Ubuntu

Can i install Unbuntu with out losing my other installed drivers

Asked by woods

I installed Unbuntu on my computer before but when i went to install the drivers for all my new hardware i couldn't. So instead i put Windows XP on my pc so i could install the drivers, but i still want to use Unbuntu. So my question is, if i install Unbuntu now with i lose the drivers i installed with windows or will i keep everything and just get a new os. But also what will i do next time i need to run an executable file after i install Unbuntu. And finally would i be better off just keeping my XP anyway or is Unbuntu really worth it. I want to use Unbuntu but i don't want to bother with it if i am risking losing all the drivers i just installed cause i kinda need them. The reason i ask is because after installing Unbuntu i went here and asked why i couldn't install my drivers and one guy told me why and said that Unbuntu has drivers already installed fro graphics and such, which is another concern of mine. If i install Unbuntu will the drivers that ,may or may not ,come with it override the new ones i just installed. I feel that i kinda jumped around a lot with my questions so if you aren't sure what i'm asking please e-mail me and i will clear things up. But if you do have an answer for me i would really appreciate it.

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Jim Hutchinson
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Stefan Neagu (neasteflorin-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#1

You can't use windows drivers in Ubuntu, but you won't lose the drivers in windows xp. You partition the drive splitting it in two parts and install Ubuntu on one. When you start the compter it will ask what you want to use Ubuntu or Windows.

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Best Jim Hutchinson (jphutch) said : 		#2

I think the "other guy" may have been me. I think you are confusing ubuntu and windows. Both windows and ubuntu are stand alone operating systems. Only one can run at a time. When you are running windows, windows uses specific drivers to work with your hardware. When you are running ubuntu, ubuntu uses it's own drivers to work with your hardware. Except for some specific work arounds, you would never use windows driver in ubuntu. If you need to install drivers for something you would have to install linux drivers. Chances are everything will work without adding any drivers. That is not the case with windows. With windows it's often true that things don't work unless you install the drivers. Linux is different. Some would argue better. However, if you have a nvidia graphics card or an ATI you might want to install the linux specific driver for your card in order to get the most out of it. You don't have to. It should still work but things like 3D won't be well supported unless you install the specific linux driver for your card.

Now, if you install ubuntu in a dual-boot configuration you will have both windows and ubuntu installed and you will select which OS you want to use at boot time. If you install only ubuntu you can disregard any windows drivers as ubuntu will install it's own drivers. You may end up adding some drivers to ubuntu, such as to use special aspects of your graphics card, but they are not usually required and they would be linux specific drivers anyway.

With a dual-boot you won't "risk loosing the windows drivers" because windows will still use them. If you install ubuntu only you won't use the windows drivers so yes, in a way you will lose them, but that's the way it goes. Windows drivers are for windows.

As to whether or not ubuntu is "worth it" that is something you will have to decide on your own. Installing and setting up an OS is not all that easy (although ubuntu is really very easy compared to installing windows). You may encounter problems and it may not seem worth it. However, if you stick with it, take the time to learn a new operating system (just like if you were to buy a mac) you will probably find that ubuntu is very much worth it. I personally love it. It's fast, clean and very easy once you adapt to a new way of doing things. However, it took me a good 6 months to adapt and I'm still learning. I used windows for nearly 15 years. I've been using Linux (and Ubuntu) for less than 2.

Hope that clears things up. If not, post back.

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D B (eburner) said : 		#3

Forget that, you don't have to decide on your own. Ubuntu is worth it!

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woods (skatermike34) said : 		#4

thank you, you have been a big help

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Jim Hutchinson (jphutch) said : 		#5

Happy to help.

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Phil (phil-parry) said : 		#6

Thanks, those responses have addressed a lot of my concerns too as I contemplate whether to go over to Ubuntu. On my home PC there are some Windows programs for which I no longer have the install disks, shall we say, and I would have no chance of re-installing them if I went over completely.

So can you give me any idea, on a dual-boot setup, how much hard drive space will I need to give over to Ubuntu and its main apps?

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jjrzerna (jjrzerna) said : 		#7

im using a laptop, and i have almost 50 gb pf used space. i dont have nyways of backing it up and dont have enough money to buy a hard disk to back it up. if i install ubuntu on my notebook, am i gonna loose all my files? are there other ways to back it up?

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james truax (procon2) said : 		#8

I would go against the dual boot worth Windows major security leak you should use virtualbox for other oses