Ubuntu on SSD instead of USB

Dirk Diggler · 13 Sep 2016 at 17:08

Is it possible to have Ubuntu on a SSD partition similar to USB with persistence? I'd like to have the option of booting into Ubuntu by overriding the boot via BIOS. I don't want my bootloader changed from what it is now (straight to Win10). USB with persistence is just too slow and restrictive in terms of storage.

Art · 13 Sep 2016 at 19:04

I run Debian in a similar way, mostly by accident and installing things a strange way. I installed Win7 on one SSD, I think I then unplugged that SSD and installed Debian on another drive, and then plugged the Win7 drive back in. I've the Win7 drive set as the first boot option in the BIOS so by default it boots to that, but I can go into the BIOS and tell it to boot from the Debian drive whenever I need to. It works fine.

thelonecrouton · 13 Sep 2016 at 23:27

Buy two sata/scsi cable extensions, connect one set to your win10 drive and another to the linux SSD, then just swap drives over when needed between boots. Did this recently myself, used extension cables as was frequently swapping to Win 7 to play Doom and didn't want to wear out the connectors on the actual drives. My PC is built inside a wooden box with a hinged lid so op took seconds.

I don't trust Windows in the same box as my main linux drive.

Steveocee · 14 Sep 2016 at 14:40

Although this involves running a separate SSD rather than a partition, I'd say this method what you are wanting;

Disconnect ALL drives from your PC
Connect just the SSD you want to install Ubuntu on
Power up and do the install
Power down and re-connect your drives
Use the BIOS to select your boot drive (usually F12 or similar)

OK you need to buy an SSD but they're cheap and Ubuntu uses hardly anything so even a 64GB will do for most.

Dirk Diggler · 14 Sep 2016 at 14:52

Perfect advice, SSD on order.

Thanks.

stopper · 15 Sep 2016 at 21:31

Steveocee said:
[*]Disconnect ALL drives from your PC
[*]Connect just the SSD you want to install Ubuntu on
[*]Power up and do the install
[*]Power down and re-connect your drives
[*]Use the BIOS to select your boot drive (usually F12 or similar)
[/LIST]

That's just way too much messing about.
With Linux you can just choose which HD you want to install the boot loader on during setup, and leave the Windows HD completely unaffected.
Then just choose which HD to boot from using the bios.

For a novice though, it might be better of using your method, it will prevent any accidental **** up of the Windows install that's for sure.

Dirk Diggler · 15 Sep 2016 at 21:34

Well, I followed steveocee's advice and had it all up and running in no time.

FatRakoon · 27 Sep 2016 at 06:04

I used to dual boot, but now I just dont bother, I have a 4-way KVM here in the living room, with 1 to my Windows PC, to my Linux PC, to the Hackintosh, and to the server.

For what its worth, all my PCs run from SSD.

Also for installing, I have setup a multi Windows installation that I normally run from USB, however, I have also installed to an mSata disk, that I have in a sata adapter, and I can use that to install just fine, and I have done, but in truth, its a bit silly, and a USB stick is just a lot easier.

Steveocee · 27 Sep 2016 at 08:12

String said:
Well, I followed steveocee's advice and had it all up and running in no time.

Glad it worked for you.

stopper said:
That's just way too much messing about.
With Linux you can just choose which HD you want to install the boot loader on during setup, and leave the Windows HD completely unaffected.
Then just choose which HD to boot from using the bios.

The problem with this is that you are then reliant on GRUB as your bootloader, this is OK if you are tolerant and it does cross your systems over slightly as I'm sure GRUB sticks a bit of something onto the Windows drive (or vice versa).

Doing it the way I suggested keeps both systems unaware of each other.

stopper · 27 Sep 2016 at 23:19

Steveocee said:
Doing it the way I suggested keeps both systems unaware of each other.

Ah no. grub will only add a Windows partition if you choose to install it on the drive that Windows is on.
If you install grub to the Linux HDD, it will ignore windows altogether, so you just choose which hdd to boot from in bios.

ScoTTyBEEE · 30 Sep 2016 at 22:53

Steveocee said:
Although this involves running a separate SSD rather than a partition, I'd say this method what you are wanting;

Disconnect ALL drives from your PC

Connect just the SSD you want to install Ubuntu on

Power up and do the install

Power down and re-connect your drives

Use the BIOS to select your boot drive (usually F12 or similar)

OK you need to buy an SSD but they're cheap and Ubuntu uses hardly anything so even a 64GB will do for most.

Excellent advice. Even though I'm particularly competent with computers I still managed to lose a whole hard drives data during one particular linux install.

I think with linux it's particularly easy to c0ck things up.

stopper · 4 Oct 2016 at 06:05

ScoTTyBEEE said:
I think with linux it's particularly easy to c0ck things up.

The same is true the other way around.
If you have used Linux for the last 20 years, and are installing Windows for the first time, you will surely **** up your Linux install.
In fact, even more so since Windows doesn't give you the option to keep any other operating sysem.

It's not the OS that messes things up, it's usually the user

FatRakoon · 4 Oct 2016 at 08:32

stopper said:
It's not the OS that messes things up, it's usually the user

In my case, its usually the ME

brummie · 31 Oct 2016 at 02:19

stopper said:
That's just way too much messing about.
With Linux you can just choose which HD you want to install the boot loader on during setup, and leave the Windows HD completely unaffected.
Then just choose which HD to boot from using the bios.

This or use the boot loader. Why the .. would you want tto be swapping drives??