VirtualPCandLinux

You will need Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 which you can get free from the MSDNAA subscription.

Summary:

1. Install Microsoft Virtual PC 2004
2. Create a new virtual machine
3. Start the Live CD version of Ubuntu from a CD or the ISO file in safe graphics mode
4. Install Ubuntu onto the new virtual hard disk and reboot
5. Interrupt the reboot at the GRUB prompt and select the (recovery mode) option
6. Edit the xorg.conf file to fix the color depth
7. Reboot

Basic Installation

Create a new virtual machine

1. Start Microsoft Virtual PC 2004.

2. Create a new virtual machine by clicking the "New" button. This starts the New Virtual Machine Wizard.

  1. Select the "Create a virtual machine" option. Click "Next".

  2. Name the virtual machine. For example: "Ubuntu 6.06 Desktop". Click "Next".

  3. Select "Other" for the Operating System. Click "Next".

  4. Recommended RAM of 128MB is too small. Select "Adjusting the RAM" and configure for at least  
     256MB. Click "Next"

  5. Select the virtual disk option. I always create "A new virtual hard disk". Click "Next"

  6. Specify the Virtual Hard Disk Location. Click "Next"

  7. Click "Finish" to create the new virtual machine.

Start the Live CD version of Ubuntu 6.06 from CD or the ISO file

You can install directly from a downloaded ISO file without burning the ISO to a CD, or you can install from a Ubuntu CD.

3. Start your new virtual machine. The "BIOS" will boot and then ask for an operating system disk. If you want to install from the ISO file, click the CD menu of Virtual PC 2005 and select "Capture ISO Image..." then browse to the downloaded "ubuntu-6.06-desktop-i386.iso" file. If you want to install from a CD, click the CD menu of Virtual PC and select the physical drive that contains the Ubuntu CD. This will start the Ubuntu Live CD boot process. Install Ubuntu onto the new virtual hard disk and reboot

4a. To avoid the display problem when booting the Live CD version, select "Start Ubuntu in safe graphics mode" (optionally you may try 4b.) by hitting the down arrow then "Enter". Ubuntu will boot, and eventually, the desktop will appear with an "Install" icon. Double-click the "Install" icon to start installing Ubuntu onto your virtual hard disk. You will see the usual progress bar; installation can take a long time (30-60 minutes) depending on your system. Eventually, you will be asked to "Restart Now". Make sure you eject the CD from your drive or release the ISO image using Virtual PC's "CD" menu before you reboot. If, for some reason, the virtual machine does not restart when you click "Restart Now", you can reset the virtual machine using the Action->Reset menu item from the Virtual PC menu bar.

Be prepared to hit the Esc key when the GRUB loader appears.

4b. Boot Live CD, select the "Start or Install Ubuntu". When you find yourself in the messy Xwindows environment. Press Crtl-Alt-F1 to get to a command line interface. At the prompt type "sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg". You will now be in a ncurses interface, where the keyboard, tab, enter, and arrow keys should be sufficient. Choose the defaults by pressing enter, until you get to the monitor settings stage. When the color depth settings come up select "16". Finish dpkg-reconfigure by following the rest of the prompts, it will save your changes and dump you back to the command line. Now press Ctrl-Alt-F7, then press Ctrl-Alt-Backspace. Wait awhile for Ubuntu to reset you back into the graphical user interface.