Install Ubuntu from HarkDisk

UNetbootin - The Universal Netboot Installer

Introduction

UNetbootin allows for the installation of various Linux/BSD distributions to a partition or USB drive, so it's no different from a standard install, only it doesn't need a CD. It can create a dual-boot install, or replace the existing OS entirely.

Requirements

• Microsoft Windows 2000-Vista, or Linux, or a USB Drive.
• A broadband internet connection to download the distribution packages (unless installing from pre-downloaded media, see below)
• Spare hard drive space to install the OS in (varies depending on distribution)

Features

UNetbootin can install to your local hard disk or make a bootable liveUSB drive. It can also load floppy/hard disk images, or kernel/initrds, or (some) ISO (CD image) files, for installing other distributions.


The current version has built-in support for the following distributions:

• Ubuntu (and official derivatives)
  • 6.06 LTS
  • 6.10
  • 7.04
  • 7.10
  • 8.04 LTS
• Fedora
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • Rawhide
• openSUSE
  • 10.2
  • 10.3
  • Factory
• ArchLinux
  • 2007.08
• Damn Small Linux
  • 4.4
• Puppy Linux
  • 4.00
• FreeBSD
  • 6.3
  • 7.0
• NetBSD
  • 4.0

• PCLinuxOS
  • 2007
  • 2008
• Linux Mint
  • 3.1
  • 4.0
  • 5-r1
• Debian
  • Stable/Etch
  • Testing/Lenny
  • Unstable/Sid
• CentOS
  • 4
  • 5
• Frugalware Linux
  • Stable
  • Testing
  • Current
• Mandriva
  • 2007.1
  • 2008.0
  • 2008.1
• Parted Magic
  • 2.1
  • 2.2

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UNetbootin can also be used to load various system utilities, including:

• Parted Magic, a partition manager that can resize, repair, backup, and restore partitions.
• Super Grub Disk, a boot utility that can restore and repair overwritten and misconfigured GRUB installs or directly boot various operating systems
• Gujin, a graphical bootloader that can also be used to boot various operating systems and media.
• Smart Boot Manager (SBM), which can boot off CD-ROM and floppy drives on computers with a faulty BIOS.
• FreeDOS, which can run BIOS flash and other legacy DOS utilities.

Installation & Screenshots

Before installing, remember to back up all your data, in case you do something wrong in the partitioning stage of the installer.

1. If using Windows, run the file, select a distribution, floppy/hard disk image, or kernel/initrd to load, select a target drive (HDD/USB), then reboot once done.
   
   
   
   
2. If using Linux, make the file executable (using either the command chmod +x ./unetbootin-linux, or going to Properties->Permissions and checking "Execute"), then start the application, you will be prompted for your password to grant the application administrative rights, then the main dialog will appear, where you select a distribution and install target (Hard Disk or USB Drive), then reboot when prompted.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. After rebooting, select the UNetbootin entry from the menu list as the system boots up.
   
   
4. Then, follow the installation instructions provided for specific distributions further below, and wait as the packages are downloaded and installed. This portion of the installation can take up to several hours, depending on your connection speed and the amount of packages you install, so be patient.
5. Reboot, and select your newly installed GNU/Linux system to run.

Removal Instructions

If using Windows, UNetbootin should prompt you to remove it the next time you boot into Windows. Alternatively, you can remove it via Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.

If using Linux, re-run the UNetbootin executable (with root priveledges), and press OK when prompted to uninstall.

Removal is only required if you used the "Hard Drive" installation mode; to remove the bootloader from a USB drive, back up its contents and reformat it.

Uninstalling UNetbootin simply removes the UNetbootin entry from your boot menu; if you installed an operating system to a partition using UNetbootin, removing UNetbootin will not remove the OS.

To manually remove a Linux installation, you will have to restore the Windows bootloader using "fixmbr" from a recovery CD, and use Parted Magic to delete the Linux partition and expand the Windows partition.

Installing Other Distributions Using UNetbootin

Download and run UNetbootin, then supply it with the appropriate floppy/hard disk image, ISO (CD image) file, or kernel and initrd files when prompted (see screenshot). Check your distribution's FTP mirrors to find these files. If special booting options and parameters are required for the kernel, and you're using Manual mode, check the distribution's boot configuration files (usually after the "kernel" line in either isolinux.cfg, syslinux.cfg, menu.lst, or grub.conf) and supply them on the "Option" line.