Installing Ubuntu on a Toshiba laptop with Windows 8

[Jim Byrnes]

On 10/07/2013 04:20 PM, Jim Byrnes wrote:
> On 10/07/2013 02:37 PM, Liam Proven wrote:
>> On 7 October 2013 20:14, Jim Byrnes <jf_byrnes at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> Which is why I came here seeking help.  The partition figures I
>>> posted came
>>> from the Ubuntu installer screen.  Earlier when I had Ubuntu running
>>> from
>>> the live dvd I looked at it with gpartd and all the partitions I listed
>>> where displayed next to each other across the top of the screen.
>>>
>>> My goal is to leave Windows 8 on the disk, not setup and unactivated
>>> so if I
>>> need it in the future I could just set it up.  Maybe that is not even
>>> possible, I couldn't find any info about that by googling, but then I
>>> am a
>>> poor googler.
>>
>> OK. Well, it's a 64-bit machine with EFI, we can tell that. And the
>> fact that it has 5 primary partitions means it /can't/ be a standard
>> MBR-partitioned hard disk.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record#Disk_partitioning
>>
>> MBR is the old PC and DOS partitioning scheme. It is the one with the
>> 4-primaries limit.
>>
>> So I think it must be GPT format, although one generally only sees
>> that on disks over 2TB in size.
>
> Yes it is GPT, my bad, I was going to include that bit of info and forgot.
>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table
>>
>> With GPT you can have as many partitions as you want.
>>
>> So, first question. Boot off the Live DVD, pick "try" not "install."
>>
>> Now, look inside those partitions. What's in the root directories?
>>
>> There are 5 - as I read it:
>
> Using Files I cannot open any of them and sda2 is not shown as a device.
> The error basically says they cannot be mounted and the file system is
> unclean.
>
>  From GParted:
>
>>
>> /dev/sda1      ntfs      ~1GB
>
> FS=ntfs Label=System Size=1GiB used=357.72MiB Unused=666.28MiB
> Flags=hidden,diag
>
>> /dev/sda2      efi       1/4 GB *leave this alone - vitally important*
>
> FS=fat32 Label=blank Size=260MiB Used=51.43MiB Unsued=208.57Mib Flags=boot
>
>> /dev/sda3      ntfs      ~ 1/8 GB - Windows System Reserved I think
>
> FS=ntfs Label=blank Size=128.MiB Used=13.98MiB Unused=114/02MiB
> Flags=msftres
>
>> /dev/sda4      ntfs      ~5 3/4 GB - that's your C drive
>>
>
> FS=ntfs Label=Tl10664800H Size=453.33GiB Used= - Unused= -
> Flags=msftdata Note this is the partition that carries the warning about
> being unreadable

Some followup.  GParted will not let me resize this partition.  It lists 
the maximum and minimum size as the same.  Any change I make in the New 
Size box is negated when I click on the Free space following box. The 
resize/move button never becomes clickable.

If I click on Information it says the warning I reported above may be 
caused by a missing software package. It say it maybe ntfsprogs/ntfs-3g. 
I don't believe this is the case because if I try to resize one of the 
other ntfs partitions it will allow me to do so.

I tried the check option but it wanted to check and repair.  I was 
afraid this might corrupt the file and prevent Win 8 from installing in 
the future if I wanted to do so.

It looks like I will need to either (1)go through the Win 8 setup 
process and then install Ubuntu in a dual boot configuration or (2) wipe 
Win 8 and install Ubuntu as the only OS.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to avoid (1) or (2) and just get 
Ubuntu installed the way the HD sits now?  I have read that wubi doesn't 
work with Win 8 and I would want to go that route anyway.

>> /dev/sda5      ntfs      ~11 GB - that's interesting. What's in there?
>> Anything?
>
> FS=ntfs Label=Recovery Size=11.06GiB Used=10.21GiB Unused=862.65MiB
> Flags=hidden,diag
>
>> I would suggest, depending on what's in there, this:
>>
>> If #5 is empty, remove it. Shrink #4 down so that it is about 50% full.
>>
>> In the remaining space, make new primaries for Ubuntu. I'd suggest:
>>
>> 16GB ext4 for "/" i.e. root
>>
>> On the end, one about the same size as your physical RAM for swap.
>>
>> And in between, give all the remaining space to /home.
>>
>> Because it's GPT - I am guessing this because it seems to have 5 on
>> its already and it's a modern EFI PC laptop - then all the
>> old-fashioned primary/extended/secondary/logical stuff goes in the
>> bin. It's just primaries all the way on GPT.
>
>
> Thanks,  Jim
>
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