Want to put a spare drive in my PC to run Ubuntu. Best way?

[warren_1979]

Hi.

OK I posted this in the Windows section a few months but since that thread is dormant now I thought I would re-post it here and get some more answers about this.

I have recently been drawn to the world of Ubuntu after putting Lubuntu on my uncles XP laptop.

After thinking about buying a little netbook just to use for an Ubuntu mess about I have decided to put a spare lappy HD into my PC.

My PC has these drives:
120GB 840 Evo with Win7 and programs on it.
500GB mechanical drive with flac files on it.

So I would like to add a lappy HD on another SATA controller. Now I have terrible memories of using partition magic from years ago and corrupting my OS drive. I just don't want to mess up my Win7 SSD drive and have to re-install.

Is it as simple as disconnecting my two drives and connecting my lappy hd and installing Ubuntu. Once this is installed, reconnecting my Evo and 500GB drive and using F12 to choose my boot drive or do I need to do something else as well?

Do I need a bootmanager?

I just don't want to boot into Ubuntu and have it do something to my other drives without me knowing.

Thanks.

 

[meandu229]

Have you thought about just running it in a VM for a while? Or you can make a live USB stick and use that .
You should really have all drives connected when you install an OS then the OS will know about the other drives and will give you a nice boot choice.

 

[abbotsmike]

If you want to play I'd create a VM or run it off a Live USB install. Much easier!

 

[Steveocee]

Add in another HDD. Disconnect power to the other 2.
Install Ubuntu onto the "new HDD"
Reconnect power to the "original" 2
Use your motherboards's boot option to choose which HDD to boot from

 

[Essexraptor]

Go directly to the Linux community forums. They will have much more info and step by step guides on "how to"

The above method will work.

THIS route will avoid babble about VM's. .. which you don't need.