[Previous article of the Journey : The trigger and the goal]
I eventually decided myself to install Ubuntu, but the key point is: I want to keep my laptop with XP because I have installed the softwares that support my needs. I don’t want to play with partition resizing and all the likes to install Ubuntu, nor to start from zero with only an Ubuntu installation.
Wubi is then a great tool from me.
Downloaded from www.wubi-installer.org, I started the installation of Ubuntu 8.04 via Wubi directly from XP. Dead easy: 1 screen to define where to install Ubuntu, the size of the Ubuntu partition, a username and a password. Click on Install. The download of Ubuntu installation files starts. You can go away and relax. When downloaded, Ubuntu installs by itself without any user intervention. I did not recorded how long it took for the installation itself but I recall it wasn’t long at all.
My laptop now prompts with a boot menu: XP or Ubuntu, defaulting after 15 sec to XP. First boot on Ubuntu. Right after the boot menu, a nice boot screen appears: graphical, sober. This welcomes the user for more.
It leads with sound to a login screen asking for my username, then to a second screen asking my password. Being very used to Windows this is bizarre not having the username and the password on the same screen. But it provides the same usability as it would be if on the same screeen. Different road goes Rome.
Rapidly I arrive to the desktop of Ubuntu with a tadaa-like sound. Nice default theme, warm and welcoming colors.Curiosity guides me. There are 2 panels. I find bizarre having the menu on the top; yet again my Windows habbits are in conflict with what I see. But hey I’m here to break through barriers!
I go over what is installed by default… OpenOffice, Firefox, Pidgin, Movie Player, Brasero to burn CD/DVDs, a bunch of Accessories, some small games and a couple of others apps. some default graphical tools. I’m not trying to be exhaustive, This is not my aim, but these were what catched my eyes.
I then configured the wireless on my laptop. It could have been smoother but eventually I got connected to the Internet.
All of this is subjective of course but still important. First impression is very important. Just like with meeting someone. first sight and handshake are key and drive a lot later.
First handshake with Ubuntu is a success. I want more.
[Next article of the Journey: A Journey With Ubuntu : Hardware challenge]