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I have Windows XP Service Pack 3 and two HD partitions:

  • C - 30GB - installed windows and applications - 11GB free
  • D - 46GB - my documents - 34GB free

I want to install Ubuntu.

I prefer to use Linux for all my jobs, but I need to keep Windows for MS Word 2010. I often send .docx files to my school, and they must be strictly formatted for their Windows computers. If I understand well, it's not possible with Save as docx option in the Linux text application.

I already downloaded the installation file - ubuntu-13.10-desktop-i386.iso DVD ROM is not an option, but the USB stick (about 2GB) works.

Should I create a new partition for Ubuntu? Or install it on the C or D partition? I would be happy with a separate partition for the OS, another one for applications, and a third one for documents.

Is it possible to switch between two operating systems by clicking (without rebooting the computer)?

Is there any downside regarding using Gmail and Skype?

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  • "but the only reason I need to keep windows is MS Word 2010. I often send docx." the older and newest LibreOffice have rather good docx support so maybe you are lucky. See: libreoffice.org/download/4-2-new-features-and-fixes "Round-trip interoperability with Microsoft OOXML, particularly for DOCX, as well as legacy RTF, has improved considerably. A new import filter for Abiword documents has been added. "
    – Rinzwind
    Jan 31, 2014 at 10:55
  • @Rinzwind, thanks for the info, it would be super, but I need to test it before removing win. In my docx files there are lots of tables, images, footnotes etc.
    – qadenza
    Jan 31, 2014 at 10:59
  • LibreOffice does not at present have the same functionality as M$ Word (smartart, for instance) no matter how much I which this was the case. Matter of the fact is that for many things apart from smartart, the odt format is very reliable. Before you install anything, make absolutely sure you have a backup!
    – don.joey
    Jan 31, 2014 at 11:11
  • @don.joey, SmartArt feature is not important in my case, but mainly margins, hanging indents, position of images, tables, styles, footnotes, superscripts, subscripts, pagination... All of them must be properly displayed and editable inside word, so I need firstly to test all. Thanks for your advice about backup.
    – qadenza
    Jan 31, 2014 at 11:23
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    @bonaca I would do as told below: install Ubuntu and install Windows in vBox or VM Ware (Ubuntu 14.04 will even have VMWare on the dvd ;) ). If needed make it dual boot for the next 6 months just to test drive.
    – Rinzwind
    Jan 31, 2014 at 13:19

2 Answers 2

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I don't know how to answer in a more concise manner as there is quite a few things possible as good answer for you.

High-level options

  1. Have a PC typewriter with MS Word for old documents you use (let it be something old, that you can have real cheap) and have your usual PC run GNU/Linux. Requires obtaining an old machine good enough to run MS Word that you need and display for it. I put this as first since where I am that would be easiest to do (lots of people getting rid of machines good enough for what you described, often for free).
  2. Virtual Machine with Windows and Word (can be created just based on your current setup, provided you have installer discs still) that you may boot from GNU/Linux.
  3. What commenters have said: backup data, test Libre Office, switch completely.

Last option is nicely described in comments, so for brevity I shall write about other things in more detail.

How to test Libre Office

I'd go with Live CD, or took documents that I care for to a friend and played on his computer for 30 minutes - that should be quite enough to see what you get from your docx when they are opened / changed / printed from Libre.

Cheap typing PC

Used store, from a friend, companies also often sell out their old machines quite cheaply, or - if you like, some folks do - buy parts and put them together.

Requires: installers for Windows and Word, time, perhaps some bucks.

VM with Windows

Download VirtualBox (GPLv2 for users and FOSS, has commercial licence for commercial usages) and create your own VM for your host. There are many good tutorials how to do it and I encourage you to try that out. It ain't scary or difficult at all, though for some it sounds intimidating. What you need:

  • know the system / architecture the VM will be hosted on (probably Ubuntu, only question is whether your architecture is 32 or 64 bit, that should be in your board manual)
  • know the system you want VM to have.

VM generally emulates computer on a physical computer, so you may have Linux on Linux, or Windows on Linux, or the other way around. That way you will run Windows with Word, but it will be run using Linux. Apology if I'm stating the obvious, I don't know what you know about VMs. :-)

Requires: time, installers, perhaps some learning, VirtualBox. My first VM took me 20 minutes to create plus time for installing it's system and soft I needed there. It's quite like setting up new computer (essentialy, it is).

Update: VM route links

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads - choose your OS http://ryantrotz.com/2011/11/virtualbox-beginner-tutorial/ - while this describes Windows hosting Ubuntu, the steps are same the other way around https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch01.html - full manual

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  • Little... thansk a lot for your detailed answer. It seems I will try your last solution - VM with Windows.
    – qadenza
    Jan 31, 2014 at 13:36
  • @bonaca depending on your docx files complexity/number, try Libre Office. This may turn to be fastest solution of all. Like, 30 minutes and you will KNOW Libre will do / won't do. Then you can pick VM route. I've updated my answer with links to VirtualBox site / tutorial. Hope that helps, but if the answer is lacking, let me know. Jan 31, 2014 at 14:53
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Kingsoft Office seems to be reasonable at taking documents from MS Office 2007 running under XP and editing them as well as creating new documents.

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