[SOLVED] Installing Linux Alongside Windows 8 (For now) Question
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Installing Linux Alongside Windows 8 (For now) Question
Good day everyone,
I'm currently a student and as far as I'm aware I still need windows for some program I need, but I am going over to Linux.
(Thus I'm running Windows 8 at this moment)
Today I was going to install Ubuntu 14.04.01 alongside Windows 8, everything went well till I hit the 4th step (Installation type page) of the installation:
A message like follows showed:
"This computer currently has Debian GNU/Linux (Kali Linux 1.0.7) on it. What would you like to do?"
There are then 3 options available:
1) Install Ubuntu alongside Debian GNU/Linux (Kali Linux 1.0.7)
2) Replace Debian GNU/Linux (Kali Linux 1.0.7) with Ubuntu
3 and 4 is greyed out.
5) Something else (You can create resize partitions yourself, or choose multiple partitions for Ubuntu.
I just want to make sure what option to choose, I cant afford to lose all my data and windows.
Problem: Showing Kali Linux as current OS and not Windows 8.
Possible reason for showing Kali Linux as current OS:
I have a live CD of Kali Linux and ran it a few times in the past, but according to my knowledge it shouldn't have changed anything.
Maybe the 1st option is still the right one even though the current OS isn't listed right? Or the 3rd option is like a manual setting I guess.
Certainly looks like you managed to install Kali at some time. We need better info. According to this page, you should be able to install bootinfoscript easily. So abort the install (no harm at that stage), and from a terminal in the Ubuntu liveCD, run the following commands - it will generate a RESULTS.txt file; post that for us.
The RESULTS.TXT file is attached I think, just in case here are the data:
Quote:
Boot Info Script 0.61 [1 April 2012]
============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================
=> Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks at sector
1144607136 of the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this
location and looks for (,gpt6)/boot/grub on this drive.
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi
function savedefault {
if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
saved_entry="${chosen}"
save_env saved_entry
fi
}
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
load_video
insmod gfxterm
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en_US
insmod gettext
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
set timeout=5
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
insmod png
if background_image /usr/share/images/desktop-base/kali-grub.png; then
set color_normal=white/black
set color_highlight=black/white
else
set menu_color_normal=cyan/blue
set menu_color_highlight=white/blue
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 3.14-kali1-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
load_video
insmod gzio
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
echo 'Loading Linux 3.14-kali1-amd64 ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.14-kali1-amd64 root=UUID=de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893 ro initrd=/install/gtk/initrd.gz quiet
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.14-kali1-amd64
}
menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 3.14-kali1-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
load_video
insmod gzio
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
echo 'Loading Linux 3.14-kali1-amd64 ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.14-kali1-amd64 root=UUID=de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893 ro single initrd=/install/gtk/initrd.gz
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.14-kali1-amd64
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, experimental multiboot)" {
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
multiboot /boot/memtest86+_multiboot.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200, experimental multiboot)" {
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,gpt6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893
multiboot /boot/memtest86+_multiboot.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=de0a619d-f336-479d-a092-e537084ae893 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/sr0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
## /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf
##
## IMPORTANT WARNING
##
## The configuration of this file is generated automatically.
## Do not edit this file manually, use: extlinux-update
default l0
prompt 1
timeout 50
include themes/debian/theme.cfg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=================== sda6: Location of files loaded by Grub: ====================
GiB - GB File Fragment(s)
================= sda6: Location of files loaded by Syslinux: ==================
GiB - GB File Fragment(s)
============== sda6: Version of COM32(R) files used by Syslinux: ===============
xz: (stdin): Compressed data is corrupt
cat: /tmp/BootInfo-pbp0lY10/Tmp_Log: No such file or directory
cat: /tmp/BootInfo-pbp0lY10/Tmp_Log: No such file or directory
No volume groups found
If you use Kali Linux (installed on /dev/sda6) only from live CD, you could just replace it with Ubuntu (option #2). This way, you won't have to mess with windows partitions. But of course it's up to you.
If I may ask, I'm not sure about this different partitions. I only have one Hard Drive and only one is shown in "My Computer" - as I understand that is the sda5 partition. What is the reason for sda1, sda2, sda3 and sda4? I know now that Kali is installed on partition sda6 and windows on partition sda5, but can i delete partition sda1 to sda4? Or is this risky in any way?
... can i delete partition sda1 to sda4? Or is this risky in any way?
These are NTFS *windows* partitions so I wouldn't do that now. Or at least until you've made sure that you can delete them without breaking your windows installation.
So, I think it would be safer to install Ubuntu on /dev/sda6 first. After that, all your disk partitions will be visible from Ubuntu and you'll still be able to modify them as you want with GParted or something similar.
Edit:
In case of boot problems, one great resource is 'boot-repair-disk' iso, so it's worth burning it on a disk.
One trick to make sure you can delete a ntfs partition safely is to create some temporary dir on this partition and move all the other content inside it, then start windows and see if everything is OK. (In case of problems, the move is reversible.)
It looks like you are using UEFI/GPT since you have an EFI partition. Actually, you have 2 which is a little weird. Not sure what all you have on this system or why you would have three window recovery partitions. That' odd. The only option which will give you the control you need is the Something Else option. Are you able to boot windows now. The other operating systems?
At this stage I'm only able to boot windows, not any other operating systems. The result I would like to have is to be able to boot Ubuntu or Windows, till I'm comfortable enough to remove windows entirely and boot Linux alone.
I didn't install Ubuntu yet, was afraid of the possibility to replace windows already and lose all my data. I recall trying to install Linux Kali last year, but I didn't get a boot option so I thought it failed. But as I understand it now, Kali is insalled but I never used it. I think I only should replace all the partitions of Linux Kali with Linux Ubuntu for now?
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