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Today I downloaded an Ubuntu iso file. I opened that file using the file archiver. I can see 'installer.exe'. What was that?

muru
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NeerajKDLR
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    Also list what version you downloaded and where you got it from. An .exe file should not be in regular Ubuntu, maybe in windows subsystem or wubi. – crip659 Sep 14 '20 at 13:22
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    Said he was using wubi in comments lower down. Did not realize that wubi was still a thing. – crip659 Sep 14 '20 at 13:49

1 Answers1

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installer.exe is the file to run in Windows to start the Wubi installer to install Ubuntu 14.04 in Windows 7 or earlier. In most releases of Ubuntu this file is named Wubi.exe. Wubi is not supported anymore and was removed as an installation option in the official download page from Ubuntu 13.04 onward, but Wubi for versions after Ubuntu 13.04 are still provided. This doesn't do the Ubuntu user in 2020 much good because Windows 7 and earlier Windows versions are not supported by Microsoft anymore either.

If you are running Windows 10 you can install Ubuntu in Windows using Windows Subsystem for Linux. Windows Subsystem for Linux is being aggressively developed, and it looks like it's going to be a viable option for installing Ubuntu in Windows for a long time.

karel
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    Isn't WSL just a virtual machine, while Wubi used to install a real dual-booted Ubuntu? These aren't equivalent. – Ruslan Sep 14 '20 at 20:35
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    @Ruslan WSL is technically not really a VM: WSL1 was a simple compatibility layer in the kernel (which basically rerouted system calls etc. but wasn't using the original Linux kernel) whilst WSL2 uses Hyper-V, which is kinda in between a true VM and a native system (since it makes use of hardware virtualization, which eliminates most performance penalties). – Joja Sep 14 '20 at 20:58
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    @Joja but you won't be running any Linux drivers, which you would if you installed Ubuntu using Wubi. Thus, I suppose, you'll have no FUSE, no /dev/video0 etc. It's more like running Linux apps in QEMU user space emulation. – Ruslan Sep 14 '20 at 21:01
  • @Ruslan I don't claim that WSL and Wubi are equivalent (they definitely are not). I just wanted to note that WSL isn't simply a VM (which needs drivers as well btw.). – Joja Sep 14 '20 at 21:06
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    @Ruslan I have no idea about /dev/video0, but WSL 2 does support FUSE (and Docker), it's specifically stated by Microsoft. – Fabio says Reinstate Monica Sep 14 '20 at 21:51
  • WSL is not Linux, it doesn't really contain any Linux components. I wouldn't recommend it at all for those wanting to try out Linux because it works and behaves very differently to an actual Linux system. – Lie Ryan Sep 15 '20 at 09:57
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    @LieRyan Ubuntu in WSL 2 uses a Linux kernel. – karel Sep 15 '20 at 09:58