[MULTI BOOT] Start dual boot install with Windows or with Kubuntu?

[joneall]

I am getting my wife a new computer and she insists on Windows on it. I will install everything from scratch and I'm wondering whether it's better to first install Windows 10, letting it take care of UEFI and so forth, or start with Kubuntu and do it "by hand". I suspect the former is simpler, as it's what I have done in the past. I will want to install REFIND also, but I don't think that is an issue.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions/opinions.

('n not sure Neon is the proper place for this question, but since that's what I run...)

[Don B. Cilly]

I believe you should install Windows first, if you install it second it will do anything it can to take over the boot manager, whereas Kubuntu shouldn't.

[claydoh]

Doing Windows first will be slightly easier on that front,with one less partition to set up, plus Windows sets itself as the primary boot OS afterward. It did for me at least. but then again, Neon did so on my new PC this past month. A minor extra step to fix if this is not desired.
I don't recall if my last Windows 10 install used the existing Kubuntu-created EFI partition or not, and I no longer have that computer. I believe this was around 18.04 or so. I replaced the Windows drive on that machine, and decided to install Win 10 instead of reinstalling the OEM Win 7 on the HP PC, with an existing Kubuntu on a separate drive.

if you are doing everything by hand, it really does not matter.

[Qqmike]

I agree with the guys above. If you must have Windows, do it first.

AFAIK ... If you install Windows first, then install Kubuntu, Kubuntu will likely use the ESP partition that Windows created. But I'm not sure that the reverse is true: Windows may/may not use an ESP created by Kubuntu.

rEFInd on thumb drive or CD
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post379352

and only fwiw, my experience sort of related (Windows was already installed to my wife's laptop):
Dual Boot Your Existing Windows 8/10 with Kubuntu

https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post418607

[blue_bullet]

Windows first. It is probably already installed on your new machine unless you purchased a linux machine. Shrink your disk(s) to make room for KDE Neon and follow one of the many online tutorials for establishing a dual boot. I just had to return a Dell XPS 8930 b/c KDE Neon could only be installed in legacy mode so dual boot was a no-no, thank you Dell. I got an Asus GL10DH and got the dual boot to work just fine. Both machines had hybrid disks so I shrunk both ssd and hard drives in Windows before installing KDE Neon. I suggest partitioning putting / on the ssd and /home on the hard drive if you get a hybrid. I have always partitioned that way even with just a hard drive.