I have just installed my first dual boot XP and Ubuntu on my old desktop. The floppy drive is recognised on XP but not on Ubuntu - What do I need to do to use it under Ubuntu 8 ?

There should be no need to play around with your bios settings. Linux will install on a brand new hard drive as the sole operating system, or on an existing hard drive alongside Windows without any problem.

If you haven't already got a Linux distro, have a look at
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

Download whichever version of Ubuntu you prefer (LTS- the long term support version is recommended).

When the .iso file containing the operating system had downloaded, burn it onto a dvd, or install it on a usb drive.

Insert the dvd into the drive and restart or switch off/switch on the computer. The dvd will then kick in and offer you the choice of trying Ubuntu without installing, or a full install.

If you're using a new, empty hard drive just follow the on screen instructions and Ubuntu will install as the sole operating system.

If you already have Windows on your hard drive Ubuntu will give you the choice of either erasing Windows or installing Ubuntu alongside Windows. It's your choice.

Installing Ubuntu alongside Windows creates a dual boot hard drive. At start up you just choose which OS to use - Windows or Ubuntu. If creating this dual-boot system Ubuntu puts a (Linux) boot loader into the Windows OS so that Linux is recognised.

If you save the Ubuntu file to a usb drive you then have to change the bios settings so that your computer uses USB as the first boot device. Then restart your computer so that it boots in from your usb .. and Ubuntu will begin installing.

Whichever you use - dvd or usb - during the installation process Ubuntu will ask you how many GB of hard drive space it should use? You do not need to physically partition the hard drive. Linux will do it for you.

If it's a desktop PC you are using with Windows on the first hard drive and are fitting a second hard drive to install Linux on, or have installed Linux on the second hard drive .. and find that Linux doesn't appear at start up, it's because there's no Linux boot loader in Windows.

I quit using Windows many years ago.

Relax Sairam -- you don't have know all these answers.

First step, download Ubuntu and burn to a CD .

Second adjust your bios if necessary to change the boot preferences on your machine, so that it will try your CD/DVD device first before trying to boot from a hard disk.

Third, let the Ubuntu Live CD execute and bring up a desktop. On the desktop, there should be an icon to actually install Ubuntu. It will guide your through all the decisions that you need to make.

You may find it advantageous to have a "dual boot" configuration on your machine... i.e., having the choice of running some windows operating system, or ubuntu.

How to remove Ubuntu from a Vista dual-boot config

On my new PC I wanted (still want) to have toa go with Linux. I chose to experiment with Ubuntu. I downloaded thedesktop CD, burned it, freed up some disk space (inside Vista) andloaded up Ubuntu from the CD. After some experimenting I figured outhow to install Ubuntu in the empty disk space and it all worked fine(GRUB took over my booting (recognized Vista automatically!) and Ubuntuloaded up fine).

Then I tried to install my GPU drivers andeverything went wrong.. For some reason Ubuntu wouldn't boot anymore(failed to load X-Server or something). I was completely lost andwanted to remove Ubuntu.

This is where things start to get really messy!

Ifyou simply remove the Ubuntu partition, GRUB (Linux boot loader) willstill be on your PC (in control). It will trip out, as the Ubuntupartition will be removed.. Bad thing!

So you need to restore your Master Boot Record (MBR) for Vista (so that Vista will handle the booting, not GRUB).

Googleonly pointed me to sites that explained how to REMOVE VISTA, whichisn't what I wanted. Many sites talked about the 'fixmbr' command, butthis is really only available in Windows XP.

So how do you restore your MBR for Windows Vista?

1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2. Press a key when you are prompted.
3. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
7. Type Bootrec.exe /FixMbr, and then press ENTER.

That'sit. Now when you reboot your PC, Vista will load automatically... Youcan now safely boot using your Ubuntu desktop CD, to use the built inGnome Partition Manager to remove your Ubuntu partition!

Now that you have installed ubuntu which is linux did you make your pc able to do dual boot. It is possible you have overwriten some important files like master boot record while doing ubuntu installation. Most times blinking cursor means no hard drive or operating system. you can try poping in XP cd and try to do recovery if you have it. Also easiest would be if you could boot into safe mode and try to fix the issue by replacing missing or corrupt files.

I assume you're saying that the pc is not booting from the DVD/CD? If that's the case, you
need to go to the BIOS setup, where you need to change the device boot order. It's now
probably set to start running from the hard drive, reason why your DVD/CD is not booting.
To go to the BIOS setup, press the F2 or delete, or whatever key the first POST messages
instruct you to use to go into SETUP mode. Different BIOS manufacturers use different
keys, so you have to be quick and interrupt the boot process using the correct key. If you
fail to determine what key it is, reboot once again, until you see/read what key does the
job.
Next, once you're into the setup screens, look for one set of options called Boot Options
or Boot Order. Read the instructions to learn what keys to use to change the values.
Ensure that the first device accessed is the CD/DVD drive, then whatever else next, etc.
Once that's done, save your settings following the prompts, load your DVD/CD and reboot
again.
That should read the disc and start the installation.
Good luck!

I solved the problem now, so I hope it works for you. In the /etc/modules file, I added "floppy" top the list. I think the developers just removed the module loading for floppies because so few people need them now. This change should get the floppy module to load at boot. Note that you can also use the modprobe command to accomplish the same thing, but if you want it to load automatically upon booting, modify the /etc/modules file.

1st, install windows or if you have already its good .

Then, download Linux distribution that suits You better
Download It and burn into a CD or DVD with ISO file you can use Magic ISO or other manufacturer

then Go to BIOS setup and set 1st priority is the CD or DVD drive and save and exit

and install follow the instruction of linux.

also if you chose capacity of windows or linux is to little dont worry you can make install a partition magic and resize what you like....

PS:
pls rate me if my solution solve the issue and you need more further information. but if is invaluable solution rate me fixya.

It has the latest mouse driver (logitech setpoint 4.0). Before installing Ubuntu the setup worked w/ SUSE/XP using GRUB dual boot. After installing Ubuntu XP does not see the usb mouse. Even Logitech setpoint does not have the mouse setup/configuration option. It appears that at boot it does not recognize the mouse or disables it. The BIOS has the usb keyboard and mouse enabled. Currently, I have two mices one for xp and either mouse will work under Ubuntu.

seems your MBR is damage. but you can repair it if only you can boot in windows cd and entering in the recovery console.

To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, follow these steps:
1.    Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.

Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted.
2.    When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
3.    If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you must access from the Recovery Console.
4.    When you are prompted, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
5.    At the command prompt, type this commands one at a time.

FIXMBR  C:
FIXBOOT  C:
COPY [CDDRIVE]:\I386\NTLDR  C:\
COPY [CDDRIVE]:\I386\NTDETECT.COM  C:\
BOOTCFG  /rebuild


6.    To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

no warranty...you use on your own risk :)

possibly by first creating a new partition large enough for Linux OS, but does not solve your problem...try getting a VISTA startup disc from another pc (floppies if you have the drive) and startup from these.