# How do I install & run a dual-boot Ubuntu?



## Aureilius (Feb 15, 2005)

Hi. I've got Ubuntu & have a partitioned HD running XP home.

How do I:

1) Install the new OS.

2) Once installed, choose which OS to run?

I apprieciate any help you can give me.

Thanks.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

Just boot with the Ubuntu CD and follow on screen instructions. Ubuntu will shrink the XP partition and make room for itself and also install the GRUB boot loader which asks you what OS you want to boot to when all is said and done...
Check it out here - http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=56


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## Aureilius (Feb 15, 2005)

:up: 
Thanks mate. I'm going to go with fedora core 4 now.I think I've found the info I need 

Still. Thanks for your reply.


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

Okay so last night I ripped a 10GB hard drive out of an old PC, put it in my USB case and copied all my documents/downloads to it. Booted from XP CD, removed ALL partitions from the hard drive, created one 20GB partition and installed XP on it. Before I did that, I tried to just move everything to the OS partition and delete the 2ndary partition but XP wouldn't let me. It said it was a system partitiion and I couldn't even format it. Anyway, I have an ubuntu live/install dvd that I downloaded last week. What's my next step? Just boot that dvd and install Linux? Will it automatically install the boot loader (GRUB?)

Thanks for the help.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

Yes, just look/read carefully at the on-screen instructions. When I did my dual boot I just put the disk in, told it to use half the HD space and it did the rest. It shank XP to 20g and made itself a 20g partition (40g HD) and mine worked perfectly - I'm using it now! However, I had installed Ubuntu twice before on separate HDs so I had a little experience already...


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks Couch. I'm wondering if I should use ubuntu or try and find a downloadable suse or mandrake distro instead. (I've also got red hat 9 but it's an older copy and I don't know if there have been updates to it since I downloaded it and I don't recall it sitting too well with SATA.) The only thing is, I'd never heard of Ubuntu before I downloaded it. I know that distro preference is highly subjective so maybe I should just take what I have and go with it.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

The three best (in my opinion) distros are,
1. SuSE 9.1 Pro
2. Kubuntu 5.04
3. Simply Mepis 3.3.1 (I'm using the Test 2 version)
I run all three of them and it's almost impossible to pick a best. But I will say that I lean more to SuSE because it's an RPM distro and I really like yast. But I actually use Kubuntu most because it's the one I set up as dual boot with XP. I just upgraded it and the new KDE is so goooood.......
Take your pick...


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

The Ubuntu that I downloaded is 5.04. What is the difference between that and the Kubuntu?


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

It's the same. People call it Kubuntu if you install KDE, and it will say Kubuntu on the splash screen - I don't remember doing anything special during my installation to install the KDE desktop - it just did it! However, I also DLed it as Ubuntu 5.04 as you did.


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

Thanks for all your help, CouchMaster. I'll be taking the plunge in the next couple of days but I don't have hours at a time to spend on it so it may take that long.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

Let us know how it goes...


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## Calipso (Aug 5, 2005)

Kubuntu and Ubuntu are both slightly different distros.

I believe the only differences is one uses KDE and the other uses GNOME.

Unfortunately Im not allowed to post links to point to each site so just goolge for Kubuntu and Ubuntu and youll be able to easily download either one of them.

If youre comming from the Windows world you will probably have an easier time with Kubuntu. Mainly cause people comming from Windows usually feel more comfortable with KDE.


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## debunkcia (May 26, 2005)

hey does anyone know how to reinstall the grub boot loader with Ubuntu? I reformatted and partitioned the boot partition last night to install win 2k and now i can't get to linux. crap!


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

Got Ubuntu installed last night. Man that was easy.  Why was this so daunting?  

The first thing I did was download the latest Firefox. The download file was saved to my desktop so I extracted it and double clicked the installer. It went through several screens and crapped out on a library. I went to a terminal screen and changed to the directory the installer was in and ran it from there and it worked. Why?


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

Okay I've spent some time this morning with a colleague who has a SuSE 9.2 server set up and I like it much better than the Ubuntu that I installed last night. I guess the KDE interface is more what I'm used to and a little less scary to me. Is there anywhere that I can download a SuSE ISO file or is that retail only?


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

With possibly a few percent nearly all Linux distros are free for downloading. You can install as many Linux in your computer too.

You should run into problem when the number of operating systems exceeds 16 as some distro can cope partition number higher than that.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

SuSE can be found here http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=suse
Why didn't you install KDE in Ubuntu?
I'm running both SuSE and Ubuntu with KDE and it's almost impossible to tell the difference between the two.


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

I don't want to have to do the install then go back and modify the UI. I started the download for the SUSE 9.2 Live DVD about 24 hours ago and it's 55% done (3.2 GB.) I looked but I couldn't find a torrent for it.


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## coderitr (Oct 12, 2003)

Did your SUSE install also install GRUB? Just wondering if I'm going to run into anything installing it and modifying the MBR again.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

Yep! I started with 9.1 personal - moved to 9.1 pro - update everytime it tells me an update is available and have been a happy camper ever since...


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

Suse uses Grub. Not to sure if the latest version allow a switch between the two, as many large distros now do.

The two big Linux bootloaders Lilo and Grub are pretty friendly with each others and boot each other without any problem. Grub is easier to work with as you don't need to update the bootloader every time you edit it.

I haven't seen Grub running into the limit of booting a large number of systems yet but Lilo will not cope beyond 15.

It is up to the user to nominate a bootloader from a Linux to take over the MBR and switch it around.


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## Heatsink (Dec 7, 2004)

CouchMaster said:


> Just boot with the Ubuntu CD and follow on screen instructions. Ubuntu will shrink the XP partition and make room for itself and also install the GRUB boot loader which asks you what OS you want to boot to when all is said and done...
> Check it out here - http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=56


I just tried this and that ain't how it happens. I was not 'guided' at any time during the partitioning. I was unceremoniously dumped into the partitioner with no explanation of how to use it, or what to do.

Ubuntu gets zero user friendly points.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

I disagree.

I have a few empty partitions and edited Grub to include them as boot choices (not bootable of course) in readiness.

When I get Ubuntu 5.04 I just installed in one of it.

I chose manually partitioning and told Ubuntu the partition number to get on with it.

When being asked to choose the location of the boot loader I opted for the root partition which is the standard method of multibooting, as I have already a handful installed with one already occcuping the MBR.

Ubuntu need a reboot to complete the installation so after a restart I told existing Grub to boot the empty partition I gave to Ubuntu. Voila Ubuntu fired up and unpacked the rest of the packages.

Thereafter it booted to GUI same as everybody and I hooked to the Internet right away.

Thus I found it very user friendly and it is a few that can go into the rear end of the hard disk. In my case I put it in 31th partition. Many distros can't cope with a partition higher then 16.

I found its installer working perfectly. I had an older version on another disk and have installed the new one on two separate machines. Never had any trouble with it so far.


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