Kubuntu Installation: disk options not clear to me

[johniathome]

WHAT I HAVE GOT:
--------------------------
I have an old PC with a 60GB disk. This has:
- one 30GB partion containing Windows XP that I want to keep
- remaining 30gb is free/unallocated

Pretty simple, eh?

WHAT I WANT:
--------------------
- one 30GB partion containing Windows XP that I want to keep
- remaining 30gb used by Kubuntu
- dual boot between XP and Kubuntu

Also pretty simple?

WHAT I AM OFFERED DURING INSTALLATION:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Kubuntu installation options displayed are:

Installation Type

Where would you like to install Kubuntu?

* Guided - use entire disk
. Guided - use entire disk and LVM
...etc

[But I dont want to use the entire disk, and I don't want LVM, so..., none of the above apllies to me]

. Manual

Then a dropdown box showing my single disk

Before:
[blank]

After:
Shows blue bar implying that the whole disk is used by Kubuntu.

If I click "Manual" and "Continue", the only real option I am offered in the "Prepare Partitions" window is to Format the entire disk (/dev/sda), which I am reluctant to do, obviously!

The setup appears not to recognise my existing partition containing XP, that I want to keep exactly as it is.

I do not want to trash my XP partition!

[oshunluvr]

Ubiquity (the installer) occasionally does not "see" the partition table correctly. Being an old computer, this may be the case here.

I would try a couple things: First, boot to the live environment and open KpartitionManager. If it "sees" your partition table, create two new partitions in your free space, one for swap (same size as your RAM) and the rest for Kubuntu. I do not recommend a separate home partition on such a small drive. Format the Kubuntu partition as ext4. Then reboot and see if Ubiquity will allow you to select existing partitions using the Manual install option. Maybe a fresh partition table will help Ubiquity detect it.

Also, since this is an old computer - KDE via Kubuntu might be to resource heavy for it anyway. You could try installing a different *buntu like Lubuntu that has a lighter weight desktop. It the LXDe installer detects your partition table correctly, you can install and then later install KDE if you want to try it.

Another option is to use the server iso which uses a text based install tool (not Ubiquity) that I have had better results from with older BIOS computers. Then once your are installed and booted to the text environment, simply sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop should get you to Kubuntu.

[johniathome]

Thank you oshunluvr.

I am a bit surprised that Ubiquity can't "see" the partition table:

a) I thought the partition table layout and position had been standard for decades. Or, is it a problem with old BIOSs?

b) Ubuntu 12.04LTS sees the table, but some other Ubuntu installation CDs dont see it.

I tried your KPartitionManager suggestion, but it couldn't see it either.

So, I have given up on the dual boot idea, and have found another old-ish PC to use for Kubuntu.

Thanks anyway!

[mr_raider]

This is higly suspicious. Boot into the Live CD of your choice and run teh following commands, and post the results.

sudo parted -l

sudo fdisk -lu

[Guest]

agre with oshunluvr