How would Linux and Windows work together?

I have Windows XP right now so there is the welcome screen when I boot it up. If I also download Linux, how would that change or affect my laptop? Would there automatically be a welcome screen that lets me to select either windows or linux? And about about Linux ubuntu? Free? Safe? Good?

How would Linux and Windows work together?
To install ubuntu linux, you download the cd image from the site and burn it, or if you have a slow connection you can order the cd for free from shipit. when you install ubuntu, it will partition your drive and create what is known as a dual-boot system. then when you start up your computer there will be a text menu (known as the grub boot menu) asking which operating system you would like to use, if you dont answer within a certain time it loads the default. so yes you can select which one starts on your computer.


Ubuntu is free. I would say it is safer than xp because there are fewer viruses for it and nothing can install without your permission. The firewalls are harder to configure than windows firewall in my opinion. Overall it is a very good system to run. My favorite part is that it keeps all of your software up to date that you install from the repositories, Like in windows update when you download the patches for the operating system, only ubuntu does it for the os and all the programs, which is more secure.


Give it a try, and google for help if you need it.
Reply:Princess's comments are on the mark.





I have been dual-booting Windoze and Ubuntu for a couple of years now. I have installed it on several machines, and I find it to be very easy to install, safe, good, and very good at identifying hardware (I do have an intermittant problem with the soundcard on my new laptop though).





If you install Ubuntu or PCLinuxOS or Mint to your harddrive, you will get a grub startup menu when you turn on the machine, and it will default to Linux, unless you choose otherwise, or unless you go into a file (/boot/grub/menu.lst) and change the default.





I have not used Wubi. I did a quick search on it a while ago and it seems to be ok (not problem free, but neither is Ubuntu or any other distro). However, you will get better performance, and probably stability, by installing to the harddrive. Windoze is criticized for being unstable, so if you run Linux from within Windoze, you have that layer of risk there all the time.





If you decide to install, read up on the process first, pay attention, make sure you have your Windoze OS and software disks and serial numbers in hand BEFORE going any further, then backup your data before you start. I have never had a problem on an install - but for some people if anything can go wrong, it will.





Read, heed, and proceed.
Reply:Some Linux distributions will detect the Windows environment and install a boot loader, so that you can select which OS to run.
Reply:You can set the PC to dual-boot





Ubuntu or PClinuxOS would be my top 2 choices for Linux Distros.





When you download and install linux, grub will handle pre-loading of the o/s....





when you boot your computer you will have 30s to choose between linux or windows...then it will go to default








if you are a newbie to installing linux, you might want to try wubi..





http://wubi-installer.org/





it will install ubuntu linux from within windows, it doesnt require you to partition your drive at all, and sets up dual-boot automatically.
Reply:Normally you can't use both... until they created Wubi. Wubi Ubuntu Linux can be installed in Windows and chosen on booting up, visit www.wubi.org





Linux is safer from Viruses though is not entirely problem-free, it's better in my opinion too if I could get used to it after being on Windows so long.