Installing Kubuntu on disk 2, keeping XP on disk 1

[Guest]

Hi

So I decided to install Kunbuntu 9. Something went right, something went wrong. My data:
Disk 1: 500 GB, dedicated to XP and data.
Disk 2: Empty.

The installer defaults wants to resize the first disk and install dual boot. I don't want that, I want Kubuntu to install on the second disk. For that I had to go into the 'custom' install. In there I created / and swap. After installing it there as no dual boot. On re-running the setup wizard I discovered in the advanced options it installed the boot loader on the second disk. As far as I know that doesn't make sense: it needs to be on the first disk (unless I am completely wrong, of course :P).

So now I can rerun the complete setup and tell it to install the boot loader on the first disk, but I am wondering if it will keep my XP intact then. The better (because: shorter) way of course would be to be able to manually fix the setup that I have so far, yet it is vitally important my XP stays intact. Would anybody happen to know how I can do the latter?

Thank you in advance for your help

PS As a feedback to the developers: I was rather surprised the installer in the 'fully automatic install' wants to resize the first disk. It might have been more 'elegant' if it would have asked where I wanted to install (hence, disk 2 would have been selectable as well), and then automatically install the whole dual boot setup by itself.

[Qqmike]

Re: Installing Kubuntu on disk 2, keeping XP on disk 1

You can fix this manually without running the installer.

Option #1:
You need to "re-install GRUB" to the MBR of disk 1 using the GRUB files in your Kubuntu partition. See here:

-- How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0

Be Aware: GRUB will overwrite the XP bootloader files that are now in the MBR of disk1. If you have a way to restore the XP loader (should you ever want to), that's not a problem at all -- that is what most of us do.

Option #2:
If, however, you wish to boot XP using the GRUB installed to the MBR of disk 2 (from the GRUB files in your Kubuntu partition), you may do so by adding a boot entry for XP in the Boot menu (/boot/grub/menu.lst). You would then be booting XP on a non-first HDD:

title XP on (hd1): disk 1 will be come the 2nd disk = (hd1)
root (hd1,0)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
chainloader +1


AND, then set your BIOS to boot first from disk 2 (the Kubuntu disk).
(disk 2 will be come the first disk = hd0)



All this you will find in the how to I linked.