How to install mint4win

[TheNotebookMan]

Hello, I am posting this in the hope that:
A) that it will help those new to Linux
B) that this topic will become sticky (even though I am new to this forum )

So, this is how to install Mint4Win. You have 2 options, both of which involve installing software.

Method 1 (for Windows XP and above)
1) First off, download the Linux Mint ISO as usual (DVD or CD, it does not matter)
2) Then install a piece of software called Daemon Tools (just search Google). The Lite version is free forever.
3) Start up Daemon Tools and wait for it to configure itself (sometimes it does this automatically after the reboot, and also ensure you have rebooted before doing this!)
4) In your system tray (near the time) there should be an white icon with a blue lightning bolt. Right click it and click "Mount 'n' Drive Manager".
5) Click on the disc with the plus icon next to it and locate the ISO you downloaded earlier.
6) The ISO should appear in the list above. Drag it to the drive below the list (it really doesn't matter which one)
7) Now once it has "mounted" the image go to Computer (or My Computer for those of you running Windows XP) and you should see "Install Linux Mint".
8 ) Double click on Install Linux Mint and open mint4win. The installer will guide you through the rest.

Method 2 (for Windows 98 and above)
1) Download the Linux Mint ISO (doesn't matter which one)
2) Install a piece of software called 7-Zip (it's free, just Google it, also no rebooting needed )
3) Open up 7-Zip File Manager from your Start menu.
4) Go to Tools then Options.
5) Click Select All, then OK.
6) Close out of 7-zip and find your downloaded ISO file. Double click it (7-zip will pop up, that's OK)
7) Minimize 7-zip (we won't be needing that until step 8 ) and make a folder on your desktop. I don't care what you name it
8 ) Go back to 7-zip and select all of the files inside. Drag them to your new folder.
9) WAIT. The speed could vary depending on the speed of your system. It took about 2 minutes to do it on a single core CPU with Windows 7.
10) Now enter your new folder and open up Mint4Win. (you can close 7-zip now ) Again, the installer will guide you through everything.

Thanks for reading this tutorial, hope I helped, and enjoy Linux Mint.

P.S. Any Ubuntu users reading this can do the same with their ISOs except opening Wubi instead of mint4win.
P.P.S You might also consider checking the MD5Sum of the ISO you downloaded, just for safety.
P.P.P.S The OEM ISO will NOT work for this procedure!

[catinaz]

Just whant to add small detail (rather advice).
When you finished download ISO allways check md5 sum. It's easy to forget, especialy for win users since they don't have one (sum checker) integrated (installed).
Personaly I have tried download latest (mint 10) ISO from mirrors 3 times and every time sum was incorect. May be it's just my network? So do not take it for granted that ISO you'we got is OK. (4-th time I got it right via torrent) Since it'll give you all sorts of "bugs" installing or later running.
Goog luck.
Cat

[TheNotebookMan]

Thanks. Editing the topic now.

[Elephant454]

I am confused as far as md5sums, how do we check it? What does it need to be checked for? What does this have to do with the ISO? I'm a Linux n00b as you can tell...

[walksin2trees]

I am confused as far as md5sums, how do we check it? What does it need to be checked for? What does this have to do with the ISO? I'm a Linux n00b as you can tell...

an Md5 is like a fingerprint. It's provided by the originator as a method of confirming that the received file is exactly the same as the original file... if the file you download is corrupted or modified from the original in any way, the MD5 will not match, and you know to try it again, or get it from a new safer source.

[gentle giant]

I've followed Method 1 above, in Win XP Pro.

Steps 1 thru 5 work fine. The md5 value of the downloaded file is correct, Daemon Tools installs OK, (the icon is on the desktop not the sys tray.) I see a window that seems to match the expected. I see a disk w/ plus symbol. Clicked this, located the ICO file. ICO appears in the list above. It drags into the drive below.

Step 7. It has "mounted". But /My Computer/ does not show "Install Linux Mint" anywhere that I can see.

There is a new drive E: showing, something about Linux Mint. Inside there is 1 file (a text file with the md5 inside plus some other stuff) and two folders. Half-doz files inside each folder. No sign of Install anything anywhere. No .exe files anywhere on the E: drive. Windows search function cannot locate any file *mint4win* anywhere.

I obtained the iso file from
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=88
This is Linux Mint Debian.

What did I do wrong?

[walksin2trees]

yeah I didn't see a mint4win on the ISO either, however I didn't lose any sleep over it, just burned the ISO to disk and booted it from the CD. It probably runs a little slower that way, but it gets the job done. If you have one large enough you can burn to USB thumb-drive too

If you're reading this you're probably using Daemon Tools to burn... I don't remember if it automatically writes to the boot sector or if you have to tick a check-box to tell it to. It's important to make sure you burn it as "bootable" or it won't boot from the disk, Some apps will burn an ISO as bootable automatically, some need to be told to do it via burn settings, while most other disk burner apps won't write to the boot sector at all.

In Linux I tried a bunch, but Furius ISO Mount is the best one for me... in fact it's the only one that actually worked on my system.

[gentle giant]

On one of the other discussions here I saw a note that you need to use the CD version of the ISO, not the DVD version. Sorry, I can't lay my hands on that now. Unfortunately there was some other problem also, like I think there IS no Debian CD version. This box is slightly, slightly older and doesn't read DVDs and I don't have a big thumb drive. Fret not, I can get it, this is just FYI in case someone wants to see how this distro is looking to a newbie

[usbtux]

Take a look at http://usbtux.hostzi.com/How_to specifically http://usbtux.hostzi.com/mint4win