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Why don't you dual boot using wubi instead of giving ubuntu partion(s) of its own? You wanna get rid of it? Go to your application list in the Windows Control Panel and uninstall it just like you wuold do with any other Windows application. It takes 15mins to install ubuntu and 5secs to uninstall it.
AFAIK only drawbacks for ubuntu are: no hibernation available, slower disk access (ubuntu FS is actually a windows file). Apart from these, you wouldn't tell it apart from a native clean installation.
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You can use a simple windows CD to boot and reinstall the MBR. No need for additional software.
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For what it's worth:
I loaded Ubuntu as the second partition on a Windows Box: No Problems.
I loaded Windows as second partition on an Ubuntu box: it destroyed grub and I had to restore it and other sundry entries to even see Ubuntu again.
Windows does not play nice with others - and entrusting your Ubuntu to the care of Windows (VM or otherwise) in my opinion, is risky business - and since it is your business at stake, is it a gamble you wish to take?
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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W∴ Balboos wrote: Windows does not play nice with others - and entrusting your Ubuntu to the care of Windows (VM or otherwise) in my opinion, is risky business
Troubles with dual-booting doesn't translate to problems with VMs, those are entirely different scenarios (and Windows works just fine with VMs).
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lewax00 wrote: and Windows works just fine with VMs
At least for now.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Considering the contributions Microsoft has made to the Linux kernel in the interest of making it run smoothly as a VM on their platforms, I doubt it's changing anytime soon.
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Considering this has only happened within the last couple of years... it may change very soon. Depending on who's in charge at MS.
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At the very least I doubt MS would intentionally hinder VMs, because they have nothing to gain from doing so (and in fact would probably hurt them).
Then again, parts of Windows 8 seems like terrible ideas, so maybe I'm assuming they're more rational than they actually are 
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lewax00 wrote: At the very least I doubt MS would intentionally hinder VMs, because they have nothing to gain from doing so (and in fact would probably hurt them).
Agree...
lewax00 wrote: maybe I'm assuming they're more rational than they actually are
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Rational Microsoft?
...CRASH
A problem has been detected and your computer was shut down to prevent damage.
0x837AD3 0x723648 0x73ADDC 0xBADCODE 0xDEADCODE
All data in all open applications has been lost. Have a nice day!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
public class SysAdmin : Employee
{
public override void DoWork(IWorkItem workItem)
{
if (workItem.User.Type == UserType.NoLearn){
throw new NoIWillNotFixYourComputerException(new Luser(workItem.User));
}else{
base.DoWork(workItem);
}
}
}
modified 5-Jun-12 18:24pm.
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W∴ Balboos wrote: I loaded Windows as second partition on an Ubuntu box: it destroyed grub
That's a well-known Windows issue... they overwrite the MBR and pretend they're the only OS on the machine. Although, they may have resolved this since WinXP (maybe? ).
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What? Because Windows is badly behaved you are suggesting one gives it control? Do you have children?
Because Windows is badly behaved, it SHOULD be relegated to a VM where it can be safely contained, and not allowed to stomp on its neighbours.
I have run Windows (several version) in virtual machines for years. I currently use KVM and Qemu. One advantage is the ability now to tunnel into my Windows VMs using unix protocols such as ssh, or use VNC to access my Windows VM. I can even access my Windows applications in their own windows on my Linux Desktop - and create shortcuts to them on my desktop, or on the desktops of any Linux machine on the network.
I can run these VMs WITHOUT anti-virus, and (intentionally) disable their Web browsers (and other clients) from going outside the local network. This is another significant benefit. I can still test my Web server apps using IE and other on Windows - but without Internet access in the VM, I don't need anti virus.
That said, you should always install windows first in a multi-boot environment. You should usually install Linux root into a secondary partition (so you do not use up one of the (ONLY) 4 possible primary partitions, of which Windows needs one, and your PC probably ships with a recoevery partition (or two) that uses another.
I recently bought an HP machine that had all 4 primary partitions used, with only one OS (Windows 7) installed, (and only one partition visible to the user). I deleted a "system restore" partition, resized the main Windows partition, and divided the released 4th parition into multiple secondary partitions in order to install Linux Mint (with its own swap partition).
So - to give an overview of what has worked well for 15 years in various versions of Linux and Windows - Dual boot, Linux and Windows (Windows in a small partition), live in Linux. Windows in VMs using your favourtite Virtual Machine manager (I used to use VMWare, recently moved to KVM and Qemu).
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Maybe you should reread what I wrote:
Windows does not play well with others and my example of windows harming the other application (Ubuntu) clearly imply that I would not trust windows as the base FROM which to launch a VMs that is supposed to suport a non-Windows O/S - if one goes the VM route.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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My apologies - I read the line
"
Windows does not play nice with others - and entrusting your Ubuntu to the care of Windows (VM or otherwise) in my opinion, is risky business - and since it is your business at stake, is it a gamble you wish to take? "
as meaning the other way round to which you intended. It may be clear to you, but I can (now) see how it could read as either way.
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If I was going to do this, I'd have virtual-Windows inside of Linux. Windows needs to constantly reboot for updates, a stable Linux doesn't really have to do that (although Ubuntu does put out an ungodly number of updates sometimes).
With that said however, if it's business related, I'd go with Gary's suggestion of just dishing out the cash to have a separate box for Linux (or Windows). Virtual machines are good for some things but not all.
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I've been like that for near 3 years now, with Windows running from a VM. I personally rarely use windows these days. Microsoft lost me with Vista (what a dysmal failure that was). Windows 7 was quite good to be honest but by then I had moved on to better things (IMO  ).
I find this to be the perfect environment, but you do need something with a little oomph to it. I had to get an SSD drive and that really made a difference for my laptop. I'm going to be upgrading my laptop as soon as I'm properly settled in and see about getting an i5 with about 8GB of RAM.
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Hmm. I have heard all different opinions here, and I have several machines available that I could use. That seems like it may be the best option. Also, by safer all I meant was that viruses are less of a concern due to Windows being the target of most.
I will probably stick with Windows 7 on my desktop for normal operations and Ubuntu on my laptop or a VM. The server environment I'm developing is entirely self contained, and I have several remote cloud servers I can test it on, so the scariness of a VM for me isn't as big of a factor. At the same time, I just plane like Ubuntu. There isn't a perfect solution I don't think.
The bottom line is this for me: Ubuntu, although it should be (IMO), isn't as popular or mainstream as Windows, and is doesn't run everything Windows can. I find myself rebooting several times in a day due to different things (I have two projects currently, one using .Net/C++ and one for Linux).
Collin Biedenkapp
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BTW, have you tried WINE, DOSBox and DOS Emulator? Between the three, I find I can run a lot of Windows (and older DOS) programs. There is also a pay version like WINE, (dream something or other) that supports more Windows apps from what I understand.
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I have Windows as boot OS and Ubuntu on a VM. Never had a problem so far.
Veni, vidi, vici.
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I gave up Windows about 4 years ago at home, but at work I have one Windows box and one Ubuntu box. I share the keyboard and mouse with a kvm switch and each box has a dedicated monitor. I use synergy to allow the mouse and keyboard to be used across both monitors (and copy and paste between the 2 systems).
This has been an ideal setup, although you need to make the Windows computer the synergy "server" and the Ubuntu box the client (due to uac). In order to communicate securely over the network between your 2 systems, install cygwin on Windows and use the ssh server, and run autossh on Ubuntu to create an encrypted tunnel between the two.
On Windows, set up synergy server.
On Ubuntu box run:
autossh -fNL localhost:24800:<windows-host-name>:24800 <windows-host-name>
then:
synergyc -f localhost
It should connect to the windows synergs server right away, so switch the kvm to the Windows computer and your mouse and keyboard should work across both screens.
Scott
P.S.
I used to run Windows in VirtualBox under ubuntu, but you need to give it at least 4GB RAM to be able to reliably run Visual Studio 10.
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That's pretty cool. I will try that 
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Did you try Wubi from ubuntu? It's a windows installer for Ubuntu. Installing it actually installs ubuntu on your system on a seperate partition (yes you can definitely use that partition from windows as well) and it installs as an application only ( you won't find the difference whether you're installing an application or an OS).
At boot time you'll find two operating systems, Windows and Ubuntu, to choose from.
If in future you feel like removing Ubuntu just open your Windows and uninstall Wubi, it will remove each and every trace of Ubuntu from your system.
I have been using it since a long time and have never faced any issue. Find the installer here[^]
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So, what's with the dual boot/VM stuff? I also do corporate contract dev with Win7 and Ubuntu and actually need to test for backward compatability with WIN XP!!! The only thing that works for me is THREE workstations. Laptops are cheap, older (slower) ones really tell you where you loops are quickly. Just share the code on the same backup file server. Of course, primary dev desktop is dual monitor, quad processor, gobs of RAM and HD - replace wireless keyboard about every 6 months, cuz I pound the keys hard!!!
Why do you think pianists surround themselves with 3-4 or even 5 keyboards?
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I am not sure what could have annoyed you having Ubuntu and Win 8 side by side...
I have Win 8, Win 7 and Ubuntu. The bootloader is a pain as Win 8 has combined both wins in it.
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