[Digikam-users] Refocus: Do you want to try digiKam and/or showFoto on Ubuntu but you are running Windows have a look at this.

[sleepless]

Do you want to try digiKam and/or showFoto on Ubuntu but you are running 
Windows have a look at this.

Supposed you are not planning to change to Linux, or to make a dual boot 
system, you can have a virtual Ubuntu running digikam on your computer.




Download from here:
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Choose VirtualBox (VB) for your host and download

double click on the downloaded file to install

Install Ubuntu in your VB

Open the VB Manager

Open Setting

Open Shared Folders

click the plus sign

choose the folder or drive from windows that you want to acces in ubuntu

give it a nice easy name and remember well ex. MY_WIN_DRV

select auto mount

start Ubuntu

Select in the upper menubar from VB devices

Select install host additions

Follow the instructions

If done shut down Ubuntu

Shut down Virtual Box

Open the Virtual Box again

Select The Ubuntu image

click on the green arrow to start

Go in your Ubuntu application menu

look for Terminal and open it

Once in terminal type:

cd / (mind the forward slashes (you have been a windows user accustomed 
to backward slashes)

cd mnt

sudo mkdir MY_WIN_DRV

sudo mount -t vboxsf MY_WIN_DRV MY_WIN_DRV

Now type in terminal "nautilus" (without the quotes)

click filesystem
click mnt
click MY_WIN_DRV

There is all your stuff from your windows drive.

(Take care: if you did some nasty thing to the files, they are gone in 
windows too, if you go there.)

Now goto Applications->Ubuntu Software Center

type in search field: digiKam or showFoto

select and install.

If you want to try a newer version goto 
http://www.digikam.org/drupal/node/621

for further details.

If problems occur, ask the list for help.

Good luck,
Rinus

If someone could add the instructions that apply to the actual 
installation of Ubuntu in the Virtual Machine, it would be nice.
I used an old image to set this up, so I have no recent experience doing 
the real install. That causes the omission in this how to.



Note:
jdd brougt this forward:
/*did you validate the hardware virtual flag in the bios? most modern 
computers have it now. */

This is an important thing to do to make your virtualBox run more 
smoothly. Look in your bios documentation, how to do it.
If you are on windows, what you are supposed to, if you read this
you may download here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/support/configure-bios.aspx
a tool to check if hardware virtualization is available on your computer.