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View Full Version : [SOLVED] Getting Ubuntu to use only the free unpartitoned space



Oxwivi
December 7th, 2010, 03:49 PM
When I install Ubuntu, after doing Windows, it always seems to hog some space away from Windows. How can I get Ubuntu to use only the unpartitioned space I left? I don't know how to use the advanced partitioning tool. Any pointers?

Swagman
December 7th, 2010, 04:10 PM
Sounds like your installing via Wubi ?

Frogs Hair
December 7th, 2010, 04:30 PM
For traditional dual boot use the disk utility in Windows prior to installing ubuntu shrink the free space to create to the desired partition size . When you get to the partition portion of the Ubuntu install use the manual settings and locate and format the space you have set aside . There are a number of tutorials on You Tube some better than others.

oldfred
December 7th, 2010, 06:32 PM
If you have an available primary partition to convert to the extended partition you can install Ubuntu by creating the partitions yourself. You then have total control over the sizes. You specify size, mount point (/ (root) & /home), and format.

For the Total space you want for Ubuntu:
Ubuntu's standard install is just / & swap, but it is better to add another partition for /home:
1. 10-20 GB Mountpoint / primary or logical beginning ext4(or ext3)
2. all but 2 GB Mountpoint /home logical beginning ext3(or ext4)
3. 2 GB Mountpoint swap logical

Depending on how much memory you have you may not absolutely need swap but having some is still recommended. I do not hibernate (boots fast enough for me) but if hibernating then you need swap equal to RAM. And if dual booting with windows a shared NTFS partition is also recommended. But you usually cannot create that as part of the install, just leave some space.

More info on partitioning:
Maverick partition by hand to use free space:
http://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/partitioning

Partitioning basics with some info on /data, older but still good
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=282018&highlight=separate+%2Fdata+partition
Screenshots of using gparted
http://www.howtoforge.com/partitioning_with_gparted

Oxwivi
December 7th, 2010, 06:58 PM
Okay, to answer all your responses, I'm using the standard installer form the Ubuntu CD. And I already installed Windows to the the size I want it to be and left space for Ubuntu, unpartitioned. Yet, still it takes some space from the Windows's partition for reasons I can't figure out. CHKDISK is automatically run at the next boot of Windows.

And finally, I am having the folders in my /home/user/ partition bound by fstab to yet another partition, so I'd skip making a separate partition for it. And do I really need swap at all? All I do is browse and chat and occasionally chat and listen to music. Gaming will be left to Windows, if any.

How do I set the root directory in the advanced partitioning tool at Ubuntu installation from the CD? Any pointers?

oldfred
December 7th, 2010, 08:28 PM
More links if you need them, then:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1622388
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Installing-Ubuntu-10-10-160966.shtml
http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2010/10/12/ubuntu-10-10-manual-disk-partitioning-guide/
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/ubuntu-maverick.html

They show examples with different versions of the installer. Choose the one more like what you want to do and just follow it.

Oxwivi
December 8th, 2010, 01:08 PM
I got what I was looking for in a link in one of your links, thanks.