Installing beside Win7

[markyork]

Hi, all. I am a 2nd-time-tryer of Linux.

I am planning on installing Kubuntu on a Toshiba Laptop (Qosmio X505-Q882) running Win7 Home Premium 64-bit and 4GB RAM.

For my first time around with Linux, earlier this year I installed Ubuntu 11.04. It took some fiddling, mostly due to issues with the video card driver (my laptop has an nVidia GeForce 360m - total 1.25GB video RAM). I installed it alongside Windows so I used the GRUB OS selector. I eventually got it running quite well. (For the record - and I know this is a topic of hot debate - I actually like the Unity interface! :P )

Due to my own stupidity, however, I had to completely reformat my hard drive back to factory-installed state and decided this time around to try out a different distro: Kubunutu, which is why I'm here.

I would again like to be able to "dual-boot" and be able to choose between Kubuntu and Windows during startup. Does the ISO installer that I downloaded form the Kubuntu download page allow that option by itself? I.e. do I just burn the image to a CD, boot from it, and I will have the option of dual-booting? Or is there some other step I will have to take to be able to dual boot?

Thanks!

[richb]

Re: Installing beside Win7

I just did the same on a new laptop. I like to partition the drive ahead of time using gparted LiveCD. In my case I had 3 Win7 partitions and created three more for a Kubuntu /home, /root and /swap. You have to contract the free space first then create an extended partition and partitions under that. Install grub to the MBR and the grub screen will allow booting to Win7 or Kubuntu. There are other approaches and I am sure others will detail them.

This is what my partition table looks like. Partitions 8, 9 and 10 are the Kubuntu partition, 5. 6 and 7 are another Linux distro. I could have used the same swap partition for both Linux distros but I did not.

[markyork]

Re: Installing beside Win7

Thanks for the reply, rich.

I'm looking to keep things simple, so I'd like to just have one partition for Windows. Based on your partitioning, it looks like you spend the majority of the time in Linux, but I will be spending most of my time in Win (for gaming, mostly). I have a 500GB HDD, so I'm thinking probably ~400GB for the Win partition and the rest for my Linux install.

Am I to understand that while installing Kubuntu one of the steps will allow me to install GRUB?

Also, I think I've seen elsewhere that it's not really necessary to have separate /home, /root/ and /swap partitions for Linux. Is that a matter of personal preference, strictly required, highly recommended, or only if you're really anal about organizing your install?

[richb]

Re: Installing beside Win7

Most machines have a restore partition as well as the main Win7 partition. You will want to retain that should your Win installation bomb. Some also have a boot partition as mine has.

Yes you will have a step that gives you an option to install grub with the Kubuntu install process.

It is not necessary to have a separate home and root although it is recommended. It makes it easier to backup a home partition. Some also create a data partition for ease of backing up data.

Yes I spend 99% of my time in Linux so give that priority. 100 GIG for Linux is adequate.

[markyork]

Re: Installing beside Win7

Sounds good!

Thanks for the advice, rich

[ShapeShifter]

Re: Installing beside Win7

The default kde installation will shrink you partitions of windows and install kde side by side,

So if you dont change anything you will have a dual boot partition all configured and ready to go at the end

Regards

[markyork]

Re: Installing beside Win7

Hey, ShapeShifter, thanks for the reply.

Your post seems to imply I do not need to use third-party partitioning software prior to installing Kubuntu. Is that correct?

Will I have a choice of how much the Windows partition will be shrunk during Kubuntu installation?

[oshunluvr]

Re: Installing beside Win7

The amount you will be allowed to shrink the windows partition will depend on how much of the partition is in use. Don't forget windows software is quite large so you may want to leave some room in case a windows program comes along you can't live without.

I suggest using the win7 software to defrag and resize the windows partition and be sure you can boot to it. Then use a Gparted LivdCD ti divide up the remaining space.

I recommend three partitions for linux: swap, root, and home. For laptops, swap size should equal the amount of RAM you have. "root" aka / aka your install partition needs to be between 8-16GB. I suggest 1 or 2 additional "root" partitions for a backup and/or a place to install another distro. It's likely, if you're fairly new to linux, that you'll want to try another distro down the road and it's easier to plan for that now. Whatever space left over you use for /home.

If you reserve 100GB for linux and follow my suggestions you'll end up with something like this:

swap 2GB
root1 12GB
root2 12GB
root3 12GB
home 62GB

[markyork]

Re: Installing beside Win7

I'm currently using about 80 or so GB of my 500GB drive. As with most laptop manufacturers, Toshiba has I think about 8 GB set aside for its stuff.

My plan is to give Windows 350 to 400GB and use the rest for Linux, so that fits in well with your suggestion, oshunluvr.

It sounds to me like your suggested process of setting up the drive and installing is:
1) Use a Windows program to shrink the drive to the desired size (I have EASUS)
2) Use Gparted LiveCD to set up the Linux partitions on the non-NTFS part of the drive, and then
3) Install Kubuntu

Something like that?