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Thread: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

  1. #1
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    Nov 2015
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    Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Hiya,

    I need help setting up a new machine, as my dual-boot knowledge is very rusty, and my google-fu must be weak!

    I've had dual-boot setups in the XP days, but nowadays run lubuntu 18.04 or 20.04 single-boot setups on all my 3 PCs / laptops.

    I've got a new (to me) laptop - an old, but upgradable Samsung 400B - and want to carry on using Lububtu, but with the preinstalled win10 as backup for family.

    I've managed to muddle through Win10's recovery mode, and get booted into a live environment, but have many nOOb questions if you don't mind:

    (1) I'm unfamiliar with how Win10 machines do booting / security. The machine boots straight to w10 unless I restart via win10 recovery. Not even an "enter bios" option.
    I assumed it would be a UFEI boot machine, so I could follow a tutorial. However once in the "bios" it says
    Code:
    Samsung electronic BIOS Team u5.4 c2.10.1208
    At the bottom. This doesn't seem to be a UFEI setup, and there is no secure boot option. I'm therefore a little lost as to how to approach a full (dual boot) install.

    (1.5) I have spare ssd's - will I mess anything up by simply switching out the SSD and installing on a spare one to test?

    (2) I can only run the 20.04 live USB in live mode, persistent mode glitches out after starting a disk check.

    (3) Trying to watch a youtube video in Firefox (live USB to ram) causes all sorts of weirdness / freezes - not quite a full crash, but unusable.

    (4) I have a few days in which to test this machine. A search here shows others have had various issues with the Samsung 400b some of which are unfathomable. How do I go about testing?

    Presumably I need to install lububtu, or use the live USB and then:

    - try web browsing;
    - try media playback; and
    - try various other workflows (like light video editing on the mighty i3-2310m, audio / video capture using OBS, and remote meetings (Zoom))

    Are there any other compatability issues you recommend that I should consider, and test for?
    Last edited by steve234; August 18th, 2021 at 04:49 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    1,988

    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Don't confuse UEFI with Secure-boot. Your 2011 machine may be a 64bit UEFI machine without Secure boot -- one less thing to worry about. The boot mode should have controls in the BIOS/UEFI settings, maybe CMS (compatibility mode for legacy, off for UEFI). Some machines allow you to set a preference (UEFI preferred over legacy or vice versa) when both boot methods are possible (like the Ubuntu ISO). The mode in which you install Windows should be the mode in which you install Ubuntu.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
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    222

    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Thanks, I'll see if I can work out which mode windows boots in. I think there is a shell command for that

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    I think, where I explained this to someone else, should answer allot of your questions: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....5#post14054155

    "Concurrent coexistence of Windows, Linux and UNIX..." || Ubuntu user # 33563, Linux user # 533637
    Sticky: Graphics Resolution | UbuntuForums 'system-info' Script | Posting Guidelines | Code Tags

  5. #5
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    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Thanks, that is a very useful explanation. I think windows fast boot / hibernate thing was confusing me (XP didn't have that) into thinking there was some windows-y stuff outside of the HDD somehow.

    So in terms of "testing" use cases, I can just plop in an SSD and install 20.04, and just put the win10 drive back in if it doesn't work out?

  6. #6
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    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Yes...Thaat would be the best scenario and safest.

    And if you do that and want both, you could then add the old drive back in. Then set the boot drive in BIOS to the drive with the new Linux install, with the old one later... Boot it... Upgrade the Grub2 bootloader... It will find the Installed Windows on the other drive, and add it to it's Grub Menu, without changing anything on your origianl drive.

    "Concurrent coexistence of Windows, Linux and UNIX..." || Ubuntu user # 33563, Linux user # 533637
    Sticky: Graphics Resolution | UbuntuForums 'system-info' Script | Posting Guidelines | Code Tags

  7. #7
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    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Its a laptop, so only one drive. But great. The machine is pretty old and low spec, so there's a chance I'll return it (undamaged) to its rightful owner if it isn't up to scratch.

    Looks promising for now tho, I have a 10yr old dell xps laptop which does everything I need, and this unit is slightly higher spec

  8. #8
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    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    If you do keep itt... Keep the second drive and buy a USB 2-1/2" drive case on Amazon... Very inexpensive. Just throwing ideas out there. It could still have a use.

    "Concurrent coexistence of Windows, Linux and UNIX..." || Ubuntu user # 33563, Linux user # 533637
    Sticky: Graphics Resolution | UbuntuForums 'system-info' Script | Posting Guidelines | Code Tags

  9. #9
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    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Thanks, I already have one of those. I'm interested that this particular unit has an expresscard port. So I could load it up with A LOT of M2 storage if I wanted (tho at EC speed)

  10. #10
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    Re: Dual boot nOOb questions - Lubuntu 20.04

    Dropped in my Lububtu 18.04 SSD from my 'dead' lappy and everything works like a charm. Will do a fresh Lububtu 20.04 install or (shudder) Arch and see how I get on.

    Thanks very much for unblocking this for me and helping me get over the hurdles of understanding the basics

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