Are there any installers that will simply fire up Linux when you click "install" ? (like one old wubi I recall))
 

Why is it such a convoluted affair, getting Linux aboard? I have iso files, boot managers, Livedisks, boot USBs, "installers"(ha!), and an ulcer from tracking sites that claim to show you how to get Linux up-and-running in 5 Easy Steps but don't tell you that your degree in CompSci will avail you naught in this quest. Thought I remembered a "wubi.exe" from years back that did it with one click.

Difficult to say, as long as the problem is not named.

THAT may be the problem. Eliminate most of these and do with the remainder. Keep trying and do not get frustrated because doing new things requires learning, which is a process, which takes time and which includes committing errors that finally allow judgment and to refine at last your decision-taking process.

I fear that nothing and nobody else can replace yourself in the center of this adventure.

Did something with one click. Why do you have to do it again, if had worked that simply. You should be running Linux by now.

Lastly. Every Live-DVD that I remember proposed an Icon. That is not an “Exe” but there, too, a click does it all. If it must be a click.

Merci, mon ami.... but.....
 

[QUOTE=Michael Uplawski;5598613]Difficult to say, as long as the problem is not named.
The problem is precisely as I outlined it, however briefly: I am having the devil of a time simply getting Linux on my machine, a Pentium D 3.0 dual with a paltry meg of RAM. ( PUPPY is up and dual-ing, but I have already suppressed the memories of what it took to accomplish that... just did it to brag to my WINBLOWS friends that I had an OS which loads into a half-gig of RAM. !8--] )
This is my 3rd return to Linux over the last 20 years, and I am determined to get it on my machine, but it seems even more convoluted and difficult than the last time, several years back.
>>> What I am looking for is an exe like "wubi.exe", circa 2001, that actually downloaded and installed Ubuntu when you double-clicked on it. Then it asked if you wanted to restart your computer now, and, when you did, you were greeted during boot-up with a choice of OS.... simple, easy, made me an avid Linux fanatic. <<<
Thank you for your reply, you are probably right-on with your observations but as you said I didn't go into much detail about the nature of the problem. I thought the title self-explanatory.

Why don't you pay someone to do it for you, like you do with windows?

If I wasn't LMAO right now I would be reporting you for being a smart-ass. You must be as old and jaded as I am to post such an affront to a poor helpless newbie like me. !:--D
But seriously....
No one who knows me would EVER accuse me of giving my hard-earned dollars to MicroSux... at least not since I discovered Linux, in the late '90s.
I get stuck with Winblows on my machines because the distributors, or previous owners, just didn't know any better. Sooner or later I get tired of it, even of XP, and return to Linux. The problem is that I have to download an iso, download a VDM to mount the iso, make a livedisk or USB, download a boot manager, download something to crank the sbm while it gets its coffee and tries to remember why it was written, and then sit staring at z:, with all that beautiful Linux code sitting in those folders and not a "RUN" button anywhere; it's there, but how to get it to run?
My second return to Linux, I believe it was, came about by way of a single short .exe called "wubi"; when you double-clicked on it, it downloaded and installed Ubuntu, bing zap, and upon reboot you were greeted with the "choose an OS" menu.
Is there no such animal any more?

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

That was actually close to my experience installing Lubuntu from DVD a few times. I would load Lubuntu live from the DVD (or install it directly from the menu,) click on the icon on the desktop to install the OS, go through the simple GUI installation questions, it would install and then ask me to reboot if I wanted to and then, if I had Windows already installed, a menu would come up asking me OS I wanted to boot from. :confused:

Can you share with us what happens in detail when you try to install Linux? Do you receive any error messages or just a black screen?

EDIT: Also, could you watch the language, please. Thanks! ;)

Regards...

I'm quite serious.
I don't do my own plumbing, because I don't have the knowledge or tools, and I can't be arsed acquiring either, so I pay someone who does.I call bollocks.You're doing it wrong - and 'wubi' was always a bad idea.

Thank you, Ardvark71, for your genteel, inoffensive response; i WAS watching my language, but I can do a little better, especially for someone who appears to be actually interested in helping ...
Here's an example of the sort of exercise in futility I'm grousing about; while I was reviewing descendant's posts, and finding assurance that he was not singling me out (apparently he's often-as-not off his meds on this board), I caved in and just did a websearch for "wubi.exe"..... found sites with several varieties available, and gave it a shot:

C:\ubuntu\install\ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso
08-31 05:40 ERROR TaskList: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404: Not Found
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\backends\common\tasklist.py", line 196, in __call__
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\backends\common\downloader.py", line 79, in download
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\urlgrabber\grabber.py", line 927, in urlgrab
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\urlgrabber\grabber.py", line 845, in _retry
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\urlgrabber\grabber.py", line 913, in retryfunc
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\urlgrabber\grabber.py", line 1001, in __init__
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\urlgrabber\grabber.py", line 1072, in _do_open
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\urlgrabber\grabber.py", line 1182, in _make_request
URLGrabError: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404: Not Found
08-31 05:40 DEBUG TaskList: # Cancelling tasklist
08-31 05:40 DEBUG TaskList: New task download
08-31 05:40 ERROR root: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404: Not Found
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\application.py", line 55, in run
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\application.py", line 129, in select_task
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\application.py", line 155, in run_installer
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\frontends\win32\frontend.py", line 137, in run_tasks
URLGrabError: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404: Not Found
08-31 05:40 DEBUG TaskList: New task download
08-31 05:40 DEBUG TaskList: New task download
08-31 05:40 DEBUG TaskList: New task download
08-31 05:40 ERROR TaskList: Could not retrieve the required installation files
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\backends\common\tasklist.py", line 196, in __call__
File "Z:\home\evan\bzr\wubi.trunk\build\wubi\files\lib\wubi\backends\common\backend.py", line 487, in get_iso
Exception: Could not retrieve the required installation files
08-31 05:40 DEBUG TaskList: # Cancelling tasklist
08-31 05:40 DEBUG TaskList: # Finished tasklist

Long story short, it doesn't work.
Wonder if that first line is the problem; I'm on a Pentium, not an AMD.
Thanx again, stay blessed.

Hi...

You're welcome, praise God for the qualities you see. Before I received Him, I could be extremely offensive and not care. ;)

This is the problem. Ubuntu 9.04 is no longer supported and is no longer available in the main repositories. That's why it wouldn't download.

When I asked about the error messages, I meant when you tried to install a distribution (not Puppy) from a DVD or thumb drive. WUBI, to my knowledge, is no longer supported.

You're welcome, may God bless you as well! :)

Regards...

Interesting.... this is the site I checked in with while waiting:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/wubi/
Last time I was on the net (several years ago), SourceForge was cutting-edge; guess the other sites listing wubi's for older versions Linux are an equal waste of time.
I'll try to load up lubuntu-16.04.1-desktop-i386.iso again, and post the error message(s) for your perusal.

Okay, got it loaded onto Z: ( virtual drive) via VCdControlTool.exe........... where's the start-button? [;--)

Although you can view the contents of the ISO file using the virtual drive you need to burn it to disc or flash drive and reboot the computer to actually install linux. XP does not have native way to burn ISO files as an image so you need iso recorder or similar application.
unetbootin is required to burn the image to a USB flash drive.

Once you boot the install media you can create a dual boot system but you will need to defrag your windows drive prior if you need to shrink it to create free space.

Yes, wubi was a way to install linux as a windows application but as stated it is no longer supported.

good point. heres a list of the most popular oem gnu/linux manufacturers:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ar-4175562741/

I've never had any real problems using an installer that comes with whatever Linux dist I've tried, whence you get past knowing how to partiton your hd its rather easy. THis gives you ore control over how you install your system.. it is made for you to have this control, unlike like WinBlows

Wubi is dead officially.

Maybe Windows 10 with Ubuntu on it?

And BW-userx is correct. If you learn partition{s,ing} you would never have an issue.
It's tough, but when the "oops" has hit the fan and there's "nothing left to lose",
you'll do the needful and maybe learn something.

http://askubuntu.com/questions/34326...g-installation
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Partition-...WTO/index.html

basically EVERY ( well most) distros have a bootable DVD install iso

burn it to a dvd
pop it in and reboot

then click " INSTALL"
simple

installing a linux OS is way EASIER than installing a windows OS
-- WAY EASIER