Ubuntu – How to install Ubuntu over Fedora 15 without ending up with redundant options in the bootloader menu

dual-bootgrub2system-installation

I currently have Windows Vista and Fedora 15 dual booting on my system. I need to keep my Vista for work related stuff, and as a fairly new Linux user am having problems with drivers in Fedora (Wifi, Sound, WebCam not working). I have used Ubuntu on another system and find I am more comfortable with it.

I want to install the latest Ubuntu over my Fedora partition, but I don't want the bootloader menu to be populated with 5 or 6 different boot options.

I've read online that you can revert to the original Windows bootloader by using the Windows CD, but I do not have that.

Can anyone guide me on how I can swap Fedora for Ubuntu and not have a GRUB menu full of invalid or left over boot options from having had Fedora?

Best Answer

First I would suggest you try Ubuntu (live) and test your hardware as some of the problems you are having may be dependent on the kernel, and not Fedora vs Ubuntu.

Assuming you simply prefer Ubuntu and/or your hardware is working and you wish to install Ubuntu, use the advanced partitioning and install Ubuntu into the Fedora partition(s)

At the partitioning screen choose "Something else"

something else

On the next screen, "specify partitions manually (advanced)"

specify partitions

That will replace your Fedora installation with Ubuntu.

See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall for a graphical walk through.

Using EasyBCD to Boot to GRUB from Windows Boot Menu

Start Windows and install the free version of EasyBCD.
Open the EasyBCD program and select Add New Entry from the sidebar on the left.
Select the rightmost tab, NeoGrub, under "Operating Systems" and click the Install button.

Note: This adds the NeoGrub bootloader code to your C:\ folder. If the install worked correctly you will see the file C:\NeoGrub and the folder C:\NST.
Select the Linux/BSD tab. Choose GRUB2 as the type of the entry and, optionally, edit the name of the entry you are about to add to the Windows Boot menu.

Click the Add Entry button to add an entry to boot Linux (GRUB menu) to the Windows boot menu.
Select Edit Boot Menu from the sidebar to review your changes.

Note: You can delete the entry for NeoGrub Bootloader if you wish.
You need the bootloader, but you do not need a boot menu entry for it unless you are using it in some other way.
Save your changes and reboot. When the Windows boot menu appears, select the EasyBCD entry you added to boot Linux. You should see something similar to the text below.

Then the GNU GRUB boot menu should appear.

Ubuntu – install another linux os without bootloader

You can let Ubuntu replace grub with Ubuntu's or keep the old one. This is the default, and works well. You will be able to boot the other linux system(s) too.

In BIOS mode, if you want to keep the old one, you should select 'Something else' at the partitioning page, where you can select to install grub to the partition instead of the head of the drive. This does not work in UEFI mode: even if you select correctly, it will use the default settings.

If you keep the old bootloader, you will not see the new system (Ubuntu) until you run

sudo update-grub

in the old system (and reboot).

Best Answer

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