Ubuntu/WinXP dual boot help please

[quinne]

Hi everyone -- If one is going to dual boot Ubuntu and Win XP, I believe I've read it's preferable to install XP first, then Ubuntu. I wiped Win 7 off of this laptop (couldn't stand it) and then installed Ubuntu. I've now decided I want to dual boot with XP. Is there a wiki somewhere on how to accomplish this so as to not destroy my grub bootloader?

Thanks for any hints, tips, etc you can provide.

[oldfred]

Windows will overwrite grub's bootloader in the MBR. You just have to reinstall it. Make sure you have a good liveCD of the same version of Ubuntu as you have installed.

#Comments are anything after the #, enter commands in terminal session
#Install MBR from LiveCD, Ubuntu install on sda5 and want grub2's bootloader in drive sda's MBR:
#Find linux partition, change sda5 if not correct:
sudo fdisk -l
#confirm that linux is sda5
sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
#If grub 1.99 with Natty uses boot not root
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
#If that returns any errors run:
sudo grub-install --recheck --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
# If no errors on previous commands reboot into working system and run this:
sudo update-grub

#More info here
#How to restore the Ubuntu/XP/Vista/7 bootloader (Updated for Ubuntu 9.10)
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708
#Reinstall grub2 - Short version
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Reinstalling%20GRUB%202

Windows will only install to a primary NTFS partition with the boot flag or to a blank drive where it can create a primary NTFS primary partition and make it active(boot flag).

[quinne]

Great info, oldfred, many thanks for laying that out so succinctly. If I have any further questions, I'll let you know. Thanks again.