EvansFive
August 7th, 2009, 08:38 PM
I have a new DELL desktop running Vista 64 Ultimate (8gb RAM). I have set up dual boot on a Mac but I am new to the PC setup side of things.
I did a shrink on the C: drive to free up 29gb. I was planning to put the linux swap file and the /boot partition on this drive. Then put the remaining linux partitions on an external esata drive attached to the desktop. I was planning to install 64bit Ubuntu.
BUT...
After I booted my ubuntu CD and ran gparted, it would only let me create the primary swap partition and not /boot...because it said I could only have 4 primary partitions (Vista is taking up the other 3). It said I would have to create an extended partition!!!!
Based on this I have a few questions:
1) Can I create an extended partition to hold the linux swap and /boot? If so how do I need to configure this please...some detailed instructions would be appreciated? Is this supported for booting Ubuntu?
2) I am putting swap and /boot on the internal PC drive because I had to do something similar for the Mac setup...the Mac cannot boot Ubuntu from an external drive. Do I need to do this for the PC side OR can I just setup all my partitions on the external esata drive? Can I boot Ubuntu directly from an external esata drive?
Even if I shrink the internal C: drive further I am still not able to set up both a swap partition and a single linux partition because of the primary partition number limit. I am back to this extended partition stuff and I guess I am concerned over whether this will work of not?
I need to keep Vista for other reasons but really wanted to install Ubuntu as I have become quite attached to it on my Mac!
Any help please would be gratefully received?
I did a shrink on the C: drive to free up 29gb. I was planning to put the linux swap file and the /boot partition on this drive. Then put the remaining linux partitions on an external esata drive attached to the desktop. I was planning to install 64bit Ubuntu.
BUT...
After I booted my ubuntu CD and ran gparted, it would only let me create the primary swap partition and not /boot...because it said I could only have 4 primary partitions (Vista is taking up the other 3). It said I would have to create an extended partition!!!!
Based on this I have a few questions:
1) Can I create an extended partition to hold the linux swap and /boot? If so how do I need to configure this please...some detailed instructions would be appreciated? Is this supported for booting Ubuntu?
2) I am putting swap and /boot on the internal PC drive because I had to do something similar for the Mac setup...the Mac cannot boot Ubuntu from an external drive. Do I need to do this for the PC side OR can I just setup all my partitions on the external esata drive? Can I boot Ubuntu directly from an external esata drive?
Even if I shrink the internal C: drive further I am still not able to set up both a swap partition and a single linux partition because of the primary partition number limit. I am back to this extended partition stuff and I guess I am concerned over whether this will work of not?
I need to keep Vista for other reasons but really wanted to install Ubuntu as I have become quite attached to it on my Mac!
Any help please would be gratefully received?