Ubuntu – questions about dual-boot install Ubuntu 10.04 and Windows 7 on same hard drive

10.04dual-bootwindows 7

I'd like to dual-boot install Ubuntu 10.04 on the same hard drive as Windows 7 which has already been installed.

  1. As to sources on the internet:

    I found a website iinet about
    dual-boot installation of Ubuntu
    10.10 and Windows 7 on the same hard drive, which I think more specific
    than the one on Ubuntu
    Community     without specific
    version of the OSes. Since I am
    installing Ubuntu 10.04 instead of
    10.10, my question is whether their installers are same or almost same
    and if I can follow iinet for
    my dual-boot installation?

    Or are there better websites for
    information about dual-boot
    installtion of Ubuntu 10.04 and
    Windows 7?

  2. As to shrinking Windows partitions
    to make free space for Ubuntu
    partitions:

    iinet uses the partition
    software in Ubuntu's installer to
    shrink the Windows partition.

    But I saw in many website that the
    partition software in Ubuntu's
    installer cannot guarantee shrinking
    Windows 7 partitions successfully,
    so they recommended in general to
    shrink Windows partitions under
    Windows itself using its softwares.
    For example, in Ubuntu
    Community    , it says:

    Some people think that the Windows
    partition must be resized only from
    within Windows Vista and Windows 7
    using the shrink/resize option. … If you use GParted Partition Editor in the Ubuntu Live CD be careful.

    So I was wondering which way to go
    in my situation?

  3. As to partition for bootloader
    files:

    In iinet, I don't see there is
    a partition created and dedicated to
    boot files (i.e. Grub files).

    However, I saw in many websites
    strongly suggesting using a boot
    partition for Grub files, especially
    for the purpose of separation and
    protection from installed OS files.

    I was wondering which way I should
    choose and why?

  4. As to installing bootloader Grub,

    in iinet, I see that to install
    Grub it only needs to specify the
    hard drive device for bootloader
    installation.

    However, in ubuntuguide(for
    more than 2 OSes and Ubuntu 9.04),
    some commands are needed to run in
    order to put Grub configuration
    files in MBR, and OS partition, for
    the chain-load process (where to
    find the files for the next stage).

    In Ubuntu Community, there are
    some related sentences which I don't
    quite understand how to do in
    practice:

    the only thing in your computer
    outside of Ubuntu that needs to be
    changed is a small code in the MBR
    (Master Boot Record) of the first hard
    disk. The MBR code is changed to point
    to the boot loader in Ubuntu.

    If you have a problem with changing
    the MBR code, you might prefer to just
    install the code for pointing to GRUB
    to the first sector of your Ubuntu
    partition instead. If you do that
    during the Ubuntu installation
    process, then Ubuntu won't boot until
    you configure some other boot manager
    to point to Ubuntu's boot sector.
    Windows Vista no longer utilizes
    boot.ini, ntdetect.com, and ntldr when
    booting. Instead, Vista stores all
    data for its new boot manager in a
    boot folder. Windows Vista ships with
    an command line utility called
    bcdedit.exe, which requires
    administrator credentials to use. You
    may want to read
    http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=112156
    about it.

    Using a command line utility always
    has its learning curve, so a more
    productive and better job can be done
    with a free utility called EasyBCD,
    developed and mastered in during the
    times of Vista Beta already. EasyBCD
    is user friendly and many Vista users
    highly recommend EasyBCD.

    In what is quoted above, I was wondering how
    exactly I should change the MBR code
    to point to the bootloader in
    Ubuntu? if I fail to change MBR
    code, are the other suggested boot
    managers being bcdedit.exe and
    EasyBCD in Windows?

    With the three sources above, which
    one shall I follow?

Thanks and regards

Best Answer

  1. Sources

    The official DualBoot help guide should be on your reading list. It covers a lot more including links on how to repair things should they go wrong.

    I have nothing against the "iinet" website you've linked to but several steps could be simplified. I'd personally opt to resize the Windows partition before running the installer. This will allow you to just select the "Install alongside other operating systems" option when that choice appears and that'll shave off several steps in the installer (and simplify the process).

    I guess something worth mentioning is you probably shouldn't read too much. Sounds strange but there are indeed many ways to skin a cat and if you get conflicting advice from different sources, you end up confused. Pick one way and follow it.

  2. Shrinking NTFS

    If fairness to gparted (et al) they offer just as much a guarantee as Windows does resizing it itself. That is to say: none.

    If you have data on there that you can't restore with just a reinstall and a small amount of time, back up your data! You don't have to go as far as cloning the whole partition (via CloneZilla et al), you can just punt your profile (documents, photos, other media, etc) off to an external disk or even an online backup service.

    But for what it's worth, parted (and it's graphical counterparts) is quite a robust tool that doesn't take your data integrity lightly. It will test as much as it can before doing anything. I've never had any problems with gparted in 5 years of using it.

    Either approach is equally good. Use whatever you're most comfortable with.

  3. A /boot/ partition

    I don't see any benefit of a dedicated boot partition. It's not needed.

  4. MBR setup

    I'd personally let Ubuntu claim the MBR on the disk (just do the standard setup) it should pick up Windows 7 and add it to the boot list.

    Of course things can go wrong at this stage but they're usually repairable. (Unlike my usual advice) I suggest you just roll with it and worry later. A lot of work goes into making Ubuntu dual-boot in a sensible way so you shouldn't need to do anything.

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