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I am interested in installing Xubuntu on an old HP running Windows XP (2003 Home Edition). The BIOS does not allow the alternative of booting from USB, nor do I have a CD/DVD-writer. I read in another thread that you can mount the iso-file (with Xubuntu) as a virtual disc of sorts (using e.g. VirtualClone I think it was), but my question is: is it possible to install Xubuntu from a virtual CD or do I need to either burn a CD/DVD or re-write the BIOS, allowing USB-booting?

All assistance is much appreciated, I am a beginner at this.

Rikard Liljenfors
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    Yes you can boot an ISO from a XP era device without USB thumb-drive or CD. I've used a IBM thinkpad t42p (introduced 2003) which has dead USB ports, and I'm too lazy to write the ISO to DVD for testing on it, so the ISO is transferred to the laptops drive & system boot using it's bootloader (I use grub which is commonly installed with many GNU/Linux distributions like Ubuntu). I'm not familiar with VirtualClone, but the answer to your question is YES you can. The T42p was last used in QA-testing Lubuntu 18.04.5, Xubuntu 18.04.etc in August-2020 (that device preferred the GA kernel) – guiverc Jan 19 '21 at 10:28
  • Ok, thanks a lot for your assistance guiverc, very much appreciated. Thinking about your answer and your use of grub, the part where "the ISO is transferred to... drive & system boot using it's bootloader" is still a bit unclear to me. I was hoping that I could run the ISO-file from clicking an icon at the desktop (more or less), being a virtual CD and run it like that, but I take it that you mean something different, is that correct? Can you be a bit more explicit in that particular step? (I do not necessarily have to use VirtualClone). – Rikard Liljenfors Jan 20 '21 at 09:24
  • The ISO is intended to be booted by your system's bootstrap code (not a running OS). Yes I believe Ubuntu in it's early days (early-mid 2000s) did allow booting from within an OS, however having never done that (and I believe it's gone, it relied on low security devices anyway so didn't work if settings weren't higher security) I know it's not tested for today (I've never tested nor seen a testcase covering it). What you can boot is machine specific & what you have on your machine. I've used windows bootloader (xp) to boot an ISO but that was more than decade ago and couldn't advise how – guiverc Jan 20 '21 at 10:31
  • I wrote up (just copy & paste what I used) for my T42p on this site, but can't find it... but it's something like https://askubuntu.com/questions/1251729/20-04-booting-iso-from-grub-menu (my answer was on 18.04 as x86/i386 and not amd64 but it'll be the same thing..) – guiverc Jan 20 '21 at 10:34
  • Ok, many thanks. This seems a bit too advanced for me as of now, but I will read some more and try to figure it out. Thank you. – Rikard Liljenfors Jan 20 '21 at 13:57
  • @RikardLiljenfors I managed to boot a linux mint directly from windows xp, no need of images. Now I have to try with xubuntu, but I think it will work. I'll write a detailed answer. It can be a little complicated, but I hope not that much. – schrodingerscatcuriosity Jan 20 '21 at 15:31
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    @RikardLiljenfors I wrote a guide in this post: Install Ubuntu from Windows BIOS - no USB or DVD. – schrodingerscatcuriosity Jan 20 '21 at 19:36
  • @guiverc I found a way, let me know what do you think, if wou wll: Install Ubuntu from Windows BIOS - no USB or DVD. – schrodingerscatcuriosity Jan 20 '21 at 21:53
  • Looks good & reasonable @schrodigerscatcuriosity – guiverc Jan 20 '21 at 22:29
  • @schrodigerscatcuriosity Seems like a superb guide for my aim. I will certainly try this, I will report if I succeed (or not). Thanks a lot! – Rikard Liljenfors Jan 21 '21 at 08:48
  • @guiverc Thanks for your help, I will try. – Rikard Liljenfors Jan 21 '21 at 08:49
  • @karel Thanks for your suggestion, but I have to start on a PC with windows, can't write in Linux to start with (if I understand things correctly). I will try the other suggestion from above. – Rikard Liljenfors Jan 21 '21 at 08:52
  • @RikardLiljenfors I should warn you, although I hadn't any problems, I guess that could be cases, due to some mistake, that makes Windows unbootable. My tests where lemited, just one netbook with Windows XP. – schrodingerscatcuriosity Jan 21 '21 at 10:29
  • @schrodigerscatcuriosity I see. I will try to understand what I do before I do it. Not sure that I will understand though ;-) – Rikard Liljenfors Jan 21 '21 at 14:57
  • @RikardLiljenfors don't hesitate to ask. I'll be happy to see that it works elsewhere :) – schrodingerscatcuriosity Jan 21 '21 at 14:58
  • @schrodigerscatcuriosity I cannot get into Windows anymore, don't know why, so I will burn a DVD instead to boot from (found a burner at a friends' attic). So no trying of your method unfortunately. – Rikard Liljenfors Jan 28 '21 at 10:04
  • @RikardLiljenfors if you are still there, maybe we can solve it, I created a chat. – schrodingerscatcuriosity Jan 28 '21 at 10:56

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