How to install ubuntu on HP envy 4 ultrabook?

Question

I want to install ubuntu on my hp envy-4 ultrabook. I tried installing it through a live cd but the computer hung on the very first screen showing 2 icons at the bottom.

Content of my cd shows wubi.exe instead of .iso file. I downloaded ubuntu-12.04-desktop-i386.

Answer 1

This is what worked for me, 1) Turn off acceleration in the Intel Rapid Storage Tech. It will take a while. 2) Click reset to available (it will show up once you disable acceleration) which should remove the fake raid thing and free your SSD. 3) Use some disk utility such EaseUs, to turn your HP Recovery and HP_Tools partitions to logical. Now, you should have atmost 3 primary partitions. If not, then make sure that you don't have more than 3 by changing to logical/removing unnecessary partitions that you may have created. Create some unallocated space from one/more of the partitions. ~10GB is good. DO NOT CHANGE BOOT PARTITION TO LOGICAL. 4) Restart and enter BIOS, turn off the Intel Rapid Start Tech. 5) Install using live USB by selecting "Something Else" in the unallocated space. 6) Now, you may turn on Intel Rapid Storage and Intel Rapid Start. The exact same config in the Intel Rapid Storage cannot be restored so what you could do is make 18.6GB cache volume and the rest data volume. From that data volume, you could turn 4GB into hibernation partition using command prompt and use the rest for storing any files that you access frequently. * Apparently, there is no way to put back the same config of 4GB data(hibernation) volume and 26GB cache volume. * All this may seem to be out of the blue and look like as if I am talking about random stuff but if you have googled enough, you'd know what I am talking about. Good Luck!

Answer 2

So after many times trying I was finally able to do it.

Despite HP's best attempts to stop me from running a Linux distro off the SSD I finally cracked it.

1. Get rid of the fake RAID setup on the SSD by disabling Intel Rapid Storage.
2. Delete the volume on the SSD by using the windows disk management tool (diskmgmt.msc) or some other disk utility.
3. Use a disk utility to clone the HP_TOOLS partition onto a flash drive or something. (Not entirely necessary, but if you want to put it back eventually then you can)
4. Delete the HP_TOOLS partition from the main hard disk.
5. Resize your C: partition so that you have about 250 MB to 1 GB of free space on the main hard disk. This is to create space for the \boot partition for the linux install. (This is because the BIOS is setup in such a way that you CANNOT boot from the SSD).
6. Create a live usb using unetbootin or some other usb installer software.
7. Boot from the USB (I think you can only boot from the usb slot on the right hand side, but don't hold me to this)
8. During installation make sure to place the \boot partition for your linux distro on the main hard disk, IT WILL NOT BOOT OF THE \boot PARTITION IS ON THE SSD. Then you can go ahead and place the \root partition on the SSD.

And boom super fast linux dual boot.

I don't think i left anything out. Hope it helps.