Installing Ubuntu as 2nd OS

[elmo]

Rick Knight wrote:
> Joseph wrote:
>   
>> Peter Domanski wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> 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.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   
>>>>       
>>>>         
>>> 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.
>>>
>>>     
>>>       
>> I've used XP and the defrag in it doesn't do a great job...   Shucks, it doesn't do as good as a lousy job.  It leaves 
>> information from one end of the drive to the other....
>>
>> So how does one get it all together into one clump like the Sindows95 degfrag did.
>>
>>
>>
>>   
>>     
> You'll likely never be able to get a completely, 100% defragged disk. 
> Windows has always had files that cannot be moved. Run the defrag and 
> then run gparted as a previous poster suggested. It'll take care of what 
> Windows can't move. Like the previous poster said, take your time and 
> read all the instruction.
>
> Good luck,
> Rick
>
>   
You're correct, the XP defrag doesn't do a complete job the way the 
older Windows did but the idea is to make available enough space on the 
hard drive where a new partition can be created for ubuntu. 
Going through all this business of clearing out the entire Windows and 
then partitioning and reinstalling a Windows backup is asking for 
trouble.  Besides, the backup could be out of date unless you backup 
after a making any changes.
Regardless, installing ubuntu on  a second hard drive is the safest and 
easiest way to go.