Wubi (software) facts for kids
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Wubi, installing Ubuntu 11.10 on Windows 8 Developer Preview
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| Developer(s) | Agostino Russo, Geza Kovacs, Oliver Mattos, Ecology2007, hakuna-m |
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| Initial release | April 24, 2008 |
| Stable release |
9.04.129? / April 22, 2009
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| Written in | NSIS script, C++, Python |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Size | 4.7 MB |
| Available in | Over 50 languages |
| Type | Ubuntu system installer |
| License | GNU GPL v.2 or later |
Wubi (which stands for "Windows-based Ubuntu Installer") was a special tool. It helped people install Ubuntu from inside Windows. Ubuntu is a popular free computer operating system, like Windows.
From 2008 to 2013, Wubi was the official way to install Ubuntu this way. It put Ubuntu into a single file on your Windows computer. This meant you didn't need to change how your hard drive was set up.
After installing, Wubi added "Ubuntu" to your Windows start-up menu. This let you choose if you wanted to use Linux or Windows when you turned on your computer.
How Wubi Started
Wubi began as its own project. The first versions, 7.04 and 7.10, were not official Ubuntu releases.
For Ubuntu 8.04, Wubi became part of the main Ubuntu project. It was even included on the Ubuntu Live CD.
The main goal of Wubi was to help Windows users try Ubuntu. It was especially good for those new to Linux. It let them try Ubuntu without risking their computer data. This was important because mistakes in setting up hard drives can cause data loss. Wubi also let you easily remove Ubuntu from Windows later.
Wubi was not a virtual machine. A virtual machine lets one operating system run inside another. Instead, Wubi created a special file that acted like a separate hard drive. This file held the Ubuntu installation. Wubi was not a new type of Linux itself. It was just an installer for the regular Ubuntu system.
You could also move a Wubi-installed Ubuntu to a real hard drive section. This was done using a tool called LVPM. This was helpful because you could test Ubuntu first. You could make sure all your computer parts worked before installing it permanently.
Wubi added an option to the Windows boot menu. This allowed you to start Ubuntu. Ubuntu was installed inside a file on your Windows system. For example, it might be at `c:\ubuntu\disks\root.disk`. Linux saw this file as a real hard drive. Wubi also made a special "swap file" (`c:\ubuntu\disks\swap.disk`). This file helped Ubuntu use more memory, like extra RAM.
There was a similar project called Lubi. It used Linux as the main system instead of Windows. However, Lubi has not been updated since 2007.
Ubuntu stopped offering Wubi as an official download option from version 13.04. But Wubi installers were still available for a while, up to Ubuntu 14.10.
Today, there's an unofficial version called wubiuefi. It works with newer computer systems (UEFI) and newer Ubuntu versions. For example, it supports Ubuntu 20.04.4.
Desktop Environments
When using Wubi, you could choose your "desktop environment." This is how your computer screen looks and how you interact with it.
It was usually best to install the default Ubuntu first. Then, you could add other desktop environments later. When you logged into Ubuntu, you could pick which desktop style you wanted to use.
What Wubi Couldn't Do
Wubi installations had some small limits compared to a regular install. For example, your computer couldn't "hibernate." Hibernation saves your work and turns off the computer.
Also, if Windows shut down improperly, Ubuntu might have trouble. This could happen if your computer crashed or lost power. Ubuntu might not be able to start until Windows fixed itself. If Windows couldn't start at all, then Ubuntu wouldn't either.
Accessing files on the hard drive was a bit slower with Wubi. This was especially true if the file holding Ubuntu was broken into many pieces. A regular Ubuntu install talks directly to the hard drive. Wubi had to go through the Windows file system first.
Wubi created its main file using Windows's special NTFS file system. Ubuntu then used a different way to read this file. Sometimes, these different ways could cause problems. This might even stop Windows from starting. Running a special check in Windows (`chkdsk /r`) could fix these issues.
Who Helped Build Wubi
Many people and other projects helped make Wubi. The main developers were Agostino Russo, Geza Kovacs, Oliver Mattos, and Ecology2007.
The project got ideas from other open-source tools. These included Debian installer, Migration Assistant, Grub4Dos, NTFS-3G, NSIS, Metalink, and Ubiquity.
Agostino Russo first thought of the idea for Wubi. He was inspired by Topologilinux and Instlux. Geza Kovacs helped make the first working versions. Oliver Mattos created the first user interface.
Later, Agostino Russo and Ecology2007 redesigned the Windows part of Wubi. Many others helped with different parts, like downloads and fixing problems. Wubi also inspired other tools that install Linux from Windows.
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See also
- List of tools to create Live USB systems
- Ubiquity – the main Ubuntu operating system installer
- Cooperative Linux – lets Linux run inside Windows
- Debian-Installer
- Instlux – included with openSUSE
- Win32-Loader – a similar tool to install Debian without a CD
- UNetbootin – another tool for installing Linux or creating a Live USB
