already installed 32, need steps on installing windows and then 64 now.

[PsychedelicWonders]

Alright, I've already installed 32 just to get things going, but now I have xp pro coming to me hopefully tomorrow.

I have one hard drive (80g) that I am going to partition into 2 sections for windows and ubuntu.

Now I know I've read that putting windows on first and then ubuntu is the smoothest way for operation.

This time around I am also going to install 64 and try it out.

1) So what steps do I take to put windows on and then 64?

2) Do I have to wipe out 32 first?

3) Or just install windows over it?

4) then once I have windows installed... I partition the disk then correct?

5) What are the actual steps for doing this?

[coffeecat]

I'm not 100% sure exactly what you mean. Do you mean that at the moment you have just Ubuntu 32-bit on your 80G hard drive, and that when you get the Windows XP install disc, you're going to install both Windows and Ubuntu 64-bit? If so, this is what I would do.

1 - Boot up with the Ubuntu live CD and go into Gparted to erase the whole disc. Then create one NTFS primary partition (sda1) with the boot flag set. Leave the rest of the hard disc unallocated for now. That will be formatted when you install Ubuntu.

The reason I suggest using the Ubuntu CD to erase the HD and set up a NTFS partition is that I've come across threads here where the Windows install disc seems to have been confused by pre-existing Linux partitions. I don't know whether that's true, but whenever I've installed Windows on a partition that takes up less than the whole of the HD, I've always prepared a partition for it first. It's always been happy with that.

2 - Close down the Ubuntu live environment and now boot from the Windows CD and install Windows.

3 - Now boot up from the Ubuntu 64 disc and start the installer. At the partitioning stage, tell it to use the unallocated space of the HD. You could accept the defaults or set up your own partitioning layout, but only using the unallocated space.

You're quite right about installing Windows before Ubuntu. If you install Ubuntu first, it won't know about Windows and won't put a menu entry in grub's menu.lst for you. You'll have to do that yourself. More importantly, Windows will overwrite the grub stage 1 in the mbr and you won't be able to boot into Ubuntu - or at least until you re-install grub stage 1.

[PsychedelicWonders]

I'm not 100% sure exactly what you mean. Do you mean that at the moment you have just Ubuntu 32-bit on your 80G hard drive, and that when you get the Windows XP install disc, you're going to install both Windows and Ubuntu 64-bit? If so, this is what I would do.

Yes this is what I'm trying to do.

1 - Boot up with the Ubuntu live CD and go into Gparted to erase the whole disc. Then create one NTFS primary partition (sda1) with the boot flag set. Leave the rest of the hard disc unallocated for now. That will be formatted when you install Ubuntu.

1) Does it prompt me to go into Gparted?

2) Where and how exactly do I great a NTFS primary partion? In Gparted?

3)What is a boot flag and how do I set it?

Some people have said to install windows and do the partition then... does it really matter when you do it?

[Elfy]

Does it prompt me to go into Gparted?

- No.

Where and how exactly do I great a NTFS primary partion? In Gparted?

once you have used gparted to delete all existing partitions you will be left with unallocated space for the whole of the drive. Right click and then new - format to ntfs - you will be able to set the size you want there.

3)What is a boot flag and how do I set it?

Right clcik the new ntfs partition - manage flags.

[TreeFinger]

Insert Windows install CD. Restart Computer. Boot from CD.

You will then create the partition that you would like to install windows on. First delete all current partitions (Make sure you have backed up your important data as it will all be gone). Then create a new NTFS partition (Whatever size you want available for windows). Now, install windows to that partition.


After you feel like installing ubuntu, insert the live CD and restart the computer. Boot into Live cd desktop to make sure everything is working correctly. Then install ubuntu using the shortcut on the desktop.

You will now need to create 2 more partitions. One will be where your Swap partition. The size of this depends on how much memory (RAM) you have. Make it equal or a few 100MBs above how much you have. After you create the 'swap' partition you now create a Primary partition for your Ubuntu install + files you will be saving. Using ext3 file system is probably the best choice. (And use the rest of available storage on your harddrive unless you plan on installing another distro)

Just make sure you do not delete the NTFS partition when installing ubuntu, that is where windows is located. GRUB will be automatically configured and when you reboot Ubuntu will be your default OS but if you want to boot Windows then just select it from the menu.

[PsychedelicWonders]

- No.

So where or how exactly do I get to Gparted?

once you have used gparted to delete all existing partitions you will be left with unallocated space for the whole of the drive. Right click and then new - format to ntfs - you will be able to set the size you want there.

Since its an 80 gig drive that is only ever goign to be used to run the OS', should I just split it in half? or does windows need a bigger partition?

Right clcik the new ntfs partition - manage flags.[/QUOTE]

So when I right click and go to manage flags, there is a "boot flag" that I click on?

What does this boot flag do?

Do I boot flag both partitions, or just one?

[Elfy]

gparted is in the system - admin menu - Partition Editor

Can't answer xp pro size as I've never installed xp - but at a guess 50/50 won't hurt.

Boot flag tells which partition to boot - only put it on one, only make the ntfs partition, the ubuntu install will sort it's partition out later.

[PsychedelicWonders]

Insert Windows install CD. Restart Computer. Boot from CD.

You will then create the partition that you would like to install windows on. First delete all current partitions (Make sure you have backed up your important data as it will all be gone). Then create a new NTFS partition (Whatever size you want available for windows). Now, install windows to that partition.


After you feel like installing ubuntu, insert the live CD and restart the computer. Boot into Live cd desktop to make sure everything is working correctly. Then install ubuntu using the shortcut on the desktop.

You will now need to create 2 more partitions. One will be where your Swap partition. The size of this depends on how much memory (RAM) you have. Make it equal or a few 100MBs above how much you have. After you create the 'swap' partition you now create a Primary partition for your Ubuntu install + files you will be saving. Using ext3 file system is probably the best choice. (And use the rest of available storage on your harddrive unless you plan on installing another distro)

Right now, I just have 2g of ram... but plan on upgrading to 8 eventaully. I dont know when... but I might as well make the partition large enough to accomodate 8gigs now no?

so if I have 80k mb, take 36k for windows, 36k for Ubuntu and have 8500 for the swap partition?

Is that correct?

[PsychedelicWonders]

gparted is in the system - admin menu - Partition Editor

Can't answer xp pro size as I've never installed xp - but at a guess 50/50 won't hurt.

Boot flag tells which partition to boot - only put it on one, only make the ntfs partition, the ubuntu install will sort it's partition out later.

So if I want to mainly run Ubuntu... I should put the boot flag on that partition, not the windows one correct?

What does ntfs stand for?

[TreeFinger]

Right now, I just have 2g of ram... but plan on upgrading to 8 eventaully. I dont know when... but I might as well make the partition large enough to accomodate 8gigs now no?

so if I have 80k mb, take 36k for windows, 36k for Ubuntu and have 8500 for the swap partition?

Is that correct?

I highly doubt you will need 8GB for swap. 1GB is probably enough for swap.. 2GB is definitely enough.

So 2GB for swap, then split in half for ubuntu and windows.