Booting From Separate Partitions

[stuartwood89]

So here's what I want to do:

I have a single 200GB Hard Drive and I want to run both Windows XP Pro and Ubuntu Studio, on separate partitions. I've partitioned my hard drive so that I have 25GB for Windows (X:/), 25GB for Ubuntu (Y:/) and the remaining 150GB for files and programs (C:/). What I want to do is chose which partition (i.e. Operating system) I want to boot in, presumably by pressing F8 on startup, which brings up the list of boot devices.

However, all I get in this list is C:/ A:/ and D:/ meaning that I can't boot from either of my partitions.

First of all, will this setup work? and second, how can I boot from either of the two partitions?

Please Help!!!

[Jacal]

You should be able to do this with GRUB. Install Windows before Ubuntu and it should take care of the rest. If you want to be able to view the Ubuntu partition in Windows, install IFS Drives. It comes as a Control Panel applet and assigns drive letters for ext2 and ext3 partitions.

[stuartwood89]

So maybe the best thing to do is to completely wipe my hard drive and start from the beginning (which is fine, cause I've backed up all my files and I could do with a clean install). Also, How do I use GRUB and where can I get it from?

Install Windows on X:
Then Ubuntu on Y:
...which will leave me with C: for files which I should be able to access no matter which OS I'm using.

Where do I install IFS Drives? On Windows partition I presume?

Sorry to sound like a total n00b, but I'm new to Linux systems and I feel like trying it out.

[Jacal]

When you install Ubuntu, it will install GRUB to the boot sector of the drive. Before it does, it scans the drive for other operating systems including Windows and Mac OS. After it's all done, you'll be able to dual boot. If you install Windows after installing Ubuntu, you'll have to add the entry for Windows manually. GRUB appears as a menu that shows you all installed operating systems when you turn the computer on. When it's all done, you will see entries for Ubuntu, Ubuntu (safe mode), Memtest86+ and Windows.

I don't know how safe it is for Linux to operate on NTFS drives these days but I hear NTFS-3G (a Linux solution for mounting NTFS volumes for read and write) has improved a lot over the last six months to the point where it is now installed by default in Ubuntu 7.10.

IFS Drives is a Windows program so there should be no question there.

If you plan on having a common partition for files between Windows and Ubuntu, set that 150GB partition to mount point /home when you install Ubuntu (after formatting it as NTFS in Windows). If you don't feel safe formatting it as NTFS and using it in Ubuntu, you can format it as FAT32. If you want, you can also mount the Windows drive as mount point /windows.

To be honest, I don't know much about Linux myself but I do know enough to say that if you have an ATI video card, be prepared for ceaseless hurdles getting your display to work the way it should.

[stuartwood89]

I have an nVidia Geforce 7600GS.

So based on what you've told me, this is what I should do:

• Wipe my hard drive
• Install Windows XP Pro on one of the smaller partitions
• Install Ubuntu Studio on the other
• Install the IFS Drives in Windows
• Format the remaining 150GB as NTFS

Correct me if I'm wrong. I just want to get this right

Thanks for your help so far.

[Jacal]

That sounds about right. You may want to do some personalization in Windows before installing Ubuntu because Ubuntu can import settings and profiles from Windows when installing. Make sure you leave the 150GB free at the end of the drive while you're partitioning in Ubuntu installation because you want to format NTFS only in Windows.

[stuartwood89]

I've installed Ubuntu, but for some reason, it wanted to partition the hard drive anyway, so now half of my hard drive is Ubuntu and the other half is Windows and my existing data. I've decided to just buy a small hard drive (roughly 60GB) to install both of the OS's, and keep my 200GB for data.

Another problem though: I start Ubuntu, and all I get is text (like MS-DOS). I'm asked to type my username and password, which I do, and then I get some stuff about Ubuntu being free and no warranty. I then get 'stuartwood89@ubuntu:$'

I was told to type 'startx', I'm asked to install something so I do, and then I get some sort of server error.

I can't get any form of a GUI.

[Jacal]

What video card do you have?

[phuzion]

Originally Posted by Excel-2008

What video card do you have?

Originally Posted by stuartwood89

I have an nVidia Geforce 7600GS.

5char and stuff

[eureka1]

Originally Posted by Excel-2008

What video card do you have?

That really doesn't matter...

[Jacal]

Originally Posted by eureka1

That really doesn't matter...

In Linux, it matters much more than you could possibly imagine.

Originally Posted by stuartwood89

I've installed Ubuntu, but for some reason, it wanted to partition the hard drive anyway, so now half of my hard drive is Ubuntu and the other half is Windows and my existing data. I've decided to just buy a small hard drive (roughly 60GB) to install both of the OS's, and keep my 200GB for data.

Another problem though: I start Ubuntu, and all I get is text (like MS-DOS). I'm asked to type my username and password, which I do, and then I get some stuff about Ubuntu being free and no warranty. I then get 'stuartwood89@ubuntu:$'

I was told to type 'startx', I'm asked to install something so I do, and then I get some sort of server error.

I can't get any form of a GUI.

Look into using Envy to install the nVidia driver. It's a collection of scripts that automates the process of installing video card drivers and has a text interface for people who can't start X. I know it works for my GeForce 6600 so barring any Ubuntu Studio-specific barriers it should work for you on the first try.

[stuartwood89]

I'll give that a try. I heard that you have to be connected to the internet to run Linux, but I somehow don't believe that. When I started the installation it said that my network adaptor wasn't detected (?) I mean, at the moment I have an ethernet cable sticking out of my machine, but the other end is connected to nothing until I get my switch set up.

[Jacal]

Having an internet connection makes everything Linux-related much simpler. There's no way any beginner these days is going to get by trying to use Linux without consulting guides, forums, tutorials and the wealth of resources the community puts out constantly, not to mention that the CD has only so many packages that apt-get will need.

[eureka1]

Last time I tried envy my X11 crashed.