Portable Ubuntu (easily runs within Windows)

I recently installed Portable Ubuntu on one of my Windows work laptops, and it runs great.  I boot into Windows normally, and when I want to start Ubuntu, I click a start file which starts a DOS-like Window and boots up the CoLinux process. After about a minute or so, I have the Gnome bar at the top of my screen, giving me access to all of the same programs that I'd have with a normal Ubuntu install.

(Your IP scheme is a little odd (NAT'd, not bridged), but that's okay for the most part)

UPDATED: fixed that link

You have a bum link there. Try this: portableubuntu.demonccc.cloudius.com.ar/

Interesting.

I've actually been doing something similar using QemuManager (qemu is a PC emulator for Windows, and QemuManager provides a super-easy GUI for it). You create a file that acts as a virtual disk, then do the OS installation as normal... so you can run Linux, other versions of Windows, or whatever.

Portable Ubuntu isn't as flexible, but it sounds like it's a lot easier to get up and running. Wish I would have found it first :)

This is an edit. In the original post I asked for help because I did not know how to get Portable Ubuntu running, and the documentation is not very clear. Now I find that it IS already running; there is a menu bar at the top of my screen. I am not sure what got it going; I tried a number of different things before I noticed this. Now checking further it seems to be the file "run_portable_ubuntu.bat" which says "start trayrun.exe cmd /c portable_ubuntu.bat" The trayrun.exe application, which has an icon, does not do it alone.

Yeah, you have to run the batch file (portable_ubuntu.bat) because it has all of the configuration info (like image file locations). The run_portable_ubuntu.bat just loads it into a tray icon.

This is very cool. I didn't realize it just was so integrated. It's like the reverse of WINE and Parallels). Programs even show up in the Windows taskbar

One problem: the panel is centered... I have 2 monitors, so it sits right in the "crease."
Edit: I just clicked on one of the "handles" on either side of the panel, and I was able to move it.