Installing Ubuntu and Windows XP (dual boot) in a VM

Software used

VMware Server 1.05 Get VMware Server
Windows XP Pro SP2 ISO image
Ubuntu 8.04 ISO image Get Ubuntu

You may use Operating System CD's or ISO image files of the Operating System CD's. When you configure the Virtual Machine's CD you can specify the physical CD drive of the host or browse to an ISO image of the CD on the host.

Step 1 - Make a new Virtual Machine

Run VMware Server

Make a new Virtual Machine
Choose Typical configuration
Select Microsoft Windows as Guest Operating System, and Windows XP Professional as the version
Select Bridged Networking for the connection
Set disk size to 20GB, don't allocate space now (remove check), don't split into 2GB files (no check)

Step 2 - Install Windows XP Pro SP2

Install Windows on VM

Edit Virtual Machine Settings
Click on CD-ROM on list of devices
Connect at power-on should be checked
Choose the physical drive or ISO image depending on your media type
Click OK to save new settings
Start the Virtual Machine
Default Windows install with one partition, quick format
Activate Windows
Shutdown Windows

Step 3 - Change CDs

Insert Ubuntu CD

Edit Virtual Machine Settings
Click on CD-ROM on list of devices
Connect at power-on should be checked
Choose the physical drive or ISO image depending on your media type
Click OK to save new settings

Step 3 - Change the VM boot sequence order

Read the next steps before doing them!

Start up the Virtual Machine
QUICKLY click inside the Virtual Machine (so it has focus)
QUICKLY press the F2 key (before OS starts to boot)
If you are too slow and the OS boots, shut down Windows and try again

Don't dawdle -- press F2 fast before this screen disapears to change BIOS settings

Change the boot sequence so the CD-ROM drive is checked before the hard drive for a bootable Operating System. It should looked like the screen shot above after you move the CD-ROM up.

Right arrow over to the Boot tab
Down arrow to the CD-ROM drive
Hit the + key to move the CD-ROM above the hard drive
Right arrow over to the Exit tab
Press f10 and exit saving changes

Step 4 - Install Ubuntu

Do default Ubuntu installation

Press Enter

Choose Install Ubuntu, press Enter

Click on Forward

Use Los Angeles for Pacific Time Zone, click on Forward

Click on Forward

Resize the Windows and Linux partitions

Split the drive evenly between Windows and Ubuntu
This can be done graphically by dragging the separator between partitions
After clicking Forward you will be prompted to confirm writing the partition changes. Click Continue to confirm.

Enter user information and password, click on Forward

Click on Forward

Click on Install to begin copying files

Get coffee

Ubuntu has finished copying all the files

Step 5 - Remove CD and startup Ubuntu

When Ubuntu prompts to remove the CD then right click on the little CD icon and select disconnect

Congratulations - Ubuntu is installed and ready to go

Dual-boot Configuration Summary

root@billnus:/boot/grub# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 10.7 GB, 10737418240 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1305 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9f299f29

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1         651     5229126    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2             652        1305     5253255    5  Extended
/dev/sda5             652        1270     4972086   83  Linux
/dev/sda6            1271        1305      281106   82  Linux swap / Solaris
root@billnus:/boot/grub#

root@billnus:/boot/grub# mount
/dev/sda5 on / type ext3 (rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
/sys on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
varrun on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=0755)
varlock on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=1777)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
devshm on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
lrm on /lib/modules/2.6.24-16-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw)
securityfs on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/rsimms/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=rsimms)
root@billnus:/boot/grub#

root@billnus:/boot/grub# cat menu.lst
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.
   .
   .
   .

< snipped >

   .
   .
   .   


## ## End Default Options ##

title           Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
root            (hd0,4)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=ba87a0c7-8129-41ac-abc6-ceedfeb7ce2f ro quiet splash
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic
quiet

title           Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root            (hd0,4)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=ba87a0c7-8129-41ac-abc6-ceedfeb7ce2f ro single
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title           Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root            (hd0,4)
kernel          /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title           Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title           Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root            (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader     +1

root@billnus:/boot/grub#

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