Every operating system isn't perfect. Ubuntu is no exception. Although this is a simple and easy-to-learn Linux distribution, it still has its drawbacks. So, for example, by default it lacks most of the popular media codecs, and some other popular software. While this is not critical, a new user may nevertheless experience difficulties at first due to this.
But in the Linux world there is such a rule: if something does not suit you, you can change it, or make your own. Clement lefebvre took advantage of it. As a result, Linux Mint was born. Today this distribution is one of the most popular and according to some sources, it is even more popular than its parent - Ubuntu. And therefore, many are wondering how to install Linux Mint on a computer. Let's take a look at this process.
Downloading the distribution
In this guide, we will walk you through the process of installing Linux Mint 18 Sarah alongside Windows 10. We will use the 64 bit version with the Cinnamon desktop environment
There is nothing difficult in installing Linux Mint on a computer, even for a beginner. But we will nevertheless consider this issue and, as an example, install Linux Mint on a laptop on which Windows 10 is already installed. A distinctive feature of this case is the presence of UEFI and there are some nuances, but this instruction can be used in all cases and advise your friends ...
We will be installing from a USB flash drive, so in the BIOS you will need to set the boot from it. The volume of the flash drive must be at least 2 GB. You are already from our site and the image is stored on your computer. We also need the Rufus program, which can be downloaded from the official website or via the link. If you are installing the system on a computer without UEFI, then you can use the UNetbootin program, which has versions for both Linux and windows. Launch Rufus and the following window will open in front of you:
We need to set the partition scheme "GPT for computers with UEFI", and select the file system FAT32. Next, click on the iso-image and specify the location of the image with Linux Mint 17. Press start and wait for the end of the flash drive recording. Now we go into the biost and find the boot parameters.
We need to enable Legacy Support and disable Secure Boot. This must be done, because if Secure Boot is left in the Enabled position, then the Linux bootloader will not be able to start Windows 10 and you can only boot in the Linux Mint environment. Grub won't overwrite the windows bootloader anyway, so don't worry about that.
Well, now we boot from the flash drive and see what structure our hard disk has at the moment. To do this, Linux has a Gparted program and here is a screenshot of my hard drive:
Here my c drive appears as / dev / sde4 and d drive as / dev / sde6. All other partitions are partitions that are necessary for Windows 10 to work, so we do not touch them. I have already allocated an area of 19.53 GB for installing Linux Mint, and you need to create it from free disk space d. Now let's return to our desktop and find the system installation shortcut on it.
Double-click on Install Linux Mint and get into the installation window. Select Russian from the list.
The installer will notify us about the availability of free disk space and the connected Internet
In order not to erase all data on the disk, select "another option"
Find our free hard disk space in the list
Click on the plus sign and set everything up as in the screenshot below. We allocate all the free space for the system partition /, since we will store all the data on the d windows disk, but if you want to store data in a Linux environment, then you will have to create not one partition /, but divide the free space into three components. The first partition will be / and it is better to allocate 20 GB for it, the second partition will be / home and in it you will store all the files, and 3 GB should be allocated for the swap partition. But to get acquainted with the system, one section is enough for you.
It remains to select the disk where the bootloader will be installed and click "install now"
Further installation steps are very simple. You will need to select your region, type of keyboard layout, come up with a username and password and wait for the system installation to complete. After rebooting, you will be able to boot in both Windows 10 and Linux Mint 17. We hope that our article will help you, but if you have any questions, then ask them on the forum.
Almost every user today has heard of the free Linux operating system. The open platform for development and the availability of the system made it very popular. But if you've never used it, installing it over Windows can be reckless. It is much more convenient to install any of the Linux versions with a second operating system on your device.
Reasons to install Linux next to Windows 10
Windows 10 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. It is successful and versatile. Few users will be able to completely stop using it in order to install Linux. In turn, Linux has a number of advantages over other operating systems:
- freedom and variety - there are many Linux assemblies and each of them is free. Downloading, installing, using and even modifying them is completely legal;
- low requirements - some Linux builds will work even on very old computers. The operating system takes up little space and consumes a little RAM, which means that more resources will remain for your programs;
- fewer viruses - virus programs for Linux, of course, exist, but the chance of stumbling upon them is much less than in the operating system from Microsoft. As a result, getting rid of them is easier;
- Free Software - There are a lot of free software on Linux for every taste. It can be both analogs of paid programs for Windows, and completely new software. Finding the program you need is very easy;
- good compatibility with other systems is extremely important. Linux installs easily and works with any operating system: both Windows and Mac.
The cons, however, are also obvious:
- relying on experienced users - installing Linux is not at all difficult, but some actions in the system itself require a lot of technical knowledge;
- problems with the support of programs and games of other operating systems - not all games or programs support Linux, and the method of launching through wine does not always work correctly.
When you install Linux as a second operating system, you will not lose anything, and if you like it, you can completely move to it.
Installing various Linux assemblies
Since Linux is open to user development, there are many different versions of this operating system.
- Linux Ubuntu is a common version of the operating system that is installed with various programs. Has both "light" options and full-fledged complexes for working with media; Ubuntu is one of the most widespread versions of Linux
- Kali Linux - a version of the system with a lot of emphasis on safe operation;
Kali Linux is known for increased security - Linux Mint - this operating system is based on the Ubuntu version and is a development of its ideas for the better;
Mint Linux is an improved version of Ubuntu - Kubuntu is the official fork of the regular Ubuntu release. Differs in a different graphical shell (KDE);
Kubuntu Linux - Ubuntu with a different graphical shell - Rosa Linux - Russian version of Linux with a number of its own developments;
Rosa Linux - Russian assembly with a number of innovations - Arch Linux is a very lightweight and streamlined build for advanced users.
Arch Linux - build for advanced users
Each user should choose an assembly to fit their needs before proceeding directly with the installation.
Preparation before installation
Before you start installing the version of Linux you have chosen, there are some preparatory steps to be taken with your hard drive. To begin with, you should save all the necessary files to the drive, since there is a risk of losing them during installation. Then you should partition the disk into partitions for the correct installation of the second operating system.
Partitioning a Partition Using the Disk Management System Program
You can also split the partition directly during the Linux installation. But if you do it ahead of time, you can avoid some unnecessary risks during installation.
Partitioning a Partition Using Linux Installer
Regardless of which version of Linux you are installing, you will need to partition your disk. If you did not do this before installation, then during installation it can also be done.
- To do this, when choosing the installation type, select the "Other option" item.
During installation, select the line "Another option" and click "Continue" - The required utility will be launched. Here you can see the partitions of your hard drive. For installation, it is better to divide a partition that is not a system partition.
Linux has its own utility for working with disks, with which you can also partition a volume. - Select a non-system partition and press the "Change" button.
Select a partition with enough free space and click "Change" - Please enter a different hard disk size. It is recommended to set a value greater than 20 thousand MB, so that there is enough space both for the system and for its normal operation. All "extra" space will be cut off and become an unallocated area. Of course, it is necessary that this space is not occupied by files.
In the "Change Partition" window you can see the total amount of free disk space - Confirm the resizing by clicking OK.
In the "Edit Section" box, enter the weight of the space you want to separate and click OK - A warning about the irreversibility of the process will appear. Accept the changes again and select the "Continue" button.
Review and Confirm Changes When Partitioning on Linux - The split will be complete and you will see the line "free space". Select it and click on the plus sign.
Select a new section and click on the plus to create a section - Fill out the section creation form. To install Linux, you will need to create a root partition, a swap partition, and a file storage partition. To create a root partition, specify a size of about 15 GB, set the partition type to "Boolean" and specify "/" in the "Mount point" line so that the partition is considered root.
Enter the required data to create the root partition and click OK - Create a swap partition in the same way, choosing the appropriate partition type. It is worth allocating space for it as much as you have RAM.
Enter the required information to create the swap partition and click OK - In the last section for storing files, allocate all the space that is left. Select "/ home" as the mount point.
Enter the required information to create a home partition and click OK
Partitioning is now complete, which means you can continue with the installation.
Install Linux Ubuntu alongside Windows 10
You can download the latest version of the Linux Ubuntu system from its official website. Then follow these steps:
- Write the system image to a USB flash drive. This can be done using any program convenient for you. For example, Rufus can help you. Download and run it.
- Select the recording device on the top line. This can be a recordable disc or flash drive.
Specify your drive in the Rufus program - Specify the partition scheme - "GPT for computers with UEFI".
Select GPT as partition schema - Then click on the image icon. In the explorer that opens, specify the path to your Linux image.
Click on the disk icon and select the Linux image you downloaded from the official site - Make sure the "Create bootable disk" checkbox is checked and click "Start".
- After the boot disk is created, restart your computer and go to the Boot Menu. Select the boot of your drive there.
Select your drive type in the Boot Menu - A start screen will appear to install Linux Ubuntu. Set the required language in the left pane and start the installation.
Select your system language and click "Install Ubuntu" - Since the partition has already been created, select "Install Ubuntu next to Windows 10".
From all installation types, select "Install Ubuntu next to Windows 10" - Then select a section. It will be fat32 if done correctly.
Select the fat32 partition which should have enough space - If there is no partition, but there is an unallocated area, create it. To do this, in the devices tab, select Create Partition Table. Set the partition type to GPT.
- In the next window, specify the size of the partition, select fat32 as the file system and enter EFI in the Label line.
Specify the weight of the section at your discretion - After selecting a partition, the installation will be fully automatic. To do this, simply select Ubuntu the next time the system boots.
After rebooting, select Ubuntu as your operating system - After installation, indicate your time zone on the map.
Set timezone in Ubuntu installation settings - Then select your language and keyboard layout.
Choose the default keyboard layout for Ubuntu - Come up with and enter your new account details and click "Continue".
Enter your new Ubuntu account credentials - The installation will perform the last steps and require a system reboot. Execute it.
Agree to restart your computer by clicking "Restart"
Video: Detailed Installation of Linux Ubuntu on a Computer with BIOS
Install Linux Mint next to Windows 10
To install Linux Mint, you need to do the following:
- Go to the official site of this build and select the version to download. It is worth choosing based on the required options and the capacity of the system.
Download the required version of Linux Mint from the official website - Select torrent as the download method, or download the client from one of the mirrors.
Download Linux Mint using any of the methods suggested on the site - Then write the Linux Mint image to your bootable media. This can be done using the Rufus program you are already familiar with.
Burn the Linux Mint image to your bootable media - After starting the installation, you will see a window with a countdown.
Wait for the timer to expire to begin installing Linux Mint - If you press any key, the advanced settings window will appear. It is not necessary to do this, but if you did, select the first item to start the installation. Or just wait until the time is up.
Select Start Linux Mint to login - After a short boot, you will see the desktop of the new operating system in front of you. But the installation is not complete yet. Find the Install Linux Mint file on your desktop and double-click to open it.
Run the Install Linux Mint file on your desktop - Language settings will open. Select the required language and proceed with the installation.
Choose your language for Linux Mint system - Check the next box to automatically install the software.
Check the box for installing additional programs and click "Continue" - Then select the type of installation. If you have partitioned the disk and separated the installation area beforehand, select "Install Linux Mint next to Windows 10".
To install Linux Mint along with Windows 10, select the appropriate item - After selecting the installation section, the time zone selection will open. Enter your region.
Select your region for the correct time zone setting - Then select the languages for your keyboard layout.
Select the keyboard layout you want to use on the new system - Create and set your account name and password, if necessary.
Enter your Linux Mint login details and confirm - Wait for the installation progress to finish. Progress can be tracked using the bar at the bottom of the screen.
Wait for the end of the installation progress to access the system - Installation is complete and after restarting your computer, you can start using the operating system.
Restart your computer when prompted
Video: Install Linux Mint on a Different OS Computer
Install Kali Linux next to Windows 10
The Kali build installation is slightly different from the previous ones.
- Download the image from the official build site, choosing the version that suits you.
Select the Kali Linux version to download from the official website - Write the image to the bootable media using Rufus.
- After starting the boot program from the USB stick, you will see the installation options. Installing with graphics (Graphical install) will be the easiest, so we choose it.
Choose a graphical setup for a more intuitive process - A list of language configurations will appear. Select the required language and confirm your choice.
Specify the language for installing Kali Linux - If a window appears about the impossibility of correctly mounting the installation disk, just select the "Yes" item, having previously connected the drive to another connector.
If an error occurs, install the drive with the operating system in a different slot and click "Yes" - Enter the password you have created for the main account, and then repeat it in the line below.
Enter the password twice for Kali Linux, which will be used for changes in the system - Configure the time zone to correctly sync the time on your computer.
Select the appropriate time zone from the list - The disk layout window will open. Indicate that you want to manually select a section.
Indicate that you want to select the area manually - Pick the unallocated area ("Free space") that you created earlier.
Select the unallocated area: it is labeled as "Free space" - Then select "Automatically mark up free space".
Select the item "Automatically mark free space" - In the next menu, click on the item "All files in one section".
Select "All files in one section" - Select the disk you were working with, click Finish and write changes to disk.
Select a section and click "Finish Markup ..." - The computer will detect your Windows 10 operating system. Select Yes to select one of the operating systems when the computer boots, and continue with the installation.
Select "Yes" to continue installation when Windows 10 is detected - Specify the system drive manually in the next window and the installation will be completed.
Manually point to the system drive to install the operating system bootloader
Video: how to install Kali Linux on a computer
Installing Kubuntu alongside Windows 10
The installation process for Kubuntu Linux is similar to installing Ubuntu, which is not surprising at all. To install Kubuntu alongside your Windows follow these steps:
- Download the system from the official site and write it to the boot drive. Restart your computer, and by calling the Boot Menu by pressing F12 when the corresponding message appears, select the desired device to start installation.
Download the Kubuntu image from the official site - Press any key while the icon is flashing to open options.
When the keyboard icon appears, press any key - Select Start Kubuntu to start installing the OS.
Select Start Kubuntu to start installing the operating system - Wait for the graphical installation shell to load.
Wait for the Kubuntu graphical shell to finish loading - In the next window, select your system language and click "Start Kubuntu". You need to select this option so that the system is available for use during installation on a hard disk.
Select "Start Kubuntu" to access the operating system -
It may take a while to load the desktop without installing - Then start the installation by clicking on the shortcut of the installation program.
Select the Install Kubuntu file to start the installation - The installation window will open. Select Russian to continue.
Specify the language that you want to see during the installation and in the system itself - It will check your internet connection and free space for installation. After its completion, click "Continue".
After checking the Internet, click the "Continue" button - A window for selecting a section will open. If you want to install with a different operating system, select the Manual installation. Automatic partitioning can be used if the hard disk is completely free of files.
Since you need to keep Windows 10, select the "Manual" installation type - It is necessary to create four sections in turn. The process itself is the same as creating partitions in Ubuntu. Create sections:
- Once the partitions are created, confirm the changes and the installation will begin.
Accept the changes to continue with the Kubuntu installation - While the files are being copied to your hard drive, select your time zone settings.
Configure the time zone of the new operating system by selecting your region - In the next window, select the layout language.
Easy-to-understand keyboard layout helps you make sure you have the right language - In the last screen of settings, set the data from the account.
Enter the details for the new account and click "Continue" - After that, wait until the installation of the system is completed.
Wait until the Kubuntu installation process is complete - When the installation is complete, restart your computer.
Restart when prompting window appears
Installing Rosa Linux alongside Windows 10
As with other assemblies, to install Rosa Linux you need to download the required image and burn it to media.
- Go to the Boot Menu by pressing F12 after restarting your computer. Choose to boot your drive. A window will appear with various diagnostic actions. Select the Install ROSA Desktop Fresh R6 line.
Select Install ROSA Desktop to start installation - The language selection panel will open. Install the required one and proceed with the installation.
Select your language when installing the system - Review and accept the Rosa Linux License Agreement.
Accept the terms of the license agreement to proceed with the installation - Please specify your keyboard layout.
Also select the language for the keyboard layout - In the next window, specify a convenient way for you to switch between layouts.
Specify the desired way to switch the language layout - Specify the time zone to correctly determine the time.
Enter your time zone in the list of regions - To finish setting the time, select the type of time display.
Select the time display method on your system - In the partition selection, select "Use free space" if you want the system to create the necessary partitions in the unallocated area by itself.
Select "Use free space" when installing rosa linux - Wait for the installation to complete.
Wait for the installation to finish, the slides will change in the process - Select the partition as the boot device and set the boot delay if needed.
Specify the system drive for the operating system loader - Set a password for system changes.
Set any password you like, but remember it - Add a new user and enter his details.
Fill in the data for the account in the new operating system - Provide a name for your computer.
Set any name for your device - Check the boxes to mark the services that should start when the computer is turned on.
Configure automatic start of operating system services - After the message that the installation is complete, restart your computer.
After finishing the installation of the system, you need to restart your computer - Installation is complete - all that remains is to log in.
Log in with your account password
Video: Install Rosa Linux on a Windows Computer
Installing Arch Linux next to windows 10
Installing Arch Linux will be significantly more complex than installing others. If you are not an experienced user, it is recommended that you select a different assembly. Otherwise, follow these steps to prepare for system installation:
- Download the system image from the official site.
Download the Arch Linux build from the official site - Burn the image to disk. This can be done using special programs or Windows tools - through the context menu.
Burn Arch Linux to media in a way convenient for you - Connect the bootable media to your computer and restart your computer. During the reboot, go to the Boot Menu, the key for this will appear on the screen (usually F12).
Press F12 to enter Boot Menu - Set the boot priority to your storage device. So, if it is a bootable disk, set boot the floppy drive before loading the hard disk.
Place your drive first in startup order - After that, when you restart your computer, you will see a selection of actions. Click on Boot Arch Linux to start the installation.
Select Boot Arch Linux - It will check for network connectivity. Enter the command "ping -c 3 www.google.com".
Enter the command to test the network before installing - Then create system partitions from free space. Use the cgdisk / dev / sda command to run this utility.
Select free space and create partitions one by one for installation - Create a root partition to write system files. It is recommended that you allocate at least 20 GB of free space for it.
- From the space that is left, create a Home section. This is where your files will be stored. But it is worth leaving about 1 GB for EFI space.
- Allocate the rest of the space in EFI space. Then click "Burn" to start installing Windows into the created partitions.
- Then format each of the sections. To do this, use the following commands to format all three sections in sequence:
- Then bind partitions to directories using the following commands:
Directly installing Arch Linux will also require you to enter the commands:
- Enter the command pacstrap -i / mnt base base-devel. This will start installing the operating system. Wait for the end of this process.
Enter the command to start the installation and confirm the entry - Then enter genfstab -U -p / mnt >> / mnt / etc / fstab. This is necessary for the system to detect the partition.
Enter the command to detect partitions during installation - Enter arch-chroot / mnt / bin / bash to access the new OS.
Enter the last command to access the arch linux operating system - Set the currency format by entering nano /etc/locale.gen. Find the line with your country entry and remove the hash mark next to it. Then enter the locale-gen command and, after confirmation, the echo LANG = en_US.UTF-8> /etc/locale.conf command, where instead of en_US.UTF-8 there should be a line from which you removed the hash.
Using the above command, set the region for the currency - To accept the language setting, enter export LANG = en_US.UTF-8 also with the appropriate language instead of the specified one.
Also set the language zone using the special command - The next setting is to set the time zone. Enter ls / usr / share / zoneinfo / to display the available time zones, and then enter ln -s / usr / share / zoneinfo / Zone / Subzone / etc / localtime with your region instead of Subzone.
- To set the time to GMT, enter the command hwclock -systohc –-utc.
Enter the command to synchronize the operating system time to GMT - Enter the command echo myhostname> / etc / hostname, where myhostname is the name of your computer for the network.
- Set a password for use by the computer using the passwd command. It can be anything, but it is important to remember it.
Set the password using the passwd command - And then all that remains is to set the system bootloader. For a modern UEFI BIOS, this is done with the commands:
- With a normal BIOS, the commands will be different:
- pacman -S grub;
- grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
- Exit the installation with the exit command and then enter Reboot to restart the computer.
Complete the installation with the exit command and restart the system with the reboot command - After restarting, enter the password to login. Installation completed.
Log in to arch linux using your password
Installing Ubuntu on VirtualBox Windows 10
Before installing the Ubuntu operating system on VirtualBox, you need to do the following:
After that, open VirtualBox and follow these steps:
- Click on the icon that says New to open the New Virtual Machine Wizard.
Click on the New button of the VirtualBox panel - The name of the virtual machine can be anything, and in the Type field select Linux.
Enter any name for the virtual machine and click Next - In the next window, confirm the amount of memory for the virtual machine. Depending on the type of installation, the value will be set by itself. You can increase it as needed.
You can leave the default if it suits you. - Make sure the marker is set to create a new virtual machine and click on the Create button.
Select to create a new virtual machine and click the Create button - Select the Dynamically allocated virtual disk type and click Next.
Set the dynamic disk size of the virtual machine - Leave the default values in the disc location and size menu, or set the required size.
The virtual machine disk value can also be left at the default - Finally, click Create again to finish creating the virtual machine.
When all the settings for the virtual disk are specified, click Create - Click on the virtual machine that you created and go to its settings.
Select the virtual machine you created - In the Storage tab, add a new media by clicking on the blue plus icon under the media field.
Click the plus sign under the media overview - Specify your Ubuntu image that you downloaded earlier as the media.
Download the Ubuntu image to your virtual machine - Open this image with a double click so that it will be placed in the system.
After double clicking on the image, it should have loaded into the media menu - In the system settings section, make sure the CD / DVD drive is placed higher than the Hard Disk in the Boot Order section.
Specify CD / DVD as boot priority so that the image is mounted at system startup - Now go to start and configure your operating system. To do this, select a virtual machine and click on the Start button.
Click Start to start the virtual system - Wait for the system to boot up.
Wait for the system to finish loading at the first start - Select Install Ubuntu. You will be taken to the language settings window. Select your preferred language and click Continue.
Select the language for installing the system in the virtual machine - Check the box to download updates during system installation.
Check the box to download updates and click Continue - Since you are installing the operating system on a virtual machine, feel free to choose the Erase disk and install Ubuntu option, in which all other files on the disk will be erased.
Choose disk cleanup - since we are installing the system on a virtual machine, files will not be harmed 
Enter data for further login - Wait until the installation of the operating system on your virtual machine is complete.
Wait for the Ubuntu installation to finish on the virtual machine - Restart your computer after the installation is complete by clicking Restart Now.
Restart the virtual machine by clicking the Restart Now button - Enter your password and sign in. The installation of Ubuntu on the virtual machine is now complete.
Enter your password to login
Recovering Windows 10 Boot After Installing Ubuntu
If errors occur during system installation, Windows bootloader failure may occur. This will make it impossible to start Windows 10. Fortunately, this is not difficult to fix. You will need a Windows 10 installation disc, which you can prepare just like any other bootable drive. It is important that the Windows version is exactly the same as the one you have installed. Mount the image and then do the following:
It is a good decision to install a second Linux operating system, but it is important to choose the assembly based on your goals and technical knowledge. If you have certain skills, you can easily install any of the assemblies. Using Linux alongside Windows 10 will help you unleash the full potential of your computer.
Many people are faced with the need to have two operating systems in their arsenal at once: Windows and Linux, and decide to install both operating systems on their computer. However, installing Linux alongside Windows 10 can run into unexpected issues and conflicts. Let's see how to deal with them for versions of Ubuntu, Mint, Kali, Kubuntu, Rosa, Archlinux
Preparing for installation
Before installing Linux, you need to prepare to install it. Allocate a certain amount of unallocated space on the disk, prepare a bootable disk (or USB flash drive) for installation, check if some features are disabled in the BIOS. Before proceeding with the direct installation, let's figure out what needs to be done first.
Allocating disk space
The first thing that is required before installing any alternative operating system is to allocate disk space for it. By default, all disk space is used by Windows and is not suitable for installing another OS (especially Linux, which generally uses a different file system). So, unless you leave unallocated disk space for Linux, the system will not want to install.
This can be done both using Windows tools and through the Linux installer itself. Let's consider the first case for now, and return to the second at the moment of direct installation.
Before repartitioning the disk, you should create a system backup. This is done in the "Backup and Restore" item in the Windows Control Panel. All you need is disk space where the backup will be stored.
The item "System Backup and Restore" is located on the following path: "Start - Control Panel - System - Backup and Restore".
When the backup has been created, you can get down to business.
- We go to the disk management wizard. To do this, either right-click on "Computer" and select "Management" - "Disk Management", or find the appropriate section in the control panel.
- To free up space for Linux, right-click on the desired disk and select "Shrink Volume".
- The window that appears will display the amount of space available for compression in megabytes and a field where you can specify the size of the new unallocated space. We focus on our needs: Linux system partition - at least 20 GB (the system itself takes 7–20 GB, and you need more space for programs), best of all - 30–40; paging file section - half the amount of RAM in the computer (say, if you have 4 GB of RAM, then the paging partition will take 2 GB); a custom section where your files will be stored - based on your needs. Remember that 1 GB = 1024 MB. When calculating the vacated space, we proceed from this formula.
- After we click on the "Compress" button, the required number of unallocated gigabytes will "split off" from the disk. Everything. Further manipulations with disk space are best done in the Linux installer. Close the wizard and move on to the next step.
Now you can proceed to create a bootable disk or flash drive.
Preparing the media
Traditionally, a CD is used to install an operating system, but recently it has been often replaced with an installation flash drive (which is not surprising: a flash drive is much more convenient for further use). We'll look at both options.
The first thing to do is download the OS installation image. Linux is a free system, and most of its distributions can be found in the public domain on the official website, for example, Ubuntu or Linux Mint (the most popular systems among newbies).
In the case of a disk, we just need to insert it into the drive and, when it is displayed in Windows, double-click on the disk icon to open the window for writing data to disk. Also, the "Burn disc" option may be present in the autorun of an empty disc. However, if you don't trust the standard Windows tools, you can use third-party programs such as Nero or UltraISO.
In the case of a USB flash drive, everything is somewhat more complicated. The preparation of the installation flash drive is carried out exclusively using third-party programs. But in general, there is nothing complicated either. Let's consider the recording using the UltraISO program as an example.
- First, open ("File" - "Open") the system image that we need.
- Now go to the "Boot" tab and select the "Burn hard disk image" item. In the window that opens, select our USB flash drive. The flash drive must be pre-formatted, otherwise nothing will work.
- Select the USB-HDD + recording method and click "Burn".
- After the recording is over, the USB flash drive can be used as an installation one.
Video: burning an image to a disk or USB flash drive
How to install Linux alongside Windows 10 (Ubuntu, Mint and other distributions)
Now that the space is allocated, and the image is written to the USB flash drive, you can proceed to the direct installation.
The installation process for different versions of Linux looks different, but in general, the principles for a clean installation (without using encryption and other bells and whistles) "simple" (not requiring kernel compilation and other manipulations) distributions are similar. Especially in places related to installation next to Windows.
The pitfalls of this stage are largely associated with the BIOS, in particular, with its new incarnation - UEFI, which often comes into conflict with classic (Legacy) devices. Most often, UEFI is installed on new computers and laptops with Windows 8 or Windows 10 preinstalled. Before starting work, you should make sure that the Secure Boot option is disabled in the BIOS. In some cases, this may not be necessary, but it is better to play it safe.
- First, we boot from a flash drive or disk. To do this, you can use the BIOS or the menu of special boot options (while holding down Shift, press "Start" - "Shutdown", the "Special boot options" item will appear in the completion menu), where you need to select the "Use device" item.
- In the list of devices that appear, select the desired flash drive or disk. If it is not there - pay attention to the line "View other devices".
- The computer will now reboot from the specified drive. A live version of the Linux system will open. You can "run" over it, see how it works, but the thing we need most is the "Install" button. We press it.
- Depending on the distribution (Ubuntu, Mint, Kali, Kubuntu, etc.), the interface may differ, but in general the general principles are similar. Let's look at the installation using Ubuntu as the most popular Linux system as an example.
- At the very beginning of the installation, everything is simple: select the language, time zone and layout that will be used in the system. There is nothing complicated here. But then it gets more interesting: Linux will ask which installation option to choose. It is best to choose a manual one: this way you can be sure that the automation will not go wrong anywhere, and you will practice yourself. But, if you do not want to bother, you can choose the first option - "Install next to Windows".
- The most interesting point is the partitioning of the disk: here you need to mark up the three partitions that are used by default in Linux. We proceed to this step only if we chose manual layout in the previous step. The root partition (the one where the system is installed) corresponds to the mount point /, the user - to the point / home, you do not need to specify anything for the swap partition. The filesystem used by Ubuntu is called ext4 (some other distributions may need a different one, like xfs for archlinux). We select it for the root and home sections. For the swap partition, use the swap item. We choose the sizes as indicated above.
The root and home partitions use the / and / home mount points and the ext4 filesystem, and the swap partition uses a swap system without mount points
- If you have UEFI, then some manuals recommend specifying the efi partition for the bootloader (which is used by default in Windows to boot from UEFI). It is not difficult to find it during partitioning: this partition will take up little space and use the fat32 file system or the efi type. Otherwise, you may subsequently run into problems while booting the system. However, a significant part of users recommends installing the bootloader directly on the media and does not encounter these problems.
- On some versions of Linux, the boot loader installation is in the Advanced tab in this or one of the following steps.
- The simplest thing remains: specify a username, password, login settings (with or without a password) and a computer name. The system may offer you to import users from Windows, but it does not do it in the best way, so you should not agree. After everything is specified, Linux will check if you want to apply exactly this configuration and will begin the installation. After starting the installation, you will no longer be able to change its parameters.
- Now all that remains is to wait for the OS to install. Some Linux versions show the user short manuals during installation during installation, so if you are not sure of yourself, you can read them while the system is installed on your computer.
In general, there is nothing difficult to install. There are also alternative methods, but they are more difficult to implement and require a lot of technical knowledge.
In the case of a virtual machine, the installation principle is the same, but compatibility problems with Windows practically disappear: the virtual system is isolated, it does not need to compete with the Windows bootloader. To install an OS on a virtual machine, you do not need an installation flash drive or a disk: only a system image and any software for virtual systems (for example, Oracle VirtualBox or VMware Workstation). For the virtual machine to work, be sure to check that virtualization is enabled in the BIOS. Otherwise, it will be impossible to work with the virtual OS.
Video: Install Linux with Windows 10 UEFI
How to return to Windows 10 at boot
Many users find it difficult to configure the bootloader: how to make it so that they can choose the system? The answer is simple: set the system boot priority in the BIOS. The Linux bootloader should be enabled by default. Why is that? The built-in Linux bootloader called Grub recognizes the Windows system and can redirect the boot to it, but it doesn't work the other way around.
If everything went well, the next time you boot your computer, the Grub bootloader menu will appear, where you can choose which system to boot: both Linux and Windows.
So, there is nothing particularly difficult about installing Linux next to Windows 10. The main thing is to be attentive and careful: even the slightest mistakes will not result in problems. Install systems properly and don't forget about backups.
This tutorial will guide you through the installation. Ubuntu 16.10 and Ubuntu 16.04 in multiboot with Microsoft operating system on machines that come pre-installed Windows 10 .
For a fresh install of Ubuntu 16.04 / 16.10, read our Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop Installation Guide and
This manual assumes that the machine comes pre-installed. Windows 10 or an older version of Microsoft Windows such as Windows 8.1 or 8 .
In case your equipment uses UEFI then you must change EFI settings and disable the function secure boot.
If your computer does not have another operating system installed, and you only plan to use the Windows variant, along with Ubuntu 16.04 / 16.10, you must first install Microsoft Windows and then proceed with the installation.
In this particular case, according to the steps of installing Windows, when formatting the hard disk, you must allocate at least 20 GB of free disk space in order to use it in the future as a partition for installing Ubuntu.
Requirements
Download ISO image Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 16.10 according to the architecture of the system using the following link:
Step 1: Prepare Windows for a Dual Boot Machine
1. The first thing you need to take care of is creating free space on your computer's hard drive in case the system will be installed on a single partition.
Log into your Windows machine using an administrator account and right click on start menu-> Command line(Admin) to enter Windows Command Prompt.
2. Open the utility Disk management... From here, right click on the C: section and select Shrink volume to resize the partition.
C: \ Windows \ system32 \> diskmgmt.msc
3. To reduce space in C: enter a value to decrease in MB (using at least 20,000 MB depending on the size of the partition C:) and press the key Shrink to start resizing the partition as shown below.
After the space has been changed, you will see the new unallocated space on your hard drive. Leave it as default and restart your computer to proceed with the Ubuntu 16.04 installation.
Step 2: Install Ubuntu 16.04 with Windows OS
4. Now it's time to install Ubuntu 16.04... Follow the link at the beginning of the article and download the image ISOUbuntu Desktop 16.04.
Burn the image to DVD or create a bootable USB stick using a utility such as Universal USB Installer(BIOS compatible) or Rufus(UEFI compliant).
Place the USB stick or DVD in the drive, reboot the machine and point to BIOS / UEFI to boot from DVD / USB by pressing a dedicated function key (usually F12 , F10 or F2 depending on supplier specifications).
After that, the media downloader will show a new loading screen on your monitor. Select from the menu Install Ubuntu and press the key Enter, to continue.
5. After the bootable media has finished loading into RAM, you will be fully operational with a functional Ubuntu system.
Click on the second icon from the top, install Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, the installation utility starts. Select the language you want to install and click Continue.
7. Now it's time to choose the type of installation. You can install Ubuntu together with Windows Boot Manager, an option that will automatically take care of all the steps of the sections.
Use this option if you do not need a personalized partition layout. In case you want a custom section layout, check something else option and click on Continue button to move on.
Option Erase disk and installing Ubuntu should be avoided on multiboot because it is potentially dangerous and will wipe your disk.
8. In this step, we will create our custom section layout for Ubuntu 16.04... This guide recommends creating two partitions, one for root and one for home, and there is no partition for swap (use a swap partition only if you have limited RAM resources or are using a fast SSD).
To create the first partition, the root partition, select free space (free space from Windows created earlier) and click on the + icon below. In the settings section use the following configuration and click the button OK to apply the changes:
- Size = at least 20000 MB
- New partition type = Primary
- Space for a new section = Beginning
- EXT4
- Mount point = /
Create a home partition using the same steps as above. Use all available free space for the size of your home partition. The section parameters should look like this:
- Size = all other free space
- New partition type = Primary
- Space for a new section = Beginning
- Use As = File System Journaling EXT4
- Mount point = / home
9. When finished, press the button Install now to apply the changes to disk and begin the installation process.
A popup should appear to inform you of the space swap... Ignore the warning by pressing the button Continue.
The next new popup will ask you if you agree with committing the changes to disk. Click on Continue to write the changes to disk and the installation process will start.
10. On the next screen, configure your installation for the city next to it on the map. Next press Continue.
11. Then choose a layout keyboards and press the button Continue.
12. Enter the username and password for the administrative account SUDO, enter a descriptive name for your computer and click Continue to complete the installation.
These are all the settings you need to customize the installation Ubuntu 16.04... From now on, the installation process will start automatically until it reaches the end.
13. After the installation process reaches the end, click on the button restart now to complete the installation.
The machine will be rebooted into the menu Grub where, within ten seconds, you will be presented with a choice of which OS you want to use at the moment: Ubuntu 16.04 or Microsoft Windows .
Ubuntu will be designated as the default OS to boot. So just press the key Enter or wait 10 timeout seconds.
14. Once Ubuntu finishes downloading, log in with the credentials created during the installation process and enjoy. Ubuntu 16.04 provides file system support NTFS automatically so that you can access files from Windows partitions simply by clicking on Windows.
