Ubuntu

XP Media Center dual boot to Ubuntu 7.04

Asked by rb77494

I am very new to Linux, i own a HP Dv9040 notebook. I have downloaded the Ubuntu 7.04 image to create the install disk but I am not certain of the dual boot protocols. I have two hard drives on my computer, one with the XP media center OS, the second drive I have emptied completely preaparing it for the ubuntu install. Does Ubuntu perform all the necessary partitioning on installation? Will i be able to select which drive to install the ubuntu OS? Will ubuntu automatically create the dual boot protocol to allow me to move back and forth between XP and Ubuntu? Will i be able to select how large the ubuntu partition is on my second hard drive? I just want things to be very clear for me prior to starting the install process of ubuntu 7.04? thanks.

HP Pavillion dv9040us
2 Gb RAM
2 x 110 Gb Hdd (C: Xp / D; Empty / E: XP recovery
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.66

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Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey) said : 		#1

Yes the partitioning is done during installation. You will get a choice of which disk to install onto and it will create the menu for dual booting.

I made a video about this that you might want to take a look at:-

http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/Installing_Ubuntu_with_Windows_Dual-Boot

It mainly does dual-boot installs on one disk, but the theory is pretty much identical, you just choose the "other" disk in your situation.

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Caleb (caleb-marcus) said : 		#2

Yes, everything, including the partitioning and bootloader installation (to select the OS to use) is automatic. You will have to choose which hard drive to install the GRUB Bootloader on, though, and I recommend having that installed on your current boot drive.

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Sam Cater (wraund-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#3

The Ubuntu disk comes with gparted, a partitioning tool software so..

Yes Ubuntu does perform all the necessary partitioning on installation.

Yes you will be able to select which Harddrive to install to.

Yes ubuntu will automatically create the dual boot-loader, and allow you to boot into either Ubuntu or XP

Yes you can select How big the Ubuntu partition is on the second Harddrive.

When you install Ubuntu, and you come to partitions/Harddrives. There are a few options. The first option is to completely erase a harddrive. The second is too manually edit the partitions on your Harddrive.

The boot loader is installed automatically and can be changed easily. So if you were to get rid of XP, you just remove that line from the bootloader config. Or if you remove Ubuntu, well it takes away the boot-loader with it.

If you do install Ubuntu. You will need to check in the BIOS, that the Ubuntu/Second Harddrive is booted off. Not the first. If you boot off the first you will go straight into XP. Boot into the second you get the choice of Ubuntu or XP

Hope some of this helps

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Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey) said : 		#4

Sorry Sam, that's not right in every situation:-

"If you do install Ubuntu. You will need to check in the BIOS, that the Ubuntu/Second Harddrive is booted off. Not the first. If you boot off the first you will go straight into XP. Boot into the second you get the choice of Ubuntu or XP"

You do NOT need to do that. If you install GRUB on the first disk (the one that currently has XP on it) then grub will load from there and then when you choose Ubuntu it will continue to load from the second hard disk. There should be no need to go into the BIOS to change disks to boot from at all, that's why it's generally best to install grub on the first disk (the XP one in this case).

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Sam Cater (wraund-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#5

Well I would advice against that myself, I did that and when I made the full switch to ubuntu. and erased the XP partition, grub went with it. I do strongly advise putting grub on the same disk as Linux/Ubuntu

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Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey) said : 		#6

Of course it's your choice how you install GRUB, but in my mind changing the boot device is sub-optimal, and goes against the whole reason for having a boot manager in the first place!

If the original poster decides to put GRUB on the first disk then decides to remove XP they can reinstall GRUB quite easily using these guides:-

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GrubHowto
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/phbc50/howtos/how-to_reinstall_grub

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