install dual boot system

How do I install Ubuntu 7.04 on my laptop so I have a choice of Windows XP or Ubuntu? I want Ubuntu to be the default operating system. I have worked with UNIX and the vi editor in the past. I am looking forward to building databases and learning shell programming.

Ubuntu uses the grub bootloader. You can manipulate the boot menu by changing /boot/grub/menu.lst. You can choose to display the menu or not, how long the menu should be displayed before loading the default system, choose which system should be the default, etc. However, when you install Ubuntu, it should discover your Windows installation and add that to your menu, albeit at the end.

Ubuntu needs at least two partitions, big ext3 partition and ~512mb (depending on ram) swap partition.

When you install there should be some options,
- to use the entire disk (windows gone),
- to use the free space (so you don't have to prepare partitions, just make some free space)
- often the installer can even shrink your existing windows partition, so usually no need to prepare anything at all
- to use manual partitioning, you can define your own partitions here, or just specify mount points if you have already created them

Assuming you've not used entire disk, your windows should still be there (provided that you haven't wiped it out by your own partitioning) . If you are not presented with a system list during start up, try pressing escape when "grub loading" message appears and check if there isn't an entry for windows.

> To: <email address hidden>
> From: <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Question #14500]: install dual boot system
> Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 15:26:56 +0000
>
> Your question #14500 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/14500
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Jo-Erlend Schinstad proposed the following answer:
> Ubuntu uses the grub bootloader. You can manipulate the boot menu by
> changing /boot/grub/menu.lst. You can choose to display the menu or not,
> how long the menu should be displayed before loading the default system,
> choose which system should be the default, etc. However, when you
> install Ubuntu, it should discover your Windows installation and add
> that to your menu, albeit at the end.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/14500/+confirm?answer_id=1
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/14500
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.

My computer is now dual bootable and I'm thrilled with it. I had a problem getting on-line so I checked the support documentation at Ubuntu and got that straightened out. I disabled my internet connection through Windows once I got my wire-less internet connection operational through Linux.

I now have software that will either not come up or gives me error statements. Stellarium doesn't come up at all. Totem Movie Player apparently doesn't have the needed codecs.

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For totem you'll probably need to install ubuntu-restricted-extras package, so more things can be played:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats.

Could you please try to run stellarium from a terminal (application-->accessories, type stellarium) and see if it doesn't output some errror?

Has this anything to do with dual-booting at all? One of the great things about public Q&A's like this, is that it's searchable and that others might benefit from it.