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Booting an ISO on your hard drive is useful for testing new versions of Ubuntu without using up a CD. It is quicker than using a live USB tool such as UNetBootin or Ubuntu Live USB Creator.
Steps
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Install GRUB2 if it is not already installed. Type the following command into the terminal: sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/grub2 /dev/sda .Advertisement -
Add a menu entry for your Ubuntu ISO. Here are a few examples. Type the following command into the terminal: sudo gedit /etc/grub.d/40_custom and paste these menu entries to the end of the file. Replace /PATH-TO-UBUNTU-ISO/FILENAME.iso with the appropriate path. On my system it would be /home/myUserName/Downloads/lubuntu-natty-i386.iso
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menuentry "Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop ISO" {
loopback loop /PATH-TO-UBUNTU-ISO/FILENAME.iso
linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/PATH-TO-UBUNTU-ISO/FILENAME.iso noeject noprompt splash --
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz
}
menuentry "Linux Mint 10 Gnome ISO" {
loopback loop /FILEPATH/linuxmint10.iso
linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz
file=/cdrom/preseed/mint.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz iso-scan/filename=/FILEPATH/linuxmint10.iso noeject noprompt splash --
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz
} -
Make the custom menu entries active, run "sudo update-grub"
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Community Q&A
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QuestionI have downloaded the ubuntu ISO from the internet. I want to install from a hard drive. How do I do this?PoyoaCommunity AnswerSince you're trying to modify your hard drive, it'd be better to run it from a disc. Use a program (such as Windows Disc Image Burner) to burn the file to a CD, then restart your computer, boot from the CD and go from there to install Ubuntu.
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Tips
- If you want to install a new version of Ubuntu, partition your hard drive first. Use GParted or a similar tool. Assuming you are using an Ubuntu CD image, you will only need a 700mb partition to hold the image. If you have a liveUSB or liveCD, that's the easiest way to re-partition because you can't change or shrink a partition while it has your operating system (and re-partitioning tool) currently running on it.Thanks
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Warnings
- Installing boot-loaders and operating systems can destroy your data. The same applies when partitioning a hard drive. Make appropriate backups of any files or settings if they are on the hard drive(s) you are working with.Thanks
- You can't format a partition that is currently in use (for the running operating system)Thanks
- Installing GRUB2 will over-write your previous boot loader. So if GRUB2 does not detect your existing operating system, you may have no way to get back into it.Thanks
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About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 107,801 times.
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