[skiabox]

I want to install ubuntu to my system so that I can dual boot with vista os that is already installed.
I am using acronis true image.
Here's the condition of the one and only disk of the system(it is a laptop) :




Thank you very much.

[skiabox]

I forgot to mention that the 166gb partition is used by acronis secure zone.

[saikee]

A Linux operating system needs a partition to reside in and another one for the swap so you need to provide space in the hard disk for it.

Your first partition is likely for manufacturer supplied software, drivers and possibly the recovery for the Vista so better not touch it.

If you boot up Ubuntu it will call your 3 partitions as sda1, sda2 and sda3. The realistic solution is to delete sda3, the 166 Gb, and recreate sda3 and sda5 of the size 50Gb and 1Gb. By insisting sda5 as a logical partition you can have later sda6, sda7..... etc. Most Linux can be fitted into a 10Gb partition so there is no need to waste the hard disk space. Once you use logical partition the sda4 will disappear as the extended partition defining all your logical partitions which must be consecutive.

You can use the Ubuntu CD to do the deletion, creation of the new partitions. When ready just instruct the installer you want Ubuntu to be install in sda3. sda3 should be Type 83 (default partition type if you create it by Linux) but the swap is Type 82. Your sda2 is NTFS so it will be reported Type 7 in Linux. Partition types of ID are not used by MS systems but are the number given to the partitions when they are created.

The installer will overwrite the boot sector with Grub and so you will need to boot Vista via Ubuntu from that point onward. If you need you Vista boot sector back you need to use a Vista installation DVD to restore it.

Here is my own partition table for your information

[root@localhost saikee]# fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000203804160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xbe153241

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       24315   195310206    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2           24316       48630   195310237+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3           48631       60788    97659135   bf  Solaris
/dev/sda4           60789      121601   488480422+   5  Extended
/dev/sda5           60789       60910      979933+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6           60911       63342    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda7           63343       65774    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda8           65775       68206    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda9           68207       70638    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda10          70639       73070    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda11          73071       75502    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda12          75503       77934    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda13          77935       80366    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda14          80367       82798    19535008+  83  Linux
/dev/sda15          82799      121601   311685066    7  HPFS/NTFS

My sda1 is also a Vista. The others are Linux except sda3 which is a Solaris. See the partition type ID 7, 82 and 83?

[skiabox]

There is no vista dvd as this is a common practice at laptops.So i must be extremely careful.
Why you say that I must completely delete the acronis secure zone partition?
There is an option in the program to make it smaller.

[saikee]

Yes you can use Vista to resize the partitions.

I use Linux to clone a partition image. It is just a one line command with "dd" so I don't regard any backup as serious as long as I can do it any time with a Live CD. People use proprietary software to clone a system image because MS systems do not provide the basic function to read the binary bits of one disk/partition and write the same on another (or to a file) but this function in available in every Linux and Unix.

Vista installation DVD has a function to repair the boot sector so that when you throw Linux away you can restore its boot loader eventually. I believe any Vista DVD disc will do the job.

Vista can be booted without its boot loader. Most people just don't realize this fact. In fact one can boot a Vista using any Linux Live CD that has Grub in text mode at any boot up. Thus your Vista is safe as long as you do not delete it.

When you install Ubuntu, or any distro or other operating system, it needs to use the MBR or the first 512 bytes of the first boot disk. That is all the change to Vista. The restoration of its boot loader is just copying Vista's own version of the MBR.

If you are nervous of not able to make Vista self bootable again you can install Ubuntu in such a way to make it chainloadable so that it is booted by Vista's boot loader. It is a bit more work. The details are described as Task E5 in the last link of my signature.

To make an operating system chainloadable you tell its installer to put its boot loader inside the residing partition and not in the MBR. Every MS system that has ever been invented always does that so Linux can chainload it. If you keep your eye open Ubuntu installer provides an option to place Grub either in MBR or within its partition.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by skiabox

There is no vista dvd as this is a common practice at laptops.So i must be extremely careful.
Why you say that I must completely delete the acronis secure zone partition?
There is an option in the program to make it smaller.

Be sure to make a back up of your data AND I would contact the laptop vendor about ordering a set of Vista system recovery CDs/DVDs for your laptop.

A friend of mine has a HP dv6000 laptop running Vista Home Premium and I'm going to order a set of system recovery CDs for her system for about $16+change.

Peace...

[skiabox]

Thanx for the answers.
I see your thread here (http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148499) but it is written at 2004.
Is all this guide enough for windows vista?

[skiabox]

What about this one ?
http://wubi-installer.org/

[skiabox]

saikee : I would love to see your section C guide for the latest ubuntu!

[welshboy]

Hi skiabox, last night I installed UBUNTU from WUBI, it was so easy, OK it did take around an hour to do, but, I have VISTA home premium, AND UBUNTU as my choice, on boot it asks which OS you want to use, and I have been switching between both all day. All I can say is, its painless and foolproof. This way you can find out what LINUX is really like and if you dont want it, delete wubi from VISTA.
Let us know how you get on.

[welshboy]

Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.

You keep Windows as it is, Wubi only adds an extra option to boot into Ubuntu. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application. Wubi is spyware and malware free, and being open source, anyone can verify that.

Added above quotes from WUBI. So you can all see.

Hope it helps.

[RootbeaR]

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vi...lled_first.htm

[skiabox]

I prefer to use the C method that saikee describes in his excellent thread but I believe that I need ubuntu-specific instructions!

[saikee]

skiabox,

You lost me as I have written more than one thread with method C.

Wubi is a special installation application where you can do everything within a MS Windoze. I favour an independent installation, which is typical for installing any operating system in a PC and it works for any Dos, WIndows, Linux, BSD and Solaris. That is you have the partition (or partitions if more than one is needed) and create it in the type expected by the installer. Every installer will seize it for installation. It works for Vista too. Linux is one that support all other operating systems so you can use a Live CD to create the partition.

With an indpendent installation you can never damage the existing system, unless you tell the installer to nuke the other partitions, because you know exactly where the new system will go and able to find it in future, you use its boot loader, you use its default filing system, you can access other systems, mount other systems' partitions, etc etc. The knowledge gained is the most valuable part because you will soon understand the common key features of the PC operating systems and able to work between them.

Please let me know which method C you are talking about. If it is from my Just booting tips that will be using a floppy to boot any operating system. I would like a feed back if there is an installed PC operating system that a Grub floppy cannot boot because I have been trying to find one for years in vain. If it is just a Ubuntu that has its boot loader forcibly omitted during the installation I still expect the Grub floppy to fire it up any time in future.

[skiabox]

saikee:
Thanks for all your feedback.
I found this guide (http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vi...rst.htm?page=1)
but I see in this guide that firstly the grub is installed and secondly the windows mbr is restored using the EasyBCD utility.
This guide is very useful but in my case I have acronis secure zone installed.
Is there a work around so that I can still have acronis secure zone running at startup?
See my posts here :

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=230536