Help a Linux newbie with Ubuntu install questions =)

Hi,

I'm looking to dualboot XP and Ubuntu, though I've never used Linux of any kinda before. I'm fairly computer savvy, but I just need some things clarified I guess.

I'm actually doing this on my desktop, but I may do it on my notebook in the future. I have two harddrives, both over 100gbs in size. On my main HD I just made a 30gb~partition using Partition Magic, which I will install Ubuntu on. I figure I can use my second harddrive to transfer files between Linux/Windows if necessary.

I don't have too much experience working with partitions, so here are my questions:

1. Do I need to format the partition before I install, or will the Ubuntu installer format the unallocated space during the installation? If I do need to partition it, how do I format it? Partition Magic offers Linux Ext2, Linux Ext3, and Linux Swap. From what I've gathered I should be using Linux Ext3? Also, what is the purpose of a Linux Swap partition, and do I need one?

2. Once I've installed Linux, how does dualbooting work? When I start my computer will I simply have a prompt that will allow me to chose which partition to boot up, or what?

Thanks for any help and advice.

 

a swap partition is the same a windows page file linux dosnt actually need it but it does benefit from having it. Im not sure on how big it should be i usually allocate 4GBs for it.
you it will reformat them but if i remember the ubuntu partitioner if you it should "see" the ext3 and swap partition and but root and swap on the by automatik then reformating them with the same filesystem. BUT I AM NOT 100% SURE AND WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF IM WRONG.
when it is installed ubuntu will probably detect your windows partition always has for me and give you a option for what to boot it will default to its ubuntu install though.

 

Sorry, I honestly couldn't understand all of what you're trying to say.

Or at least this part:

Could anyone else give me some advice?

 

Yes, use Ext3. Don't mess with partition magic, the Ubuntu Installer allows you to resize Windows partitions and partition/format for Linux. It has both an automatic (dangerous) and manual mode.

I'd go with 256MB for the swap if you have anything 1GB or over of physical RAM. I'd probably stick with 512MB swap for 512MB physical RAM, and maybe with 256MB or less of RAM I'd go up to a gig of swap.

Regarding dual booting, yes, Ubuntu almost always detects your Windows partition, and sometimes detects other Linux partitions. You'll be greeted with a prompt to press any key to get to the OS chooser, but that behavior is reconfigurable to display it automatically and time out choosing a certain OS at that point, to choose the last chosen OS at that point, or to just wait indefinitely.

 

For me, I just allocate the raw hard drive space and Ubuntu installer does the rest. I selected the manual mode though, because I want to set my own partition sizes and so on.

So in response to your 2 questions:

1. Ubuntu will format the allocated space for you.
2. Yes, dualbooting means you get to see a menu and select which operating system you want to boot when you start up your computer.

 

Welcome! I find I use the Linux system most of the time and M$ only if I have to. The installer will ask you the mount point too. The partition you made for Ubumtu, it's mount point is "/" (WITHOUT QUOTES). Also as the other poster said make a swap partition. It will format both. I have an HP lappy. HP has some code in the MBR. If I let GRUB install there it flubs the code HP has there. So, I make a boot CD. Not sure if or what your system has there. I have yet to see GRUB miss an entry to include in the boot menu. On my lappy it even included the recovery partition.

 

Thanks for the replies. I managed to figure out what I was supposed to do though before I read them. Good thing I did things right. I made my swap partition a bit big though. 2 gigs, not sure why I made it that large. I have plenty of free space though so it's not an issue...I could always downsize it anyway.

EDIT: I'm liking Ubuntu so far =)

 

The easiest way is to leave a portion of you HD unallocated, meaning a certain amount of space that is not partitioned/formated.

This way Ubuntu will give you a choice of Guided mode to the empty space on your HD. Creates Swap and every for you. Just make sure you don't click on Guided mode for the entire HD.

 

2G swap, not an issue. Think on my lappy, I gave it 5.

 

Oh, alright. I'll just leave it then.

 

Back when I used to have a Windows partition on my laptop, I changed the GRUB settings to do the following,
1) wait 2 sec. for me to press "ESC" then
2a) if I didn't press anything, boot into my Linux partition, or
2b) if I pressed ESC, then show me the menu to choose which partition to boot into.

I accomplished this by editing an option, and adding another one to my /boot/grub/menu.lst file. The changes I made were as follows:

Code:

hiddenmenu
timeout 2

I (more or less) left the rest of the file alone.

 

Yeah, Linux just won't use the swap if it doesn't need it, it's not a big deal unless you need the space in /home or some such.

t12ek:
That's about what Ubuntu defaults to for the GRUB settings, except it has timeout set closer to 8s.

 

Well, not really, I believe it defaults to that, with a 3 sec. timeout, UNLESS it detects a Windows partition, then it omits the hiddenmenu option and it gives a timeout of ~10 sec. At least that's what I remembered happening back when I installed Ubuntu on my laptop (which had a Windows partition in it). Compared to my desktop, on which I had installed just Ubuntu.

 

You're probably right, it's been awhile since I've had both installed on the same system. I just remembered a delay of closer to 8-10 seconds, now I think I remember the automatic 'unhiding'

 

Actually, I had forgotten that it used those for defaults if you didn't have a Windows partition (and, you're probably right about the length too, I just always changed it to shorter). I just remembered changing it to hide the menu because I almost never used the Windows partition. But, now that I think about it again, the reason I knew it COULD be hidden, was simply because I was already used to my desktop (which had no Windows).