Getting Ubuntu with MS Windows
In this section :-
Downloading Ubuntu
Checking the integrity of the download
Burning the ISO image onto CD
Downloading Ubuntu
Point
your browser to one of the official download pages, check which version
you want and a suitable download mirror site. See Introduction for informaion on the various versions.
The
normal download is an image to burn onto a CD and called a Live CD -
meaning that you can boot from the CD and run Ubuntu in memory without
touching any data on your hard drive. This means you can see if
you like it and also check if your system has any hardware issues with
Ubuntu - all without risking your Windows system or data.
However,
if you are intending to install Ubuntu on an old PC with 128MB or
less memory, you can get the Alternate CD image, which uses a text
based installer and needs fewer resources but without the Live CD - try
before installing - feature.
There is a checkbox further down the page for this labelled :-
Check here if you need the alternate desktop CD. This CD does not include the Live CD, instead it uses a text-based installer.
Both
the Normal and Alternate ISO files are just under 700MB so unless you
have a very fast broadband connection, expect a lengthy download time.
Checking the integrity of the download
It
is recommended that before burning the image to CD, you check that the
download was error free. There are programs that will go through
the whole file and produce a checksum (called md5sum). This
checksum may then be compared with the official file checksum available
via a secure site. This will not only detect download errors but
any tampering with the software. This is explained in some detail
in the official Ubuntu page HERE. However, I'll provide a simplified version here (note - this is copied from parts of the Ubuntu webpage).
Windows
does not come with an md5sum utility. You must download one from
another location, and preferably a location that you trust. There are
command line utilities that work similarly to the Unix
utility but migrants from MS Windows are more likely to prefer a graphical tool. Here's an example with instructions :-
1. Download and install winMD5Sum, a free and open source hash verification program for Microsoft Windows.
2. Locate the download and Right-click on the ISO file.
3. Click Send To, then winMD5Sum.
4. Wait for winMD5Sum to load and finish the checksum (this
may take a significant amount of time depending on your computer's
performance).
5. Copy the corresponding hash code from UbuntuHashes into the bottom text box.
6. Click Compare 
7. A message box will say "MD5 Check Sums are the same" if the hashes are equal.
Burning the ISO image onto CD
There
are several CD burning applications for Windows - often bundled with
the PC. They differ slightly in usage but the important point is
to burn the ISO file as image and not data.
I
shall describe how to use Nero Burning ROM SE - other versions of Nero
should be similar (and similar principles should apply to other
software).
Insert a recordable CD (or DVD) into your writer drive. Cancel the Windows dialog that pops up.
Run the software - when the Burn Compilation window pops up, click Cancel.
Click on the Recorder Menu and choose Burn Image
From the Open dialog choose the ISO file you just downloaded to Open
The Burn Compilation dialog is then displayed with the Write speed showing the detected maximum writing speed. It is recommended that this be reduced to improve reliability. Check Finalise after burning and see that Track-at-once is selected.
After writing the CD, Nero will Verify written data (as long as the checkbox is ticked).
If you downloaded the Live CD, the next stage is Running the Live CD - (I'll cover using the Alternate CD to Install Ubuntu shortly).
Updated 27 January 2008