Installing ubuntu 9.04 on vaio:

Linux isn’t just Windows with funny colours, and Windows isn’t a poor man’s Linux. Both represent decades of hard work by people with different opinions about the world, and both need to be treated differently if you want to get the most out of them.

From Switching to Ubuntu from Windows

Prerequisites:

Download the iso image of Ubuntu 9.04 and burn it to a blank CD.  I created a seperate partition for linux installation. Other option is to use free space in existing partition. We will use EasyBCD to modify windows bootloader.

Boot using the Live CD and start the installer.

Step 1:

Select installation language and default language for system.

Step 2:

Select timezone.

Step 3:

Select keyboard layout.

Step 4:

I manually created the partitions.

Step 5:

Little login information

Step 6:

I already have vista installed. It detected the settings and offered for migration.

Step 7:

I installed the boot loader in the same partition where linux is installed. Otherwise, it will rewrite the windows master boot records. We will modify windows bootloader to add entry for Ubuntu.  The bootloader option is available on clicking the advanced.. option. partion #8 will be /dev/sda8

Installer will start copying files now.

Once the installation is completed, remove the Live CD and restart in Vista.  Ubuntu option is yet to be added in boot records.

Download EasyBCD to modify the windows MBR

Restart and the Ubuntu will be avaliable in boot menu.

Windows drives are available in Ubuntu. But, if you want to access linux partition when in Vista, you need to install Total Commander will ext2/ext3 plugin. I tried installing other softwares, but none of them working as of now for my Vista installation and ext3 partition. Keep in mind, installing a software for accessing linux partition will weaken the security as no linux based access controls are applied here.