8.04 install

[regdabs]

New to ubuntu, never used it before. Want to install 8.04 but I have read that you can install within Windows (don't want) or do a complete disk takeover (don't want). If I select manual during installation will that let me select a specific partition on which I want to install the new OS. Also will it create a dual boot setup with windows xp (do want) and I have Freespire installed on this partition at this time will it replace it with Ubuntu and give me the Ubuntu option at boot up time. Lot of questions any help?

[bilal.17]

yes you can create a dualboot and you can set it to manually takeover the partition that has freespire.. you just have to select the right partition when you are installing

[smoker]

manual partition will give you the option to install ubuntu over your freespire partition, if that is what you want. ubuntu will also install grub and give you the choice to boot windows or ubuntu.

to be clear, double-check the format box is NOT ticked next to your windows partition, and you should be fine!

best of luck

[regdabs]

Ok, thanks. I have 4 partitions on this hard drive, so I just need to make sure the one where I want to install Ubuntu is the only one checked, and that should be the partition where Ubuntu will be installed and it will wipe out the freespire boot information and replace it with Ubuntu?

[smoker]

Ok, thanks. I have 4 partitions on this hard drive, so I just need to make sure the one where I want to install Ubuntu is the only one checked, and that should be the partition where Ubuntu will be installed and it will wipe out the freespire boot information and replace it with Ubuntu?

that's correct, you will also need a 'swap' partition, though you will already have one with freespire that should do.

[regdabs]

Guess I am a real pain , how do I know if I have the swap partition and if is activated when I try to install Ubuntu. Will Ubuntu automatic know that partition is there, and how to use it.?

[JimmyHopkins]

"Ok, thanks. I have 4 partitions on this hard drive, so I just need to make sure the one where I want to install Ubuntu is the only one checked, and that should be the partition where Ubuntu will be installed and it will wipe out the freespire boot information and replace it with Ubuntu?"

Yes, but you can install certain folders that ubuntu uses on other partitions, such as /usr or /home. You should probably make your ubuntu partition only 6-8 gigs -ish, and make one huge partition for your /home drive (think of home as my documents in windows).

The advantage of keeping your /home off of your ubuntu partition is so if ubuntu crashes/ if you reformat ubuntu's partition for another linux distro/ if you just feel like trying out another linux distro, you can do so without deleting your pictures, music, etc. The only thing to remember is that if you have many linux distros share one home partition, each should have a different user name. So maybe debian's home is called /home/ian_debian, while SuSe's home is /home/ian_suse, while ubuntu's home is /home/ian_ubuntu, so you can house all your home folders on one partition.


If you don't want to do this, go into manually partition -> Choose a partition for ubuntu -> click "edit" -> set mountpoint to /, set your / partition to be formatted, and select your swap's mountpoint as swap.

[JimmyHopkins]

Guess I am a real pain , how do I know if I have the swap partition and if is activated when I try to install Ubuntu. Will Ubuntu automatic know that partition is there, and how to use it.?

No, so when manually partitioning your hard drive, select your swap partition, click "edit", select it's mountpoint to "swap", and select the box next to your swap partition that will format your swap partition.


If you forgot to do this while installing, go to add/remove programs, download gnome partition editor, run gnome partition editor, right click on your swap partition and select "swap on".

[ludovicc]

There is a web site which explains dual boot in details, give it a try:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/