Hi

I am currently running a dual boot Windows 98/Fedora Core 2, and before I update the latter to Fedora Core 4 would like to try Ubuntu as I have read some very favourable reports. So FC2 will get wiped out and be replaced by Ubuntu. I originally partitioned the drive with Partition Magic and use Boot Magic as the boot manager. As a consequence I have GRUB on the Linux root partition (not the MBR).

I understand that Ubuntu does a reboot during installation (before it installs the software which it has copied to the hard drive). Given my set-up, am I likely to run into problems?

What you normally do with Boot Magic is after installing Linux alongside Windows you reboot, which takes you straight into Windows. You add a Linux entry to Boot Magic's menu, reboot again and then (if all has gone well !!) you're given the option of selecting either Windows or Linux.

What I'm assuming will happen is that during the Ubuntu installation I'll be given the option to put GRUB on the root partition rather than the default MBR and then when the machine reboots, it'll go into Windows, whereupon I can add a Linux entry to Boot Magic's menu, reboot, choose Linux, and it will then boot into Ubuntu and carry on with the installation procedure. Does this sound right? Has anyone actually done this? I'm quite happy to go ahead and experiment but if anyone has any personal experience of this sort of installation it would be very helpful to know if there is anything in particular I should watch out for.

If I like Ubuntu, I may in the event not bother with FC4 at all !!

I believe the option to place grub where ever you would like is within the Manual Partition selection. This would indeed allow you to place grub back on the liux partition.

Thanks sbassett.

I've just been burning the Ubuntu iso to a CD and if I have time tomorrow I'll have a go at installing and see how I get on.

Just reporting back to say that I am now up and running with Ubuntu - from where I am sending this.

The installer detected that I had Windows 98 on the computer and gave me the option to install GRUB somewhere other than the MBR, which I did: on /dev/hda2, my root partition.

Also, I had no problem getting back into Ubuntu after the first stage of installation. On reboot, which took me straight into Windows, I simply added Linux to the Boot Magic menu, rebooted again and selected Linux. Ubuntu then finished the installation.

I'm now off to explore my brand new operating system !!