Hey all:

I'm trying to install ubuntu 5.10 on a partition that I created with Partition Magic 8. My HD is partitioned as follows:

1 primary: 55gb NTFS (XP Pro)

2 logical: 15 gb exe3 for Linux install
3 logical: 2 gb linux swap
4 logical 40 gb NTFS (data)
5 logical 2 gb XP page file partition

So here's the problem. I put in the ubuntu install disk, and I see no way of directing it to install to the already existing partition. It either wants me to erase the whole HD (which I obviously don't want to do) or manually partition the drive (but it's already partitioned!). I go to manually partition, and hit complete to move on to installation, but it doesn't let me move on to installation (no root folder). I tried a bunch of things, but just ended up aborting the installation. No harm no foul, but I want my ubuntu!

I did all the partitioning in advance, and I will probably use Boot Magic rather than GRUB or LiLo, but I can't figure out how to move directly to some question like "On what partition would you like to install ubuntu," so that I could just direct it to the already existing Linux partition. Any ideas, ubuntu heads?

Thanks

Basically when you partition manually, you need to 1) create the partitions (which you have done now) and 2) set the mount points. You probably skipped this step 2 if you just tried to continue the installation..you'll need to edit the already created partitions as follows:

-select "/" (without quotes) as the mount point for your ext3 (you said it's the 2 logical, 15gb) root partition ("root folder")

-make sure the type of the swap partition is SWAP and nothing else

probably the only thing you need to do is just select (usually from a list; I haven't tried manual partitioning of Ubuntu) that / as the mount point for the 15 gb root partition and then try to continue. Should be no problem. Another way around is to remove the created linux partitions (so you have free space) and tell Ubuntu to install into that free space (so it does not overwrite/empty the whole HD). I can't remember if Ubuntu asks if you want to install some bootloader or not, but it asks it in the end if asks. Probably you can just answer "no" so you get Ubuntu installed, but no bootloader (so you cannot boot it before you've installed one of your favourites).

As Bounder stated, you need to select each partion one at a time, set the "use as" filesystem choice and mount points.

I suggest using reiserfs or some other journaling file system for your root partion.

Yeah well the filesystem type is everybody's own choise..but I don't think journalled filesystem provides such use for a normal user that it really would prove better than ext3. I've tried both and saw no difference (I'm not a benchmarking person though). Except that don't journalled filesystems make it impossible to use tools like shred for deleting data more securely? Also, making Windows (XP in this case) to read ext3 is easier, as far as I know, than make it read journalled filesystems? I might be wrong about this too, but that's what I've heard..

Well, this was probably irrelevant. But I thought journalled filesystems had something to do with people who want to move big files around constantly?

I'll give it a shot and let you know how it goes.

Thanks, b0uncer! Apparently, setting what was at first /media/hda5 to just / is the same as saying "Place Ubuntu on this partition." Thanks for the translation. Installation went smoothly, and both my XP and ubuntu are running well. Matter of fact, I'm posting this from ubuntu.

cheers. Now I've got a lot of learning to do...