Install Ubuntu Netbook 10.10 without CD/USB/WUBI from HDD on WinXP

Question

I have downloded the Ubuntu Netbook 10.10 ISO file. When I mount it on a Virtual drive it gives me the option to install it via CD(restart and boot from disc) or use the WUBI installer. The WUBI installer warns about poor disc performance. There is a way to convert the WUBI installed Ubuntu into a dedicated partition Ubuntu installation via LVPM. The Official Guide links to a how-to for 7.04/7.10/8.10, whereas the forum says

LVPM currently does not work with installs generated by Wubi 10.04 (patches welcome).

So the status about 10.10 is unknown. Plus even if LVPM does work, it has the problem of wiping the partition on which it is going to be installed.

Is there a way to install Ubuntu without using a USB/CD? yes -> WUBI

Is there a way to install a normal Ubuntu installation using WUBI? yes -> LVPM

But LVPM needs a clean partition.

Can I install Ubuntu into an existing logical partition without having to lose or move my files in advance to another partition with or without the WUBI method?

(My Netbook: Primary Partition(40GB): WinXP Home(Free Space 3GB) Logical Partition(100GB): Data(Free Space ~10GB) )

Answer 1

There's a tricky way.

1. Install VirtualBox and create a new virtual machine.
2. Mount your target partition as raw-access physical drive to VirtualBox machine.
3. Mount ISO to same VirtualBox machine as CDROM.
4. Boot from the CDROM and install.

This will not install boot manager, so you'll have to install it some other way.

In order to mount physical drive to VBox vm, open a command prompt in VBox binaries directory and run:

1. vboxmanage listpartitions to see what hard drive partition names are. (sometimes VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk \\.\PhysicalDrive0)
2. vboxmanage createrawvmdk -filename linux.vmdk -rawdisk \.\\PhysicalDrive0 -partitions 5,6 - put your Linux-ready partition name there.
3. You got a linux.vmdk file that you can connect to VBox vm as a hard drive.

You can then boot that Linux both from hard drive (when you find a way to install grub) or in that virtual machine.