Comments on: How-to Dual Boot Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron and Windows (NT/XP/Vista)

By: The (Other) End of the Internet » Blog Archive » This Ubuntu install is TRYING to make me angry …

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:28:28 +0000

[...] I have tried to install Ubuntu Linux as part of a dual-boot on my desktop computer no less than SEVEN times. Here is the tutorial I am using as a guide. [...]

By: Thriell

Thriell — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:52:41 +0000

Okay, so I cleaned up the mess created by Paragon Partition Manager and went on to finish the install as you describe.

Ubuntu won’t boot.

It sits there with that orange bar going back and forth and back and forth ad nausaeum, but there is *NO* hard disk activity past the first 10 seconds.

Windows XP still boots, however.

If I can’t get this working and eventually want to throw up my hands in defeat, how would I go about removing GRUB from the bootup process?

By: Thriell

Thriell — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:24:01 +0000

HEY!

Early on in your comments, you recommended “Paragon Partition Manager” to “2Perfect”

You should include a warning that this program might randomly destroy data!
(details at http://otherendoftheinter.net/archives/2008/11/entry_1004.html)
I used it to move/resize 5 partitions to make room for ubuntu. It resized and moved three of them, left the fourth *BLANK*, and corrupted the MFT on the fifth.

Thanks SO much for recommending this program! I was hoping for the chance to lose 26 gigabytes of stuff! Maybe next time you can suggest a program that will accidentally make my computer explode. That’d be great fun!

By: The (Other) End of the Internet » Blog Archive » Paragon Partition Manager erased one of my partitions!

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:05:45 +0000

[...] found this tutorial explaining how to dual boot linux and XP when XP is already installed. Reading through the various [...]

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:48:05 +0000

Shailen, Hi. I have WinXPPro and installed Hardy from a CD within that. However i want Ubuntu to load as the default but cannot seem to get that to happen. I’ve read yours and countless other web links but to no avail. I I am not a Linux nurd so please make it simple. Thanks Bob

By: Shift

Shift — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:47:31 +0000

Hey man, I just wanted to say thanks for the help. It’s really nice to see someone willing to help out other people in such an uninterested way. Kudos to you!

By: harry_g

harry_g — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:02:02 +0000

I’ll try all this tomorrow.
Certainly,an error was not to try to create an ext3, which I did because I feared what could happen if I lost control through vista.
But after creating the ext3 partition with Paragon, Kubuntu’s installer didn’t “see” it: it simply offered me choices between sta and stb, not mentioning the possibility to choose the ext3 partition.
Need I an ext3 for Ubuntu and another one for swap? Kind of “/swap”? Has it to be a partition inside the first ext3 partition?
As for the .iso: I had burnt it on a virtual CDdrive (made with Nero) before using it.
Thank you and we’ll keep in touch

By: Shailen Sobhee

Shailen Sobhee — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Install Linux on ext3 only. If vista is pre-installed, I surmise there was no space left to install Kubuntu, casting doubts on whether the installation completed successfully.

I would not recommend that you use OSL2000, unless you are comfortable with it. Kubuntu comes with GRUB, a very powerful and fully functional and customizable boot manager.

Linux requires the SWAP space. Are you sure you made an ext3 partition for SWAP? You said you are installing from the ISO file – you mean, you burnt the image to CD and installed? If you are planning to install from the ISO located on another partition, the process will be slightly complicated, and you need to hack/modify boot settings in the ISO package.

Now, I heard that Ubuntu released an ISO package dubbed ‘alternate’ which enables one to install directly from an ISO file located on another partition. But when I first figured out how to do this, I had to hack it myself. I can assure you, the process is a byzantine and tedious.

I would recommend that you keep things simple.

Restart your setup with an ext3 partition for Kubuntu, and ensure you created the paramount ext3 partition of type SWAP.

Did that help?

By: harry_g

harry_g — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:31:12 +0000

Thank you!
But:
Vista is preinstalled.
I installed OSL2000.
I made a NTFS partition for Kubuntu, using Paragon Partition Magic.
I installed Kubuntu from the .iso file.
I restarted the computer.
I have the choice to boot in Vista or in Kubuntu.
OK for Vista, nothing for Kubuntu.
Uninstall OSL2000 doesn’t change the choices.

By: Shailen Sobhee

Shailen Sobhee — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:52:47 +0000

Harry,

Are you following the setup order? Basically, you should install Windows Vista first, then install Kubuntu. If you are starting the whole setup again, begin a fresh install. Partition your harddrive using vista’s partition manager. Say you have a 100GB hardrive,
58: Vista
10: Kubuntu
30: /home
1: /boot
1:swap

The above sizes should give you a general idea how you should partition your harddrive. Of course, if you have lots of linux programs, then you can borrow a few GBs from the Vista partition.

During the Vista setup, create all your paritions. You have 5 in all. You don’t need to format them all. Just create them. From now on, concentrate on your Vista partition and format it NTFS, and get windows running. Note that you could just partition your drive in two (60,40), and then use Paragon to make the other partitions, but since you are already in the Vista setup, make the partitions there itself.

After Vista has been installed, proceed with the Kubuntu setup. The rest of my tutorial describes almost everything you should do, but I would be most happy to explain anything you didn’t catch.

Let me know how the setup proceeds.

Regards.