[SOLVED] Help Installing Ubuntu

[Yombute]

Okay...so I'll try to be more specific this time.
I am trying to install Ubuntu on a system running Win XP so I can dual boot.
My system consists of:

Asus K8ne-deluxe mobo
AMD 64 3200 cpu
1 GB ram
Nvidia 5700 Optima LE graphics card
Audigy 2 ZS platinum sound card
1 120 GB SATA HD - Currently 1 primary and two logical partitions approx. 10GB unallocated
1 160 GB IDE HD - Currently1 primary and two logical partitions

When I tried to install yesterday, I screwed things up and got the dreaded Grub Error. Nothing I did could fix it. (As some readers may have noted, I even tried an older SuSe install after that but that screwed up my video to the point that I couldn't even see it to do anything.) I am now at stage #1 again with my windows reinstalled thanks to my backup software and am ready to try Ubuntu again on the advice of some helpful members.
At this point, I'm assuming it didn't work yesterday because I don't know what I'm doing with all the options I have to configure manually in Ubuntu's setup. (I'm aware that I can let it partition FOR me, but the only options are: 1] Let the installer reformat and partition either disk, or, 2] manually configure my partitions. The first option isn't feasible since XP resides on one disk -the SATA and most of my data - music files, pictures, etc., reside on the other.) Another observation that may or may not be relevant is that Windows - and Acronis Disk Director both list the IDE drive as
Hard disk 0 and the Sata as Hard disk 1, even though I am using the Sata as my boot drive (the smaller and supposedly faster drive).

I have about 10 GB on the Sata that is unallocated or I can free up some space on the IDE if necessary to get a good install.

How do I manually configure my partitions? And when it asks me if I want to install Grub on the MBR, what do I respond with?

(As a side note, I'd also like to be able to access my windows files with Ubuntu to play music, view pictures, etc.)

I hope this is clear and somewhat concise. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Wish me luck...

Thanks Folks!
Yom

[saikee]

Here are a few tips

(1) Manually partition the hard disk is the best way. Get hold of a Live Linux CD like Knoppix and just use its cfdisk command in terminal mode. Remember always reboot after you partition a hard drive to enable its partition table confirmed. Also remember some Linux may not be able to recognise a SATA but IDE should be no problem.

(2) I would in your case install the Ubunto in the IDE in a primary partition so that you can use the BIOS to switch booting it and without doing any damage to the Windows in the Sata. Once you get Ubunto up and running you can edit Ubunto's Grub to include XP, even though I would be surprised if Ubunto fails to achieve it for you. Should you fail you can always go back to your XP without any fear.

(3) Each Hard disk can have up to 4 primary partitions. If you are using logical partitions then one primary partition would have been given up for creating an extended partition, which is just the envelope enclosing the logical partitions. The complication comes in creating the logical partition you may well have used up all the spaces. You can put a Linux in the a logical partition but it has to be booted from a primary partition somewhere. Your best bet is to move the content of the IDE primary partition into the Sata or the IDE logical partition and use it for Ubunto. Also you need a swap partition for running Linux. The size is about twice the physical memory. It has to come from a logical partition from either of the drives.

(4) Different distros can name IDE and Sata in exactly opposite ways.

(5) If you opt for the BIOS switching then you can tell Ubunto's installer to put the Grub into the MBR, as it will go into the IDE and not the Sata. Hence it is pretty safe. I expect Ubunto will boot XP on completion. Every Linux will check for a bootloader in every partition and automatically inlude it in its boot menu. Your XP has a XP bootloader and I have yet to see a Linux fail to pick it up, unless it can't read a SATA.

I have one hard disk with 43 partitions and been booting several versions of Windows together with Linux. You should not have a booting problem with just one distro and XP.

[Yombute]

After spending most of the day trying to avoid installing on the IDE HD, it looks like that did the trick. In fact I'm sending this from ubuntu . And you're correct: When I switched to that drive as my boot drive in the bios, the loader came up and gave me an option for my XP install as well.

Well done my friend. I'm SURE we'll cross paths again...

Thanks again,

Yom

[saikee]

Glad you found the way.

I am just passing information I learned from others in the forum. Enjoy Linux and find out its superiority over XP.

[Parcival]

Congrats. :D