Installing Ubuntu 12.10 - Dual Partition

somurray

I'm having difficulty installing a dual partition of Ubuntu 12.10 on a PC with Windows 7 already installed.

I made a separate 30gb partition from my internal hard drive to be used for Ubuntu, formatted as ext3.

However, when I've tried installing Ubuntu via bootable USB, it installs up the "now finished, restart to continue" page, but when I restart the PC it always boots up to the bootable USB GRUB2 page. If I reboot with the USB removed, it just boots up Windows 7 as if Ubuntu was never installed.

Any ideas?

Setun

As far as I am aware (and I am open to correction), but Windows 7 reorders the boot partition order on startup, placing itself first so you never are given the option automatically of booting into Linux. I had this problem about 2 years ago when I got my most recent laptop and I ended up doing away with Windows 7 pretty quickly as it wasn't particularly useful for me, so I can't really remember if I bothered to fix the dual-boot issue. This page should help you though - it talks about ubuntu 9.10 but the same instructions should follow for 12.10, more or less: http://lifehacker.com/5403100/dual+boot-windows-7-and-ubuntu-in-perfect-harmony

Stuxnet

well if done "right", imo, you should be overwriting windows mbr with grub bootloader

sounds to me, grub is writing itself to your usb stick, when you get to the final install option, have a look at the dropdown menu for grub install location, pick the very first option top of the list, .....should work, also Id re-format your partition to ext4, unless you have some reason to use ext3

http://i47.tinypic.com/2a4uvzk.png

somurray

Yes thank you I have reformated the partition as ext4.

I did pick the very first option top of the list but I get the same problem. Instead I have chosen ext4 (Ubuntu 12.10), fourth choice down the list. Let see what happens after the installation a second time.:pac:

human 19

It seems extremely likely that you have installed grub to the usb stick rather than to the computer.
You dont need to reinstall the whole distro

use a "live" distro either by usb or cd. As your (dubious ) choice of distro is alreay installed on the disk, you just have to make it be seen.
In a live disk, (probably needs to be connected to the net, Im not sure) in a terminal type sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Then (just in case it doesnt it automatically update with the linux windows OSs on the disk..I always run it anyway):

sudo update-grub

**Note to iothers...UBU or derivates havent been my main distros for a few years , but I believe the above is correct. Please clarify and hurl abuse if it is not**

somurray

Thanks human 19, I'll give that a shot. Last time I installed Linux was a 2006 era laptop and the installer seemed more basic and idiot-proof than the one present.

somurray

annndd it fails. I am completely defeated by this, tried human 19's recommendations (I think; what exactly is a "live" distro"?)

Johnboy1951

human 19 wrote: »

It seems extremely likely that you have installed grub to the usb stick rather than to the computer.
You dont need to reinstall the whole distro

use a "live" distro either by usb or cd. As your (dubious ) choice of distro is alreay installed on the disk, you just have to make it be seen.
In a live disk, (probably needs to be connected to the net, Im not sure) in a terminal type sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Then (just in case it doesnt it automatically update with the linux windows OSs on the disk..I always run it anyway):

sudo update-grub

**Note to iothers...UBU or derivates havent been my main distros for a few years , but I believe the above is correct. Please clarify and hurl abuse if it is not**

It might be that the HDD is not seen as /dev/sda but maybe /dev/sdb or other, depending on attached hardware ..... so it would be best to confirm its designation before installing grub.

human 19

somurray wrote: »

annndd it fails. I am completely defeated by this, tried human 19's recommendations (I think; what exactly is a "live" distro"?)

When you booted into ubuntu originally via the usb stick, did it let you rest out Ubuntu before installing it? If so then it is known as a "live" distro, for some reason.

If you can test Ubuntu then go into a program called gparted whicg shoule be under system tools or administration. This will show you what is installed on your hdd (and the usb stick also). There is a drop down menu up the top to jump between looking at /dev/sda or whatever other letters have been allocated. This will let you:
...confirm that ubuntu is installed alongside windows on the hdd
...confirm the drive letter of your hdd which is /dev/sd?

once you have confirmed thes then it should be no problem to install grub to it iby opening a terminal and typing sudo grub-install /dev/sd? followed by sudo update-grub.

I assume you have to be connected to the internet for the 1st one to work as I assume it downloads grub fromthe net.

If there are any error messages received, please post them

Setun

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

It might be that the HDD is not seen as /dev/sda but maybe /dev/sdb or other, depending on attached hardware ..... so it would be best to confirm its designation before installing grub.

Actually yes - what the above posters are saying is another likely reason for your problems. When you boot up, any available drives will be mounted as described in your BIOS. So if you have given a usb drive priority over your hard disk, then the usb drive will of course be loaded first. A linux system will label a drive according to the following system.

Primary drive (perhaps your usb drive) = sda
Secondary drive = sdb
etc

You can check this by typing in the following on the command line:

fdisk -l

These are mounted in the /dev/ directory, so they should appear as /dev/sda and /dev/sdb. Also, if your secondary drive has a partition, the first partition will be labeled /dev/sdb1, second partition /dev/sdb2, and so on. So when you are installing Grub, there is a reasonable chance you are installing it to /dev/sda, as it might try to install it to your primary drive by default. If you have to install it to /dev/sdb, make sure you install it to the correct partition, where the linux os is.

human 19

Setun wrote: »

Actually yes - what the above posters are saying is another likely reason for your problems. When you boot up, any available drives will be mounted as described in your BIOS. So if you have given a usb drive priority over your hard disk, then the usb drive will of course be loaded first. A linux system will label a drive according to the following system.

Primary drive (perhaps your usb drive) = sda
Secondary drive = sdb
etc

You can check this by typing in the following on the command line:

fdisk -l

These are mounted in the /dev/ directory, so they should appear as /dev/sda and /dev/sdb. Also, if your secondary drive has a partition, the first partition will be labeled /dev/sdb1, second partition /dev/sdb2, and so on. So when you are installing Grub, there is a reasonable chance you are installing it to /dev/sda, as it might try to install it to your primary drive by default. If you have to install it to /dev/sdb, make sure you install it to the correct partition, where the linux os is.

If the usb stick is given priority, then, when removed, it should boot into grub on the hdd,but this doesnt happen..it goes straight to windows. Therefore grub is not installed at the start of the hdd (the master boot record).

Hence my replies above

somurray

Thanks for everyone's help, I fixed it with boot repair. Got it all up and running!

Setun

human 19 wrote: »

If the usb stick is given priority, then, when removed, it should boot into grub on the hdd,but this doesnt happen..it goes straight to windows. Therefore grub is not installed at the start of the hdd (the master boot record).

Hence my replies above

Yes, sorry perhaps I wasn't as clear as I intended - I was echoing what you said (that Grub could have been installed to the USB instead of the HDD).

Anyway glad to hear you're up and running, OP.

Scruffles

somurray wrote: »

Thanks for everyone's help, I fixed it with boot repair. Got it all up and running!

for future recommendation,if are ever interested in sticking ubuntu on,just use the WUBI method which is downloaded and installed exactly like any program on windows;it really is 'idiot proof',it partitions itself within windows and runs seperately without windows via GRUB bootup,plus is easily deleteable like any file in windows aparently,havent used it in a long time,its great for when have got no USB stick/dvd drive for using cdr copies.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/windows-installer

somurray

Thanks Scruffles but I did try WUBI first but it ran like sludge on my system, considering Linux has to share the same CPU & RAM of WIndows as well. Dual-partitioned, it runs like lightning for me! Now for Valve to continue to endorse Linux for Steam!