[Wiltshire] Ubuntu dual boot auto partitioning?

[Simon Iremonger]

> WOnder if anyone can give me a little advice? I've got to the
> partitioning stage of my first dual boot Ubuntu install. I have a 20GB
> XP system partition and 54.4GB free space (was my XP storage/data
> partition).
> If I select "Install them side by side" I can slide the slidey partition
> thing (whatever that's called), but I don't see any Ubuntu partition
> until I slide it into the XP one (thus reducing the windows space).

If that won't do what you want then:-

a) use the 'gparted' partition editor from the livecd to make the right
      changes first.  You could try making windows fill all the disk
      (a common starting point for the installer).
b) check windows still works. you may need the 'recovery console' and
      'fixboot' 'fixmbr' to get it working.
c) then let the installer resize things, again.

> If I choose to "Use the largest continuous free space" I can set the
> partitions with the slider correctly to the XP/20GB Ubuntu/54.5GB I
> want, but then I'm not 100% sure it's going to sort all the Grub
> business for me and let me choose which to boot. Or am I going to have
> to sort it manually?

Aah -- it will let you choose what you want!   You can always choose
   'manual partitioning' -- you really just want 1 ext3/ext4 partition
   and also a swap partition, unless you want separate 'data' storage.
It will sort out all the grub business for you!

> Hoping to finally make it to a meeting this month .. :)
Good idea.

> John Callam-Anderson
> @ john at kipple.co.uk

--Simon