Hi guys !

I have been using ubuntu 14.04 in an usb .And finally I have made my mind to install it along with windows 7.I have not installed any distro before.Just tried them in a VM.
When I went for installation I got some options like
1)Installing it along with other os.
2)Erase everything and install ubuntu.
3)Try something else.

As I said I want to dualboot ,so I can not go for option (2).I tried to find the answer in google.Some guy in the net suggested to choose option (3) and create a a root,a home and a swap partition and then install the os.
So guys please please guide me and tell me choosing each option exactly does what ?

And remember every reply adds

Hi there,

if you want to dual-boot Ubuntu with Windows, but you prefer not to mess with partitions and filesystems yourself, then the easiest and safest way is probably the first option, which allows the installer to do some work for you. If no free space is available for a new Linux partition, the installer will help you to resize existing ones, without (hopefully) losing data in the process.

Option 3) assumes that you are an advanced user who knows how to deal with partitions and filesystems (that is, create, delete, resize them without losing data and breaking anything).

Whatever option you choose, be sure you have working backups of your data, in case something goes wrong.

Kind regards,
Philip

The Alongside method is certainly the easiest, if it works and it usually does. However, if it does not, you will have absolutely no idea what went wrong. You might go to the link below and read the tutorial which is very detailed and also explains a little about partitions and using the 'Something Else' option. If you don't understand it, you might try the Alongside method. You will certainly have a better understanding of what is going on during the install and will learn more with the 'Something Else' option.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/u...all-guide.html

The "install alongside windows 7" option will do it automatically for you. It will take care of the swap and root that the guy recommended. The only thing it will not do is the "home" partition (that is an optional thing that is not required).

If you do that, it will present you with its proposed HD division sizes, the left side will be Windows and the right side ubuntu. If you don't like the sizes, you can slide the middle bar to adjust. However, to be safe you should not make the windows side any smaller. But if it gives you too much on the ubuntu side, you can reduce that (i.e. leave more for windows).

Doing the "something else" takes a lot more knowledge. My theory is if you don't really know how to do this, it is much safer to just let it do it automatically. The ubuntu installer is actually pretty good at this. Note: if it doesn't actually mention the "along side Windows 7 in the option, cancel and come back here and say exactly what it said.

As others have said option 1 is the way to go. But before that BACKUP all your data and be prepared to reinstall Windows, just in case something goes wrong. Also it's a good idea to clear out your temp/cache files, empth the trash and remove as much as possible from Windows. You want Ubuntu to be able to create at least 20 gig of space for Linux, more if you want to really use it with all your files.

Many thanks buddy for your kind response.
And yes it says "install ubuntu along side windows7 and docs,musics and other personal files will be kept and you can choose which OS you want each time your computer starts".Now what do you say ?

You want to install Ubuntu along side Windows 7, yes? So you would choose the option that says "Install Ubuntu along side Windows 7". It seems to me that the option you want is very clearly indicated, doesn't the description you just posted from the installer itself describe exactly what you want to do? Or is there more to this question that I'm not understanding?

Yes man,you are right with both the aspects.I do want to install ubuntu along with windows 7 and it is clearly indicated in option (1).
That's right.But the thing I am worried about is like this.
I had linpus lite and windows 7 ,dualbooted in my lappy. Then I decided to eliminate linpus lite in order to install ubuntu. So I formatted all the partitions containing Linpus lite except the one small(512 mb) partition that contains GNU grub.In this
way I got around 31.7 GB free space.
Now an LQ buddy, jross informed me that choosing option (1) will create a swap and a root partition ,but not a home partition.If I am not wrong than it will share the home partition with windows.So many of the free space will be
remain unused.This is the thing that is eating me.
This is a very serious thing and I am expecting help .

If a separate /home partition is not created, then /home will just sit on the overarching / partition. Unless you need/want a separate /home partition (upgrading OS without wiping out user data, etc.) then it'll work just fine as a regular subdirectory of /. The Windows partition will never be used for any Linux-specific files/directories. It will be mountable from within Linux so you can access the files there, but none of your Linux files will ever be placed there by default, and it will not behave as a "shared" /home partition unless you go out of your way to make it do so.

If I were you I would deffinitley use the automatic option, it is much easier, safer, and works well overall. I have used it multiple times and I haven't had any problems with it yet.

As far as a home partition goes there should be an option that comes up after install asking you if you wish to create a seperate home partition, if you say yes it will automatically create a seperate /home partition!

Good luck!
Nbiser

Well lets forget everything for a minute.
Now will the ubuntu be installed in that formatted free space(31.7 GB) that I made by removing lite ?

I didn't mean to confuse you with the home comment, just forget about home (explaining it more will just confuse you; it will not affect your windows 7 in any way whatsoever).

But you did add a lot of info that wasn't in the original post, so before saying anything else, when you turn on this computer does it boot right into windows 7 as it always did or do you get a grub menu offering to choose between windows and linpus lite (I know the linpus lite is gone but is the boot menu still showing up)?

Yeah, you suspected it right.
When I boot the computer it still shows the grub menu with windows and linpus Lite.Is there any way that I may able to remove the linpus Lite from the grub menu ?
And one more thing ,What is your opinion on " will the ubuntu be installed in that formatted free space(31.7 GB) that I made by removing lite ?"

When Ubuntu installs its GRUB, it will overwrite the linpus lite one.
and
Yes, if you choose that option when you get to the partitioning stage of the Ubuntu installation. As far as I can remember, the options are something like:
Use whole Disk - DO NOT CHOOSE THAT unless you want to say goodbye to Windows
Use Free Space - That chooses partition sizes for you, / , swap.
Manual - Choose your own partition sizes, and how many.

My biggest concern is the grub menu being there. This is beyond my knowledge and someone more experienced will have to help on this. My "guess" is that you want to get rid of that first (I have no idea if the ubuntu installer would automatically erase that and install its own-- the experts here would have to chime in on that).

I am also not sure about the formatted free space (might depend on how it was done). However, since you said the ubuntu installer recognizes the windows 7, I would assume it should work. One test that I can think of would be to just click the "install alongside windows 7" option. After you do that it will calculate how it thinks it should divide the HD. It will then show you (like I explained in an earlier post) a little graph of what it proposes, the windows will be on the left and the ubuntu on the right. So if the ubuntu size proposal is close to 31.7 GB I would think it will work as desired. If it is a different size altogether, then I am pretty sure you can still cancel and no harm is done.

But before you do that, wait for some input on the grub menu, that is what concerns me the most, and you need a more experienced person than me for advice on how to deal with that (or if it is even an issue).