View Full Version : [ubuntu] Dual Boot To Use My Existing Data Files
Snappa
March 5th, 2009, 06:28 PM
I want to install the latest Ubuntu onto my hard disk, to dual boot with my existing Win XP. I have all my data, including Thunderbird, Firefox, and OO profiles, on Drive F, which is an NTFS partition. I would like to be able to seemlessly use this data from either XP or Ubuntu, slowly moving over to Ubuntu as I gain confidence and experience.
Is this possible ?
Can somebody please recommend the best installation procedure to follow ?
Will I have to do anything special to achieve my goal ?
Any other tips ?
Thanks.
Therion
March 5th, 2009, 06:36 PM
Just so I'm so clear...
Single hard drive with your Windows partition/install and a separate partition (F: under Windows) where you're stashing your porn.
You want to dual-boot XP and Ubuntu on the single drive, keeping the additional partition (aka F:) intact with the idea of migrating it's contents into your Ubuntu applications once you've installed it?
Correct so far?
Snappa
March 5th, 2009, 09:27 PM
You are more or less correct. Drive F (my data) is physically on a separate drive. I want to dual-boot XP and Ubuntu on the other drive.
I have only ever worked with Windows, so all my data is in this NTFS drive, which I want to keep using from Ubuntu.
Writing this has made me think. What I have written above is correct. But, . . . , I will be installing a new, larger, hard drive, which will ultimately contain all 3 partitions, that is, XP, Ubuntu, and Data, ie., I will be reinstalling XP, and all the applications, as well as Ubuntu. My data must be accessible from XP and Ubuntu.
I hope this is not too confusing.
Your help and advice is very much appreciated.
Thanks.
Therion
March 5th, 2009, 09:40 PM
Okay yeah, I'm following you.
So here's what you wanna do (Readers Digest Version):
Do your backups.
Install Windows.
Install Ubuntu.
You can manually partition the install-drive during the Ubuntu installation to create the shared-data partition or you can go back later and use something like gParted to shrink an existing partition and create the new shared-data partition. The sticky-wicket, I'm thinking, is going to be getting both Windows and Ubuntu to mount the shared partition. This should be doable but I might also point out Explore2FS (http://www.supriyadisw.net/2006/09/how-to-read-ubuntu-partition-on-windows), an application for Windows that lets you read EXT2/3 from within Windows.
This site has some good information regarding setting up a shared-data partition on a dual-boot system, but I'm not sure how current the information is:
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2006/05/08/dual-boot-laptop.html
Also, what's going to become of the F: drive? Backups, I suppose. Good idea. Dual-drive systems are the ONLY way to fly in my opinion.
Snappa
March 5th, 2009, 11:38 PM
Thanks again Therion.
I've looked at the article you referred to. Although written in mid 2006, it still uses a FAT32 shared partition. I have read that in the old days, Linux was not so reliable in reading NTFS, but I had assumed that this had now improved, and a FAT32 partition would no longer be needed. As I have said, I want to be able to read my data from both operating systems, without the nuisance and extra risk of using an extra file system/partition.
What's your take on that ?
Therion
March 5th, 2009, 11:44 PM
NTFS support is now native to Ubuntu. You can even install a GUI front-end to manage your existing NTFS partitions (ntfs-3g) if you like. NTFS is also a journaled file system which FAT32 is not.
In my opinion, NTFS has got it all over FAT32.
Snappa
March 6th, 2009, 12:10 AM
Thanks again Therion.
I've looked at the article you referred to. Although written in mid 2006, it still uses a FAT32 shared partition. I have read that in the old days, Linux was not so reliable in reading NTFS, but I had assumed that this had now improved, and a FAT32 partition would no longer be needed. As I have said, I want to be able to read my data from both operating systems, without the nuisance and extra risk of using an extra file system/partition.
What's your take on that ?
Snappa
March 6th, 2009, 10:14 AM
Thanks,
Don't know how that double post happened.
I hope to rebuild the PC over the weekend, then I'll start on the Ubuntu install, without the FAT32 partition. No doubt, I'll be back on the forum soon. ;)
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