Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

[elder73]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

Thank you for all the help folks. I am going to have to read it all over and think on it a bit before I go any further.

[elder73]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

You will have a big problem if your other linux is a kde distro and uses kde3.5 or has d different configuration for kde4.x.x or even an earlier version of kde4 than the one you are installing.
So creating a new user is simple and hassle free.

I started to install Kubuntu 9.0 and got as far as the partitioning and promptly descended into confusion.

To briefly recap I want to install Kubuntu over Mandriva, hoping that I can save the home directory but have backed it up anyway. Half of the disk is given to Windows XP. So what I want to end up with is a dual booting system with Windows XP and Kubuntu. As a picture is replaces a thousand words I am attaching two shots of my screen at the partition section.

Help would be really appreciated.

[vinnywright]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

it's ok no hurey.......LOL

AHumm yes ..............well to the fun....

ok so from the second screeney I see that /sda1 is windows and you will leave this alone.

/sda2 looks to be fat32 storage of about 9Gig......do you nead it.? if so leave it alone.

humm no /sda3-4 this drives ben mesed with a few times perhaps.

/sda5 looks to be the mandriva root or/ about 12 Gig.....good highlight it click edit and asine it to / root and click format........nothing will happen untill the next page or 2

/sda6 is swap..........just highlight and edit and asine as swap.

/sda7 looks like a good home.........so agin click to highlight and click edit and asine to /home...NOW the choise to format or not .......you dont half to.......but I would just to side step posable querks.......you did say you backed up the data you wanted from it rite

/sdb1 looks like about 1Gig of fat16??........a usb stick you left in?? mabey

OK then check it all over and then click next ..............now on the next page or the one after you will see a advanced button click it and make shure that Grub IS going to be installed to the MBR ...........then let it install wile you go have a cup of coffey

VINNY

[monte48lowes]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

If you have stopped installing and you are still able to boot into Mandriva....

Boot into Mandriva and print out or write down the output of:

cat /etc/fstab

This will tell you where each partition is currently mounted. Posting the output here is not necessary, unless you need further assistance with it.

I am hoping that you have stopped the install process until you have the answer to your question.

Mike

[elder73]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

OK then check it all over and then click next ..............now on the next page or the one after you will see a advanced button click it and make shure that Grub IS going to be installed to the MBR ...........then let it install wile you go have a cup of coffey

When I got to the MBR part it gave me a list of partitions, so I presumed that the MBR was in SDA!. Anyway, that is where I put it. Must say that after the install and you boot in, the boot in screen where I choose windows or Kubuntu (Ubuntu) is not the prettiest thing walking around, which makes me wonder whether I got it in the right place.

The version I installed had the latest KDE and I must say that is going to take a little getting used to. In Mandriva, right on the start menu, it give you a selection that allows you to add or remove software. I'm sure KDE 4 must have it somewhere but for now I can't find it.

All of my home stuff from Mandriva was lost but I had backed it all up.

[elder73]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

If you have stopped installing and you are still able to boot into Mandriva....

Boot into Mandriva and print out or write down the output of:

cat /etc/fstab

This will tell you where each partition is currently mounted. Posting the output here is not necessary, unless you need further assistance with it.

I am hoping that you have stopped the install process until you have the answer to your question.

Mike

Thank you for this, it is useful to know. I had obtained enough information from Vinny that got me going and installed Kubuntu. It is not fully in use yet, this is coming to you from the Windows half of my system. Bill.

[monte48lowes]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

As many others have posted here on the forums (and elsewhere), I recommend installing synaptic.

sudo apt-get install synaptic

Then you will find it under K-Menu>Applications>System>Package Manager Synaptic Package Manager. You can right click on it and "Add to Favorites".

Mike

I do not find the new version of Adept very useful at all.

[elder73]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

As many others have posted here on the forums (and elsewhere), I recommend installing synaptic.

sudo apt-get install synaptic

Then you will find it under K-Menu>Applications>System>Package Manager Synaptic Package Manager. You can right click on it and "Add to Favorites".

Thank you for the above, I have downloaded Synaptic. This may not be the place but the Kubuntu screen is over to the left on my monitor, with about a half inch gap down the right side of the screen. Is there a way to correct this?

Thank you, Bill.

[dibl]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

This may not be the place but the Kubuntu screen is over to the left on my monitor, with about a half inch gap down the right side of the screen.

Since this is a different topic than the one addressed in the title and original post, you should start a new thread with that question, and a suitable title.

Hint: for video-related troubleshooting help, it is necessary to get the essential information about your hardware. You can use "lspci -vv" to print it to your screen, and then copy just the part that shows the VGA capability to your post. Also your computer model and the version of Kubuntu you are using will be needed. If your monitor is a separate unit from your computer, then the make and model of the monitor may also be important to understanding the problem and solution.

[aiiee]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

OK then check it all over and then click next ..............now on the next page or the one after you will see a advanced button click it and make shure that Grub IS going to be installed to the MBR ...........then let it install wile you go have a cup of coffey

VINNY

Aannnd that's the step I missed. They could have given that button a screen in the main dialog so that you know you have to do something special if you are overwriting an old Linux distro. No big deal. Thanks for saving me 4 or 5 hours of repeatedly trying to figure out what went wrong

[aiiee]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

OK then check it all over and then click next ..............now on the next page or the one after you will see a advanced button click it and make shure that Grub IS going to be installed to the MBR ...........then let it install wile you go have a cup of coffey

VINNY

Aannnd that's the step I missed. They could have given that button a screen in the main dialog so that you know you have to do something special if you are overwriting an old Linux distro. No big deal. Thanks for saving me 4 or 5 hours of repeatedly trying to figure out what went wrong

It doesn't say which partition to mount Grub! There is no 'install in MBR' option. Only the list of partitions. Which partition should it go in? My windows partition? A new one? It doesn't say.

I think someone was pressed for time when they wrote this install dialog. Rather than collect the users changes and hold them until the end, every time you switch screens the changes are redone and undone, and redone, etc. Give the developers more time! Anyway, where do I put Grub now?

[vinnywright]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

sda1 I would say. ........and look to see if you get a chois of grub or grub2 I would stick with grub if you get a chois

VINNY

[aiiee]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

sda1 I would say. ........and look to see if you get a chois of grub or grub2 I would stick with grub if you get a chois

VINNY

thanks vinnywright! yes hda1 is my windows partition that is the first partition under hda. Which explains why grub didnt show up during routine install, the KDE installer assumes you want grub in the kubuntu partition, even if it never shows up on boot. odd.

[vinnywright]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

hold on aiiee I'm tird that should be sda not sda1 ...oops dont do the sda1 that wont be the MBR

and I just notesed you arnt the OP what;s you'r disk lay out start a new thred.
and post the output of

sudo fdisk -l

and your plans for the insall

VINNY

[aiiee]

Re: Installing Kubuntu Over Another Linux Distribution

hold on aiiee I'm tird that should be sda not sda1 ...oops dont do the sda1 that wont be the MBR

and I just notesed you arnt the OP what;s you'r disk lay out start a new thred.
and post the output of

sudo fdisk -l

and your plans for the insall

VINNY

haha. no worries. I thought it should be sda because that is the first partition. They really need to label this thing better. Too hard to understand what to do! Yes, let me get a picture here before we go further.