Ubuntu on Dell Inspiron 14 Series 5000 - How to Use?

[fireflies]

I use Windows 8, but I also want to use linux based OS. I use DELL Inspiron 14 laptop, series 5000. There's an ubuntu sticker here. Does that mean ubuntu is downloaded? How to get sure/use it then? Please tell, I don't know. If not, then what should I do?

 

[jedishrfu]

When you boot your computer does it allow you select which OS you want? or does the OS match the images in this web page from DELL?

http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-15-3551-laptop-ubuntu/pd

If so then you probably are using Ubuntu right now.

 

[fireflies]

When you boot your computer does it allow you select which OS you want?

Can you please tell me how? I never did before. I tried pressing F8, but no use.

or does the OS match the images in this web page from DELL?

http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-15-3551-laptop-ubuntu/pd

If so then you probably are using Ubuntu right now.

No, it is Windows 8.

Can this happen that when I bought the laptop Windows 8 OS was overwritten to Ubuntu?

Thanks for replying btw :)

 

[jedishrfu]

You could try holding down the right shift key during boot or the escape key.

 

[newjerseyrunner]

If it's not, you can download and create an Ubuntu Live CD. Place it into the CD-ROM and launch it, it'll launch from the disc and give you the option to install Ubuntu. When you launch the installer, it will recognize that Windows is already there and will ask you if you want to replace it or install along side. From there just follow the instructions, reboot your machine and you'll see GRUB, which ill allow you to switch between WIndows and Ubuntu.

 

[QuantumQuest]

I use Windows 8, but I also want to use linux based OS. I use DELL Inspiron 14 laptop, series 5000. There's an ubuntu sticker here. Does that mean ubuntu is downloaded? How to get sure/use it then? Please tell, I don't know. If not, then what should I do?

If your laptop has Ubuntu installed as well, it will give you the option to choose which one to load on boot screen, as jedishrfu points out. You have nothing to do to see this. You can also check if your hard disk is partitioned and the properties of your hard disk, as an alternative way to see if another OS is installed (NTFS is for Windows, ext2,ext3,ext4 for Linux etc.).

On the other hand if it is not installed, you can do what newjerseyrunner recommends, but keep in mind that Windows are not too friendly to multi-boot configurations and particularly to GRUB and if you don't know how to do it, the process may end up corrupting your boot sector. A more safe way, is to use a virtual machine - like VirtualBox or other free such software and use your machine as a "host". You'll have a sufficiently well isolated OS, inside the virtual machine, that is fully operational, with a cost on your machine's resources and the boot time of the hosted system, but given todays available resources, there will be no notable problem whatsoever. This way, you can experiment with more Linux flavors and other OSs as well - you can check which OSs a certain virtual machine supports, in order to decide which one to download and install.

 

[fireflies]

Well, I guess Ubuntu is not installed.

Thanks for helping me. Let me check this out :)