A wubi install of 11.10 with nomodeset does not give the option of setting the computer name

Is this on an installed OS, or is it during the install procedure?

I am confused here. I thought I answered this, but I don't know how to verify that.
However, I think the problem is related to, or perhaps the same as, question # 184116.
Anyway, it happens during the install.

PS probably the hostname is xubuntu / kubuntu when you use Wubi to install xubuntu / kubuntu etc. (Just to clarify my first statement).

When I did the install on my one system, I was given the option to specify the system name during the install procedure, but when I did the onstall on my other system with "nomodeset", I was not given the option. Accordingly, I assumed that my not getting the option was a consequence of specifying "nomodeset".

If I had more time I would rerun the install both with and without specifying "nomodeset" and if that would recreate the problem then I certainly would report a bug. But I don't have that time so I am bouncing this back to you.

nomodeset has nothing to do with the install. The only way you get prompted for a computer name is via a normal install (non-Wubi). For Wubi all you can enter is in Windows and it's username, type of install, size of install and password. All other settings are obtained from your current Windows profile and region settings. If you were prompted for a hostname before it wasn't in a Wubi install.

Here is a comment on what nomodeset does: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1613132

The newest kernels have moved the video mode setting into the kernel. So all the programming of the hardware specific clock rates and registers on the video card happen in the kernel rather than in the X driver when the X server starts.. This makes it possible to have high resolution nice looking splash (boot) screens and flicker free transitions from boot splash to login screen. Unfortunately, on some cards this doesnt work properly and you end up with a black screen. Adding the nomodeset parameter instructs the kernel to not load video drivers and use BIOS modes instead until X is loaded.

Note that this option is sometimes needed for nVidia cards when using the default "nouveau" drivers. Installing proprietary nvidia drivers usually makes this option no longer necessary, so it may not be needed to make this option permanent, just for one boot until you installed the nvidia drivers.

Thanks for the elaborate answer. It shows that I must have used the install cd on the one system and wubi on the other. And so I apologize for the confusion.

Even so, if wubi gets all its info from windows then why did it not copy the computer name as well?

I guess you'd have to look at the code to see what settings it cares about. Whether it was intentional or not to ignore this, I can't say: you'd have to ask the developers. If you want to get it changed, you could create a bug report, but it will likely be marked as 'wishlist' since it's not actually a bug (unless the code is supposed to do this and failing).

Thanks. I shall pursue the bug-route.
Kudos to you for being really helpful.

Thanks bcbc, that solved my question.