[Discuss] linux install on windows 8.1 laptop

[tmetro+blu at gmail.com (Tom Metro)]

Laura Conrad wrote:
> Does anyone run linux...as a guest in a Windows 8.1 VPN?

I'm confused. Either "VPN" was a typo, or I'm unfamiliar with what it
means in the context you are referring to. It sounds like you are
talking about virtualization.

If so, does that mean you are looking for a guide on how to install
Ubuntu to run inside a virtualization system like VirtualBox? (In a
nutshell, you install VirtualBox, create a VM, selecting the Ubuntu or
Linux option, configure it to add your SD card as the storage, select
the physical DVD or .ISO file for the Ubuntu installer as your boot
device, and run the Ubuntu installer as usual.)


> ...I'm wondering if instead of the dual boot I've always used before...
> It looks like the machine won't boot from the SD card reader...

It sounds like your first approach was to install Ubuntu onto an SD
card, and use that to dual-boot the machine, but your BIOS refused to
boot from it.

I gather you're using an SD card because you don't want to repartition
the drive that holds Windows? Is a USB Flash drive an option for you?

Did you accomplish this setup using Ubuntu's installer running on the
Windows 8.1 machine? I think if you use the installer, it'll put a boot
loader onto the Windows 8.1 disk, which will prompt you to select the
boot OS. That boot loader might be able to hand-off to your SD card, and
let you avoid buying additional hardware. (I've rarely done dual-boot
setups, and am not up on the current details, such as complications
resulting from UEFI.)

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
The Perl Shop, Newton, MA, USA
"Predictable On-demand Perl Consulting."
http://www.theperlshop.com/