Run Ubuntu 6.10 from Windows
The main advantage to using Qemu hardware emulation as opposed to a native USB boot is that it allows you to plug your USB stick or portable hard drive into any available PC and run a complete operating system without restarting. The additional advantage of using Ubuntu's persistent feature is that you can save your personal settings, files and changes back to the stick. Qemu and persistent Ubuntu 6.10 make for a nice and simple combination. In the following tutorial we explain how to make it all work together.
Using this tutorial, Ubuntu can be run from within Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP or Vista without ever rebooting. It runs from it's own directory either on a portable device or directly from an internal hard drive if you so choose.
Note: This tutorial uses Ubuntu 6.10 a newer tutorial is available HERE for 7.10
Qemu Portable Ubuntu basic essentials:
- Portable device with 1GB+ free space (2+GB recommended)
- A Windows computer
- Ubuntu ISO
- QKUB.exe Custom batch files, img, Qemu emulation software + Kqemu accelerator
Qemu Ubuntu persistent install and boot Process:
- Create a folder named QUbuntu on your portable device. This directory will be used to house Qemu, Kqemu, Ubuntu ISO and related files..
- Download the QKUB.exe and run, extracting it's contents to the Qubuntu directory
- Download the Ubuntu 6.10.iso and move it to the QUbuntu directory
- Click the Launchubuntu.bat file to start Ubuntu
- At the boot menu, press F6 to enter a custom boot option. Type persistent at the end of the boot string:
- Ubuntu should continue to boot… saving your settings as you go. To restore these saved settings on the next boot, simply press F6 and add persistent again.
Quick Qemu commands:
Click within the Qemu Window to use the Ubuntu desktop
Press Ctrl+Alt to switch to and from the Host desktop
Press Ctrl+Alt+F to toggle full screen on or off
Press Ctrl+Alt+2 to switch to the Qemu Monitor (and type help for command list)
Press Ctrl+Alt+1 to switch from Qemu Monitor back to Linux
WARNING: When shutting down the Ubuntu environment, at the prompt to remove the disk, simply press enter and wait until the progress bar has finished. It is then safe to press Ctrl+Alt and close the Window. "If you don't wait, you may corrupt your persistent image".
Update 9/24/07: Ubuntu can now be launched in Windows Vista using Qemu and Kqemu!
