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    New system - partition and grub help please

    Not sure where to post this - I still consider myself a newbie after 12 months with Kubuntu - sorry for the length of this post - so here goes.

    I installed Kubuntu64 Fiesty Fawn 12 months ago and have been using it as my daily OS on my main machine (AMD X2/4600) with no problems - Youtube, MP3, DVD play, word processing, spreadsheets, email, internet etc - everything just works. Having been a M$ user since dos 3.3, I find Kubuntu Linux fantastic and very refreshing to be able to use the computer instead of spending most of my time maintaining it under Windows. WIndows XP crashed 6 months ago and I could not get it to restart - not really bothered to fix it - haven't needed it - would like to have it for gaming on the new machine.

    I am pulling down one of my Q6600 quads and going to rebuild it as my main machine. It will have 2gb DDR2 800 ram and 2x 320GB IDE Western Digital HDDs plus other DVDs etc.

    Having experimented with several other distros etc my drives are a mess with unknown partitons etc everywhere. I have looked at many many threads for the information I need and have gotten confused over the various recommendations for setups, grub, and partitoning. Many are for older versions and are out of date?

    This is what I want to do with the new machine when Hardy Heron Kubuntu is finally released in a few weeks:

    1. 2 hard drives (320gb IDE) from existing machine - both will be blanked of all partitions etc - it will be a clean start.
    2. Windows XPHome on one & Kubuntu64 8.04 on the second one.
    3. The setup is to allow either drive to be removed and the system will still boot from the remaining drive without having to change bios boot options or editing grub each time.
    4. A 3rd drive (200gb IDE NTFS) will also be plugged in as a media and data storage drive shared with Win and Kubuntu. It will not have /home on it.
    5. I don't want anything to mess with the Windows (Game) drive - Grub in MBR etc. This drive will be ghosted monthly to keep a windows backup - Ghost doesn't like grub.

    My question is:

    1. What would be the best install options to allow the above to happen without having to change the bios boot options to have one or the other OS start at bootup each time.
    2. Item 3 above is vital that it be allowed for.

    I can muddle through partitioning from QpartedLive or PartedMagic live CD's, so I'm not completely in the dark about this process.

    Would one of the Kubuntu Gurus on this forum kindly outline the install positions of grub and partition sizes etc for me to accomplish this difficult (for me anyway) task.

    I have been lurking in this forum for the last year and it is awesome.

    Thank you very much for your anticipated help.

    #2
    Re: New system - partition and grub help please

    Well, I'll record a small part of this. Others may see other ways & address other details.

    Install XP to the first drive as usual.
    Install Kubuntu to the second drive AND specify during install that GRUB is to be installed only to the MBR of that second drive.
    Use GParted Live CD to set the boot flag on each drive.
    Set BIOS to boot first from the XP drive; second from the Kubuntu drive.
    And hope that works.
    Of course, if the both drives are connected, you will boot into XP and there will be no option to boot into Kubuntu. If you disconnect the XP drive, BIOS should boot into Kubuntu. Edit GRUB on the Kubuntu drive to use device references (hd0,y).

    Or,
    Set BIOS to boot from the Kubuntu drive first and the XP drive second. The Kubuntu drive will be referenced in GRUB boot menu as (hd0,y); XP will be (hd1,z).
    Configure GRUB to boot both Kubuntu and XP (XP will then be on a non-first hard drive).

    You have a lot of details to work through; easy details, but there are several of them. And some experimenting with your system/BIOS.


    How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
    http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
    Note Replies #1 (menu.lst) and #12 (XP on non-first HDD)

    Or,
    setup GRUB on a flash drive to boot both XP and Kubuntu and always keep the flash drive connected to the PC.

    How To Make GRUB Thumb Drive
    http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081748.0
    (Must use the special GRUB from SGD with usbshift capability)


    Partitioning—how to, Rog131:
    http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090704.0

    Bigpond, home: http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/
    See his GRUB and Windows pages for various ways to boot Windows & Linux.
    Lots of information/options there.

    Lots of homework to do.



    An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski

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      #3
      Re: New system - partition and grub help please

      Qqmike - thank you very much.

      Your help gives me what I need to look up over the next couple of weeks.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: New system - partition and grub help please

        teemac, Great! Enjoy the learning part of this, that's part of the fun with Linux
        Post any questions you have back here in this thread, and we'll try to keep up with you.
        (Software, networking, etc., though, have their own boards -- this is best for installation, partitioning, booting, etc.).
        An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski

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