Wubi (Ubuntu)

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Wubi
Ubuntu logo
Screenshot of Wubi in Windows Vista
Wubi, installing Ubuntu 8.04
Developed by Agostino Russo, Geza Kovacs, Oliver Mattos, Ecology2007
Initial release April 24, 2008 (2008-04-24); 51 days ago
Latest release 8.04 (build 501) / April 24, 2008 (2008-04-24); 51 days ago
Written in NSIS script, C++
OS Windows
Size 1.1 MiB
Available in Over 50 Languages
Development status active development
Genre Ubuntu installer
License GPL
Website wubi.sourceforge.net
Free software Portal

Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) is an official Windows-based free software installer for Ubuntu, licensed under the GPL.[1]

Wubi was born as an independent project and as such versions 7.04 and 7.10 were unofficial releases.[2] Since 8.04 the code has been merged within Ubuntu and since 8.04 alpha 5, Wubi can also be found in the Ubuntu Live CD.[1]

The goal of the project is to assist a Windows user unacquainted with Linux in trying Ubuntu without risking any loss of information due to disk formatting or partitioning.[2] Wubi can also uninstall Ubuntu from within Windows.

It is not a virtual machine, but rather, it creates a stand-alone installation within a loopmounted device, also known as a disk image, like Topologilinux does. It is not a Linux distribution of its own, but rather an installer for Ubuntu.[1]

Users interested in directly installing to a dedicated partition, like a standard Ubuntu install does, without needing a CD should use UNetbootin instead.[3]

While Wubi does not install Ubuntu directly to its own partition (which the developers consider a feature) this can also be accomplished by using LVPM, the Loopmounted Virtual Partition Manager, to transfer the Wubi-generated Ubuntu installation to a dedicated real partition, including a bootable USB keydrive.[1] The advantage of this setup is that users can test the operating system and install the drivers before they install it to a dedicated partition (and avoid booting and functioning risks).

Wubi adds an entry to the Windows boot menu which allows you to run Linux. Ubuntu is installed within a file in the Windows file system (c:\ubuntu\disks\root.disk), as opposed to being installed within its own partition. This file is seen by Linux as a real hard disk. [1]

A related project, Lubi, uses Linux as the host system instead of Windows.[1] A version for the Mac OS as host, Mubi, "will eventually be supported."[1]

Contents

[edit] Desktops

Users can select the desktop environment within Wubi. But, because each desktop environment is also available as an application package, it is recommended that users install Ubuntu (default option) and from there install the other desktop environments. When users log in, they can choose the desktop environment to use.[1]

[edit] Limitations

  • Hibernation is not supported. [1]
  • Wubi filesystem is more vulnerable to hard reboots (unplugging the power) than a normal filesystem.[1]
  • Since Wubi installs Ubuntu on the same file partition as Windows, Ubuntu may see a slight degradation in performance over time due to FAT32/NTFS file fragmentation, which could be alleviated via defragging the disk.

[edit] Influences

It relies on other open source projects: Debian installer, Migration-Assistant, Grub4Dos, NTFS-3G, NSIS and Metalink.

[edit] Development

The lead developers are Agostino Russo, Geza Kovacs, Oliver Mattos and Ecology2007.[1] The main development occurs at Launchpad and is led by the Lupin Team (Lupin is the loop-installer, handles everything that happens after reboot) [4] through the original Ubuntu blueprint page [5] and the new Wubi[6], Lubi[7], Lupin[8], and LVPM[9] project pages.[1]

The functionality of Wubi was expected to be incorporated into the 7.10 (aka "Gutsy Gibbon") release of Ubuntu,[10][11], but was not finished on time.[12] The Gutsy Live CD contains a file "wubi-cdboot.exe" but this is only to facilitate booting from the CD to then do a normal Ubuntu install[13] (which usually requires partitioning). An alpha version of the 7.10 Wubi installer is available for separate download however[14]. It is said that the reason a version for 7.10 was never officially released is due to a bug during installation in one of the alpha build revisions but users have said that the newest revision (rev386) doesn't have the bug. Because the bug set back the development of 7.10, they are not releasing a beta of 7.10 and the work on 8.04 has already started.[15][16] Wubi 8.04 is available for testing and has been incorporated into Ubuntu 8.04 Alpha 5.[17]

[edit] Hardware support

Currently, only the i386 (32-bit x86) release of Ubuntu is officially supported by Wubi and Lubi, though the installer can be run on both 32-bit i386 and 64-bit amd64 host operating systems. The ability to install 64-bit Ubuntu has been added to the latest Alpha releases.[citation needed]

[edit] History

The original idea was drafted by Agostino Russo taking inspiration from Topologilinux, which provided a loopmounted installation, and Instlux, that provided a simple Windows frontend. The idea[18] was to merge the two concepts having a windows installer that would loopmount an image of Ubuntu. Geza Kovacs later refined the spec[19] and provided the first prototypes[20] to show that the concept was sound. Oliver Mattos wrote the original user interface in NSIS.

Agostino Russo then refined the loop-installation concept, moving from a simple loopmounted pre-made image file, to an image created on the fly using a dynamically patched version of the Debian installer, thus providing an experience which was closer to a real installation while addressing several other issues of the early prototypes. Lupin project was thus born and Agostino Russo wrote and implemented most of its code with some contributions from Geza Kovacs.

Later on Agostino Russo and Ecology2007 redesigned and rewrote the Windows front-end, which is what people see today. Hampus Wessman contributed the new downloader and the translation scripts. Bean123 and Tinybit also helped to debug and fix bootloader issues. Lubi and LVPM were subsequently created by Geza Kovacs.[1]

The project has inspired the creation of other Windows-based Linux installers, such as Win32-loader.

[edit] Similar projects

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wubi - FAQ. Wubi. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
  2. ^ a b Broida, Rick (2007-05-09). Take Ubuntu for a non-invasive test drive with Wubi. Lifehacker. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
  3. ^ Geza Kovacs (tuxcantfly) (2007-04-29). Install Ubuntu without a CD. Ubuntu. Retrieved on 2007-07-31.
  4. ^ The Lupin Team in Launchpad. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
  5. ^ Windows installer for ubuntu using loopmounted EXT3 filesystem on NTFS. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
  6. ^ Wubi, Windows Ubuntu Installer in Launchpad. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
  7. ^ Linux-based Ubuntu Installer in Launchpad. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
  8. ^ Lupin, the loop installer in Launchpad. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
  9. ^ Loopmounted Virtual Partition Manager in Launchpad. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
  10. ^ CD boot installer for Windows contribution
  11. ^ CD boot installer for Windows contribution
  12. ^ WubiGuide - Ubuntu Wiki
  13. ^ Ubuntu Forums - View Single Post - Announcement: Ubuntu Gutsy on Wubi (Alpha)!!!
  14. ^ Index of /devel/minefield
  15. ^ Ubuntu Forums - View Single Post - Where to get wubi 7.10?
  16. ^ Ubuntu Forums - View Single Post - Where to get wubi 7.10?
  17. ^ Get ready for Wubi 8.04!
  18. ^ Agostino Russo (ago). Ubuntu setup executable for windows users. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  19. ^ Geza Kovacs (tuxcantfly). Windows installer for ubuntu using loopmounted EXT3 filesystem on NTFS. Launchpad. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  20. ^ Geza Kovacs (tuxcantfly). Idea: Install via windows on loopmounted ntfs?. Ubuntuforums. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
  21. ^ Instlux - openSUSE

[edit] External links