Current rig:

Toshiba Satellite L455 laptop
Celeron 2.20 GHz
Windows 7, 64bit
3GB RAM

I downloaded the DVD release of Kubuntu 10.04, from Kubuntu.org.
The file is: Kubuntu-10.04-dvd-amd64.rar . I burned it to a DVD, as image, with ImgBurn application.

See any problems so far?

I want to dual-boot, leaving my Win7 in tact.

Eric?

I am confident that I can handle this with some patient instruction.
So what do I do next?

I've done this for friends with Ubuntu, but not KUbuntu . . . it should be about the same.

First, back up anything you can't live without on your existing Windows 7 system.

Next, boot from the CD to the "Live CD" feature. Open a console and run 'sudo gparted'.

Use gparted to resize the Windows partition, making enough room for your Linux installation. You don't have to define the partitions for your Linux system at this point, but you can if you want to.

Then, either start the installer from the Live CD, or reboot and use the CD to boot again to run the installer.

KUbuntu should automatically detect the existing Windows partition and set up your boot manager for you. You may be prompted about this during the installation process.

Free some space from windows for Kubuntu. Delete that from windows so that you see it as free space in Kubuntu installer. And then proceed with booting from Kubuntu dvd. Most of the instructions on installation are self explanatory. What you need to take care of is the disk partitioning. You need to use Manual partitioning method. Select free space and create swap partition. You can keep it what you want. But make sure do not exceed it more than twice your RAM. Then you can use the entire free space for "/" and proceed with installation. It should take about half an hour for it. Go get a coffee and if everything has gone well, by the time you enjoy your coffee, Kubuntu should be done. Reboot and enjoy linux.

Install grub on the MBR of the disk so that it takes care of windows and Kubuntu booting.

Hare Krishna!
All glories to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!

It is exactly the GRUB stuff that I screw up. The partitioning and formatting is fluent with me. The dual-boot, and GRUB work is not.

Linuxlover.chaitanya,

Please explain the Grub. What must I do?

GRUB should automatically be set up for you by the installer program.

Oh, I thought there was more to it.

So, I just:
1. pop in the DVD
2. run the install/partition/format as usual
3. do nothing else? grub is set? just restart and enjoy my dual-boot rig? thats it?

Hare Krishna Eric,

It should be set. But you should not ignore the step and still make sure that grub goes into MBR of the drive and not in some partition.
So the grub should go in /dev/sda and NOT in /dev/sda1 or some other partition. This, though, can be done but you will need to set it up manually or use other third party boot manager. So the best message would be use grub and install it in MBR.

Dandavat pranaams!

I have absolutely 100% no idea how to use grub.

is there any grub work BEFORE i run the install dvd?

do not assume i know ANYTHING! how do i start?

Even if you do not know anything, that should not matter. Just check where Kubuntu is installing grub. By default it should install it in MBR itself. So it should not bother you. Just keep your eyes and mind wide open while you install. This would minimize the human errors. Also read the screens. They explain most of things.

For the purpose of installing Linux, how do I resize the partition that the operable windowz is on, from within windowz, without causing any problems. Maybe I should ask this way:
Is it possible to resize the windowz partition while I am using windowz to do that?

I am just assuming that resizing the partition that I am currently using will cause problems, no?

Anybody???

Apparently both Windows7 and Vista both contain a "Disk Management" utility somewhere, which can resize the installation partition.

I have never used either of these OS's nor even seen one of them in front of me, so I have 100% no idea how to use this utility, nor where to find it, nor what its exact name is, so you're on you own there.

Hello Neal,

Welcome back, long time no seen and apparently I should address you with Bhakta Neal.

Have a look at this link (with screenshots) on how to resize a Windows7 (or Vista) partition.
http://www.killertechtips.com/2009/0...-in-windows-7/

For the sake of completeness, in your first post you state that you burned the rar file as image to a DVD. I assume you first extracted it and burned the 'extracted' iso image to DVD?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Peace and kind regards,

Eric

The resize process is automatically made by the Ubuntu installer (during the install you will only choose the new size): https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall - it normally works (I've never seen it brokes something in Windows install, but backup first! - and just defragment the windows disk after)