[SOLVED] Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

[Grizzley]

Hello All, I'm not entirely new to Linux but am new to the Ubuntu family. I have tried out Kubuntu 8.10 in Virtualbox and love it.

My question is, I already have PCLinuxOS installed to dual boot with Vista. I want to use my current partitions to install Kubuntu over PCLinuxOS. How do I do that without leaving garbage in my MBR? If I install from the live CD will it take care of that and overwrite or will it leave garbage and bork my system? Leaving me unable to boot?

any help or points to other posts would be appreciated.

[Qqmike]

Re: Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

Have a look at this -- it steps through all possibilities dual booting with Vista and XP and Linux:
Dual boot Vista – The Definitive Guide: http://apcmag.com/dualboot

Basically, you can do this, and do anything you wish, there's just some choices to be made (e.g., will Vista's bootloader do the dual-booting or will GRUB--those issues).
Do you partitioning (if needed) as he explains there, noting Vista's partitioner and GParted Live CD.

[Grizzley]

Re: Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

Thanks for the quick reply Qqmike.

I've done all that with PCLinuxOS already so all the partitions are there and Grub is already working. I want to overwrite PCLinuxOS with Kubuntu. I've had problems in the past with removing Linux from a system and the MBR being messed up. I was wondering if installing Kubuntu over the PCLinuxOS is going to give me the same headaches or if it will just overwrite the MBR also.

Thanks again.

[Qqmike]

Re: Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

You can install Kubuntu over PCLinuxOS. If you want to do an extra unnecessary step, you could first use GParted Live CD to reformat your PCLinuxOS partition as ext3, then install Kubuntu there. However, the Kubuntu installer will format that partition for you anyway.

As for goofing up the dual boot ...

Use the Kubuntu Live CD installer.
Step 4: Choose the Manual partitioning method.
Step 5: tell the installer what goes where (swap, root, etc.).
Step 6: There is an Advanced button at the lower right.
Click it.
There, you can specify where you want the installer to put GRUB.
Two choices for you:

> If you want GRUB to control the dual booting of your Vista and your new Kubuntu OS, then let the installer put GRUB in (hd0). That is the Master Boot Record of the first BIOS boot drive, the MBR of the drive containing Vista (so it sounds to me, from your setup -- one hard drive, right?)

> If you want Vista to control the dual booting, then do NOT let the installer overwrite that MBR! Instead, put GRUB in the same partition that you put Kubuntu. Ex.; If you put Kubuntu into, say, sda3, and if that is (hd0,2) (in GRUB notation), then in Step 6, Advanced, specifiy:
(hd0,2)
(= the boot sector of the Kubuntu partition -- that is NOT any MBR).


You can find out how GRUB sees all your partitions using either PCLinuxOS or a Live Kubuntu CD:
Open Konsole
sudo grub
grub> geometry (hd0,0)
grub> geometry (hd0,1)
grub> geometry (hd0,2)
etc.


Only other issue is if you want a separate partition for home:
Partitioning—how to, Rog131:
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090704.0

[Grizzley]

Re: Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

Thanks a bunch Qqmike.

That's exactly the answer I was looking for. I've been running PCLinuxOS for about 1 1/2 years but they are not keeping up with updates. I'm gonna jump on the Ubuntu wagon and see how it goes.

I just wasn't familiar with Ubuntu and don't have a test system anymore. So I needed some insight before jumping into an empty pool if you know what I mean.


Again Thanks for the quick response.

[Qqmike]

Re: Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

Side note:
In the past, you may have had problems when you REMOVED a Linux distro IF the GRUB from that distro was controlling the dual-booting of (all) your OSs.

For example, here, if you want to remove PCLinuxOS and NOT replace it with any Linux, then you would:
(1) remove PCLinuxOS;
(2) Restore the Vista bootloader to the MBR of that drive using the Vista facilities (the Vista rescure CD or whatever it has for you to use).

But in your case, although PCLinuxOS will be gone, the GRUB bootloader from your new Kubuntu (replacing PCLinuxOS) can take over the dual-booting IF you wish GRUB to do so (versus having Vista handle the dual booting).

[Grizzley]

Re: [SOLVED] Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

Thanks for the side note.

I find it fascinating how much you can learn looking through forums. I'm going to start reading some books and studying for the LPI exams. I'm a Computer Science student and other than a couple of drive by passes I hadn't really done anything with Linux until I loaded PCLinuxOS. Now I use Linux as my main OS.

[Qqmike]

Re: [SOLVED] Help with distro switch to Kubuntu

Well, welcome aboard then, Grizzley.
With Linux, you are in full control. It's not perfect (neither are M$ products), but this is free (in all ways) and you have the forums for support.
No need ever to be without an OS -- you always have full access and use of your Kubuntu/Linux, on hard drive, on Live CD, or a Live persistent flash drive.
Many of us still have XP on some partition, but seldom boot into it. I find it a real hassle to do so (I have it on sda1), with AV scans, CCleaner scans, updates, etc., and so only do so for 30-45 minutes once a month (but I don't know why, except it is paid for -- a $100 OEM XP/Home disk I bought at Newegg when I built this machine 2005).
Don't be discouraged with the new Kubuntu 8.10 -- it will get much better as work on the new KDE4x continues.
My 8.04 is rock solid, unbreakable, and does everything I want in a sure-fire, snappy fashion.
Again, Grizzley, good to have you on the forum!



Added:
Don't forget the boards here at
Important Information > Documentation (e.g., the How-To's).