I want this ubuntu set up on my pc!
 

I've trialed Ubuntu 12.04 on my laptop now for a week, and I love it. I love it so much, I want it on my main computer. However, I don't want to start ALL OVER AGAIN with installation, settings and preferences inc files. Is there any way I can image the whole OS and ensure it's efficiency for running on my PC successfully?

You need something like clonezilla
http://www.clonezilla.org/

Youtube has tutorials on using clonezilla

Another method is this:

Install Ubuntu to your desktop, then copy your home directory from your laptop, including the hidden configuration files (they are ones whose names start with a period, such as .opera) over to your home directory on your desktop. They will bring your individualized settings along with them. (Actually, you really only need the hidden files which you have not left at default, but it would likely be easier to grab all of them.)

If they include settings for software you have not installed to the desktop, the settings will be there waiting from when you do install that software. For example, I recently installed claws-mail to one of my laptops after about six months of using something else. It found the old ~/.claws-mail directory and mail store and was ready to go with all settings in tact.

If you have configured something in your /etc directory, such as your /etc/samba/smb.conf file or an rc.firewall script, you can grab them individually.

So if I ran..

That will include all the hidden directories and files in the clipboard too? Or is there an option I have to include to copy hidden files & directories?

See this thread for a nice discussion of this question: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...nother-387107/

If I recall correctly, cp * will not capture hidden files.

I would suggest this:

The "r" argument means "recursive" and will copy directories and their contents.

Or you could use your file manager and drag-and-drop.

Another suggestion without having to resort to multiple copy commands would be using tar (the below commands suing sudo).

Do not include the trailing slash or hidden (dot) files will be ignored.

Then you can extract your home directory on the other pc using