Newbie partioning question

[Chris Wilson]

I want to try Ubuntu properly, not running from a CD as I have been playing with it for a while. If I list my current machine and OS could someone please tell me the easiest way to partion for Ubuntu *AND* keep my current Windows 2000 setup please?


Oldish Asus m/board with Silicon Image Sil 3112 SATARaid controller, only 2 SATA connectors omn board, HD's are a pair WD2000JB's at 200 gig each in size, in a Raid sset up. I have the drives partioned as C: D: and E: F: and G: being CD and DVD IDE drives. Windows 2000 Pro is on C:

I have bouth a Seagate Barracuda 320 gig SATA drive, and would like Linux on that, and to leave a dual boot system with Windows OS untouched and intact. I am getting a PCI card to allow more SATA drives to be added, namely the Barracuda.

I have Acronis suite avaialble for shrinking and moving partitions, if needed, but I am a bit out of my depth with this sort of thing. i have backed up any *REALLY* critical stuff to DVD, but hope to avoid losing the Windows OS and data.

What's the best way to go about this please?

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Let me be sure I have this correct. You have a few drives you do not want to touch. You have a new drive that you want to partition, format, and use.

If that's how it it it couldn't be easier. fire up the Ubuntu Live CD, hit the Install shortcut on the desktop and select the correct drive when it comes to partitioning.

It will handle on its own installation of the bootloader to accommodate booting any other OSes that are detected during installation.

 

[Chris Wilson]

Billy: Yes, that's what I want to do. I haven't wired up the new drive yet, I am awaiting the PCI card to give me extra SATA sockets. When I do install it will Ubuntu be OK with this PCI card and see the new drive, or do I need to pre format it somehow? Is there any danger of the bootloader 8uggering up the booting of Windows, and if so can I back anything up and restore it somehow to undo any **** ups? Thanks for taking time to reply

 

[Una]

Billy: Yes, that's what I want to do. I haven't wired up the new drive yet, I am awaiting the PCI card to give me extra SATA sockets. When I do install it will Ubuntu be OK with this PCI card and see the new drive, or do I need to pre format it somehow? Is there any danger of the bootloader 8uggering up the booting of Windows, and if so can I back anything up and restore it somehow to undo any **** ups? Thanks for taking time to reply

When you do the ubuntu install it will detect the new disk as unformatted and let you choose how to partition it, then format it. Then when it gets to the bootloader step it should detect all the OS's you currently have installed and add them to Grub.

As with all these things there is the possiblity of the bootloader going wrong, so you should always backup your data just incase. Its pretty unlikely though, and even if you somehow make it so you can't boot windows the data will still be there unless you kill the partitions/format.