install ubuntu after windows xp and opensolaris

Hello Andre,

if you havent already created a partition for ubuntu you can do it by booting from the liveCD. Choose the test ubuntu without making any changes and once you get to the desktop go to System->Administration->Partition Editor. then you can shrink your windows xp partition (NTFS) to make room for ubuntu. after you've created the free space you can start the installer.

when the installer reaches the partitions section, use the MANUAL SETTINGS option, so you can tell it where to install.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

Try booting into Windows and making sure it shuts down properly. If it's sent into hibernate mode or isn't shut down properly then Linux will be wary about making changes to it's partition in case that might damage Windows. It'd also be good to check that Solaris shutdown properly but i think there's less worry because Solaris is more stable i think.

Another thing might be that when you are installing Ubuntu and get to the partitioning section you'll need to go with "Manual" rather than "Guided" or automatic or anything. After a briefly worrying moment you should see all your partitions and be able to make changes.

I assume you'll only be using 10Gb or so for Ubuntu and then the rest of the drive as a single "data" partition? Obviously that's got to be ntfs so that Windows can read it. My concern is that if you have less than 1Gb Ram then you'll also need a linux-swap partition (1Gb is plenty). In that case you'd need to make an Extended Partition to contain the Data and linux-swap partitions as drives can't have more than 4 Primary Partitions. It's not a problem setting up an Extended Partition and both the Data an the Lnux-swap be be fine in there.

Good luck with this
Regards from
Tom :)

Hi,

Thank all for you answers. My problem is that I have windows xp install and patch to sp2. Now you are telling me that in order to install Ubuntu 8.10, I have to shrink my windows partition. I have no technical problem in doing so. But I do for the space. Can I create new partition for ubuntu and windows afterward with the free space left on the disk?

André

Yes of course, sorry. You situation is quite different from almost every other i usually deal with because you have plenty of space that's not taken up by Windows.

lol, sorry about that, my apologies
Regards From
Tom :)

I think you just have to try the "Manual" partitioning option when you get that far in installing Ubuntu from the Cd. You could try preparing an "Ext3" partition for it before you start but there shouldn't be any need.

Good luck with this
Regards from
Tom :)

Hi,

I try the manual partitioning but it does not give anything more than the option to shrink the window partition.

I try partitioning the disk before the install. Start ubuntu with the live cd and use gpartition to create one ext3 partition and one swap partition then I start the installation. When I get to the partition section, I get only the option to use all the disk. Not even the option to shrink the window partition.

PS I am think that I didn't create a extension partition before creating the swap partition. I will try this tonight.

Good luck and definitely go with "Manual" partitioning during the install process. it should see your ext3.

No, the manual option does not see the ext3.

Ok, can you try installing a tiny distro? My favourite for this would be Wolvix because it's reliably installed for me on a range of difficult machines where i couldn't get anything else to work - and that has usually helped me get Ubuntu on afterwards (usually to replace it :( ).

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=wolvix

I've looked up a few things to try and make it easier

http://wolvix.org/get.php

http://wiki.wolvix.org/HardDriveInstall

I give the DistroWatch page out so that people can hunt around for other distros and compare different ones. I like different ones for different purposes but Wolvix is my favourite tiny distro. The Live Cd boots fast and it has Gparted, which can handle ntfs partitions, included as standard.

Regards and good luck from
Tom :)

If you are still having trouble with this then please post it as a new question. Only the most recent questions tend to get looked at so posting/reposting a question just before america arrives online gives the best chance of getting a good few answers.

If the problem has been resolved then please follow the link to the forum thread and mark it as Solved.

Good luck and many regards from
Tom :)