Installing Ubuntu as 2nd OS

[Peter Domanski]

elmo wrote:
> Ilya Vishnyakov wrote:
>   
>> Hello Lucky Ubuntu Users!
>>
>>  
>>
>> I have a Dell laptop with Win Xp and 1 partition on it. This laptop 
>> has very valuable information for me, personally. I was wondering if 
>> will be able to install Ubuntu as second OS on my laptop, without 
>> reformatting the hard drive. I need to keep the data on it intact.
>>
>>  
>>
>> Thank you for your advice.
>>
>>  
>>
>> Ilya.
>>
>>  
>>
>>     
> WARNING!!!!!!!!!!
> Unless you can install a second hard drive for your additional operating 
> systems you MUST do the
> following:
>
> Before you try to create a new partition for ubuntu you must (!!!!!!!!) 
> defragment the partition you are using for Windows to make sure all the 
> data is moved out of the way where you will make a partition for your 
> ubuntu installation.   OTHERWISE, you will lose some of your Windows data.
>
> To defragment the Windows  partition,  do:
>
> Start> My Computer>local disk C:>Properties>Tools>Defragmentation 
> Now>Defragment,
>
> The entire graph represents the entire C: partition, the full size of 
> your hard drive.  What we want to do is create enough space for another 
> partition to the right of the green block(s).  You can estimate the 
> space (GB) available for the new partition.
>
> This wlll display the entire C: partition in graphical form and you will 
> see the data moving toward the left side of the green block(s)
> There will be 1 or 2 green segments and possibly some other colored 
> blocks to the right.  The idea is to get all those to the right of the 
> green to move to the left side of the green ones.  This will create 
> space for a new partition for your ubuntu.
>
> After ALL the blue has been moved to the left side of the green all that 
> space to the right is available for a new partition  (D:)
>
> It may be necessary to repeat the operation to move everything to the 
> left of the green block(s).
>
> What you want to do first after the space becomes available is use a 
> partitioner to set  an upper limit  for  the size of the C:  partition.
>
> If this has been done carefully, you should have a smaller  partition  
> for all  your Windows with  its original data squeezed into a smaller  
> partition .  The green blocks will be more to the right when you do the 
> defragment again meaning that the C: partition has been shrunk.  You 
> won't notice any difference in operation.
>
> Use a partitioner to create a new ext3 partition that starts where the 
> C: partition ends.   This new partition will start somewhere to the 
> right of the green blocks.    You won't see the new partition if it has 
> been formatted ext3.
>
> The simplest way to avoid all the work of resetting the size of the 
> windows partition is to install a second hard drive.
>
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De fragmenting the windows partition is definitely recommended but after 
you do that I recommend booting Ubuntu from a cd then lunching gparted 
(a graphical partition manager/editor) from there you can very simply 
shrink the windows partition. Gparted will actually move around all the 
data on the partition so that it is not lost during the shrinking. Once 
that is done simply click on the icon on the desktop to install Ubuntu 
from the CD, and once the installation starts make sure to specify that 
you only want to use the free space on your hard drive and not the 
entire disk.  It sounds like a lot of work but is actually pretty 
simple, just make sure you take your time and read all the directions.

Good Luck.