a little task for someone...

[mattboyslim]

...who knows what theyre doing!

so ive been trying to use linux exclusively with the intention of installing it solely on my pc when i am finally comfortable with it. Things are going ok but i came across a new problem today and im not sure if its even possible to overcome it.

My son wanted to look at some new scalextric designs so i went to the scalextric site www.scalextric.com/design and downloaded the track designer. This was where the problem started...

The setup file was an .exe file so i managed to download wine (eventually) and things started going ok but then the track designer asked me to install DirectX which i know is a windows program and so wont work on linux, and this is where i have hit a wall!

I have actually rebooted in windows and run the designer with no probs but it is difficulties like this that are stopping me moving to linux completely.

Can anyone who knows what theyre doing have a go at installing and using the track designer to see if it is possible and let me know?

It would be HUGELY appreciated because i love how fast linux runs and would like to use it exclusively if possible

[oshunluvr]

There are a couple of possible solutions to your issue: You can try and run this program using WINE (a Windows software implementation layer - google it) or you can install Windows in a virtual machine (VirtualBox is easy to use and works well) and run your needed Windows programs that way. There are potential problems to both options: WINE doesn't work for every program, but simple ones usually work fine. VirtualBox installations of Win7-8 need some RAM to work well enough to be very usable and not all (heavy graphics stuff) program work well.

Ultimately, you're going to have to decide if the benefits of Linux outweigh those of Windows for you and yours, realizing you may not get to run every piece of Windows software you come across.

One final solution - and one often chosen by those in your situation - is to dual boot. There;s no reason you can't keep Windows on your machine for stuff like your son's games and scalextric program and boot to Linux for all the other stuff.

[MrSteve]

you can install directx from the windows CD/DVD from within the wine program
or you can download directx from here
http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/downl...ils.aspx?id=35

and run the .exe file for directx from within the wine programme ...

[mattboyslim]

Thanks for the reply mate, just out of curiosity if I dual boot. Is there a lighter version of Windows that I can use for these situations?

[Teunis]

Windows is Windows, Windows Light does not exist.
Although, I keep a gamers version of Windows XP in a virtual machine, in the USA totally not legal but it works and around our ways a court decided a Windows licence is just that.

But why would you want a light version, to save a little disk space?

[mattboyslim]

I was off the opinion that having windows and Linux on one system would slow the machine down... Is that not the case?

[Teunis]

Windows and Linux in a dual boot share the hardware but only one of the two can be running at a time.
That's why it's called dual boot, at boot you decide which one to run.
In such a system the two systems don't influence each other at all.

The other option to have Windows in a Virtual Machine does mean they can run at the same time and use the same hardware.
But a modern computer has a processor with several cores and several GB of memory (RAM) meaning there is enough for both.

[mattboyslim]

I see, that's solved that one then... I'll just set up my laptop with both systems. I have a 1tb hard drive so the 2 partitions should be sizeable enough

[Teunis]

Be aware the Windows installer is a jealous installer and unless you have used other software to prepare a separate partition it will wipe your whole disk!
Installing Windows after Linux will in any case wipe the Grub start up where you are normally selecting the OS you want to boot.
This can be repaired but does require some extra effort.

[mattboyslim]

I was thinking about taking it back to factory settings as it's gotten super slow and all my important info is saved on google drive. I could then install Linux too. Is there a guide you can recommend for doing this so I don't have too much trouble with jealous installers? Appreciate your time by the way

[Teunis]

The easiest way is to first install, or in your case re install Windows.

Then use Windows own partitioning tool to make free (also called shrink) as much of the disk as you can spare, Windows needs no more than ~100GB.
It is very good practice to first de fragment the C drive.
It might be this tool will refuse to go as small as you would like but that can be fixed in the next step(1).
The first time you start up Windows it will complain but also repair what it sees as a problem.

Now start up a live session of Kubuntu, it works best from a USB flash drive, and use the included partitioning tool to complete the partitioning of the disk, (1)this can include further shrinking of the Windows partition.
I think the graphical interface of this tool is pretty self-explanatory.
Your hard disk will be shown as hda* where * stands for the partition number.
On my laptop hda1 is the Windows SYSTEM_DRV (in ntfs format), hda2 is the Windows7 partition (again ntfs), hda3 is the Windows recovery partiton (again ntfs).
hda4 is like hda1, 2 & 3 a primary partition or logical drive but inside of it you can create extended partitions and that's where I have Linux, on hda5, 6 & 7.
(I also have hda8 & 9 where there is a second Linux install)

Next you use this tool to partition the free space, I suggest to make three partitions:
A root or / of at least 15GB (probably hda5).
A swap of maximum equal to your RAM, like 4 or 8 GB, this will allow you to use hibernation (probably hda6).
A /home where your personal settings and documents are stored, use the remainder (majority) of the disk (probably hda7).

The / and /home will be in the ext4 format, swap has it's own format.
Make sure you mark the hda drive as the place to store the Grub boot manager.

I suggest at this point you don't use the option to install updates or drivers, do it later once the system is up and running.
Keep a note of the partition numbers!

Next you can install Kubuntu from the icon on the desktop.
Make sure you select manual partitioning and assign the partitions you just made.

Be sure you don't format the Windows partitions!

Now reboot and you should be presented with a menu to select either Windows or Ubuntu.

[oshunluvr]

You should be able to leave the windows install alone and just resize (shrink) the partition it's on. Once you have the free space you need for linux, install there. Again: being linux you have options. You can likely use the Windows boot menu to boot or install grub (works fine here) or use another third party tool. I assume you have UEFI - Steve Riley recommends (and has written a detailed how-to) the rEFInd boot manager.

Basic steps are:
1. Shrink Windows and verify it boots OK. This includes de-fragging and re-booting it a couple times to be sure all is well.
2. Read all about installing dual-boot to a Windows machine on the net.
3. Pick a boot manager (Windows, grub, or rEFInd).
4. Install Linux - carefully and only to the empty drive space.
5. Update boot manager.
Done.

Search the forum and the 'net. There are dozens if not 100's how-to's with the steps fully written out for you. Any Ubuntu guide will work with Kubuntu too.

[mattboyslim]

Thanks for all the advice on this one... I sorted a dual boot with kubuntu 14.04 and win 8.1 over the weekend and it all seems to be running smoothly