubleshooting
https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/interne...onnecting.html