9.10 installation on second hard drive

[oof]

Hello Ubutu,

Just wanted to ask the wisdom of those who installed Ubuntu 9.10 on a second HD (win Xp is allready on the first HD) how this is exactly done. In addition, I read some old threads ( http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=179902 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=179902)) and one suggestion is to change the second HD (where ubuntu indends to sit) to be the primary HD. If I'm not wrong this requires changing the hardware itself (jumpers), something that I preffer not to do. So I would also like to know if hardware changes are nessasary .

thanks

[darkod]

Jumpers are used on IDE drives. If you have only newer SATA drivers don't worry about it.

The usual way would be to leave the windows disk have the windows bootloader on the MBR, and during the ubuntu install to tell it to install the bootloader (grub2) on the ubuntu disk. But unless you can make the ubuntu disk first option to boot from in BIOS, the computer will keep booting windows straight away like you never installed ubuntu.

So, the options are:
1. Install grub2 on the same disk where ubuntu is, and make that disk first option in BIOS.

2. Leave the windows disk as first option but during ubuntu install tell grub2 to install there.

It should work either way, but it's usually better to have grub2 on the same disk as ubuntu, it's booting faster.

[oof]

thanks darkod,

I also prefer the the second option , yet how exactly can I implement the idea of telling grub2 to install itself on the first drive ?
Another thing: I tested the first stages of the installation CD and I see the installation CD recognizes the second HD and ignore the first with win XP (normaly it recognizes windows), is it normal ?

[darkod]

In step 4 it will show you only one disk at a time. If you want to install on another disk, I think you can temporarily select the option Erase and use whole disk, that will enable a drop down list under it. Select the disk you want, then use another option if you don't want to use the Erase.... option because that will wipe the disk you selected completely.

Also, in this drop down list and in this step 4, you can notice what are the hdds called in linux terms. Usually the disk you already have with windows would be /dev/sda, the second disk you want to install onto /dev/sdb, etc. You need to write these down.

Then in the final screen of the installer, before clicking Install, click on the Advanced button and it will show you where the bootloader will be installed. There you select to have it installed on /dev/sda for example (if that was the name of the windows disk and if that is what you want). Be careful to select /dev/sda (or /dev/sdb, etc) without a number in it. A number means partition, you want the bootloader on the MBR of the disk, not on particular partition.

[oof]

darkod,

The idea is clear, Lets see it this works,
Many thanks for your kind help

[oof]

:popcorn::p:p:p:p:p:p:popcorn:

congratulation to myself, and thanks darkod (look at this intricate art above, this is my gift to you !)
I installed ubuntu on the second hard drive, put the GRUB loader on the first drive (/dev/sda) according to your instruction. Installation went smoothly. Updated the software afterward. Much easier than the tutorials I read.

Thanks, thanks, thanks,

[darkod]

Excellent, glad it worked out OK for you. Watching out where grub goes is one of the most important things with multiple drives. Unfortunately it often gets overlooked. So you think it went on one disk, and it ended up on another.
Enjoy it now.

[oof]

another satisfied customer =D>