Hi all,

I have a PC with two hard-drives (C: and J and want one to remain with Windows XP (C (I have to use it for the moment unfortunately) and the other (J to be the linux drive.
I used to have XP on that drive but it crashed (viruses) and so I just installed it on C: so have not uninstalled XP. So these questions arise:

1) I can't remember how to boot from J: so how do I install Ubuntu on J:?
2) I don't remember how to make J: the primary drive (soemthing to do with changing cables on the motherboard?)so how do I tell the system to boot from J: once I have ubuntu installed?;
3) How do I swtich between Windows and Ubuntu without having to open up the guts of the PC each time?
4) Is there a particular method I should use for getting rid of xp and associated junk off drive J:?
Sorry for being a dumbass. I'm not really all that bad, I just have a lousy memory.

many thanks

Ben

First figure out which drive is the primary drive and which is the secondary drive. I assume C: is the primary drive (which should be /dev/hda). Then boot the Ubuntu CD and just install it to the secondary drive (/dev/hdb). When it asks to install the bootloader (grub) install it to /dev/hda. This will give you a menu that you can choose to boot either Windows or Ubuntu.

thanks for sparing the time and patience, pljvaldez.

How do I tell which is the primary drive and which is the secondary? I'm thinking that C: must be the primary because I'm running XP from it. Is that right?
When I went into the CMOS one drive is on the channel 2 master and the other on the channel 3 master. Should this tell me anything?

many thanks

Ben

Here's what I would do:
1) Boot into Windows and go to Start --> Run --> compmgmt.msc --> "Storage" --> "Disk Management". Then delete the partition on the J drive. Just leave it blank, don't reformat it.

2) Boot into the Ubuntu CD, which should be a live CD that allows you to run the OS from CD. Open a terminal and type sudo fdisk -l (that's -L) which should list the drives and partitions. One drive should read /dev/hda with a single partition /dev/hda1 of type NTFS. The other should just list a drive (probably /dev/hdb) with no partition. If you're not sure, post the output of the fdisk command here and we can verify the correct place to install.

3) Start the installation, install to the blank drive, and then put grub in the MBR of the NTFS drive (again, it should be /dev/hda).

ok, so after a little faffing and having to reburn the ubuntu image i managed to run it as a livecd and did as you suggested. the results of the fdisk were as follows:

device /dev/sda1
boot *
start 1
end 14946
blocks 120053713+
Id 7
system HPFS/NTFS


device /dev/sdb
boot
start
end
blocks
Id
system

where /dev/sdb has gaps assume nothing shown.

I started the install and got to the partitioning screen which asked me if I wanted to partition (this is where I may forget details) sda1 or "guided" and some other options I forget.

Does this look right?

cheers

Ben

Yeah it does. Just make sure you do "guided" and DON'T put it on /dev/sda1 (that's your Windows install). Make sure you put it on /dev/sdb. I've never installed Ubuntu myself, but it should be something like "Guided -- use entire disk" and then select sdb.

many thanks pljvaldez. i now have a dual booting pc with ubuntu which i can now spend time getting to know. no doubt i'll be back with more questions but for now, thanks again.

regards

Ben