Installing Ubuntu in an external HD

[Thomas Kaiser]

José Manuel Martínez Martínez wrote:
> Hi Thomas,
> My answer is in upper case in your message. Look at it below!
> Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:11:52 +0100
> From: Thomas Kaiser <ubuntu at kaiser-linux.li>
> Subject: Re: Installing Ubuntu in an external HD
> To: "Ubuntu user technical support,	not for general discussions"
> 	<ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
> Message-ID: <458D1D08.8070703 at kaiser-linux.li>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
> 
> Jos? Manuel Mart?nez Mart?nez wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> This is the first time I take part in this list (I've just joined it, 
>> indeed). I'm a newbie in Linux so I get lost just install it.
>> I have a Toshiba laptop and recently bought an external 80GB HD. I 
>> downloaded a live cd of the 6.10 ubuntu distribution and I've installed 
>> it already (I created a NTFS partition, a ext3 and a swarp one. I've 
>> used the visual installation assistant.
>> It seems to work fine BUT I've discovered that I need to have my 
>> external HD plugged any time I switch on my computer since otherwise 
>> GRUB says an error has happened and so on without giving me a chance to 
>> choose OS. Whereas if the external HD is plugged works fine (as I said).
>> What I would like to do is to start my computer and have GURB working 
>> properly (or no GURB at all) when the external HD isn't plugged to the 
>> laptop, but when it is it should work.
>> Any idea? Please, I don't know much about linux so an explanation for 
>> dummies would be really wonderful.
>> Thank you very much!
>>
>> Pitragoras
> 
> Hello Jose
> 
> Just some questions on your setup to figure out what you need:
> You did install Ubuntu on the external (USB) HD? YES
> What is on your main HD? WINDOWS AND ALL MY FILES, PROGRAMS...
> Where did you install GRUB? MBR? on which HD? NOW, I'M LOST. IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN HD0 sda1 THE
> INTERNAL HD I ASSUME
> When you boot with the external HD plugged, do you boot from this HD? YES, AND IT WORKS FINE. 
> 
> NOW I TRIED TO MODIFY THINGS THROUGH THIS
> IN TERMINAL I TYPED:
> SUDO CHROOT /MEDIA/SDA1
> 
> AND THEN
> 
> SUDO GRUB INSTALL HD0,0
> 
> AND NOW I CONTINUE LIKE BEFORE AND I CAN'T RUN WINDOWS EVEN WITH THE EXTERNAL HD PLUGGED.
> 
> I'M REALLY WORRIED.
> 
> ANY TIP?
> 
> THANKS!
> Regards, Thomas
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 		
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> 

Hello Jose

I assume you want to have the following setup:
- if the external HD is NOT plugged, boot Windoz using the Windoz boot 
loader
- if the external HD is plugged, boot directly from the USB Device with GRUB

So, first we need to put back the Windoz boot loader to the internal HD. 
For this boot with the Windoz CD an go to recovery console.
Run "fixboot" and "fixmbr" (or similar commands, I don't remember the 
correct names). This should reinstall the Windoz boot loader. Now, you 
should be able to boot Windoz again.

Next, we need to put GRUB to the MBR of the external HD.
Boot your computer with the Ubuntu Live/Installation CD.
Plug in your external HD.
If it does not mount automatically, you have to mount by hand:
(I assume your external HD is /dev/sdb)
sudo mkdir /media/sdb1
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media/sdb1
sudo chroot /media/sdb1
sudo grub install hd1

Now try to boot from the external HD.

I hope this will solve this issue.

Regards, Thomas


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