Help with Ubuntu dual-boot install

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I have another one of my laptops running Xubuntu from a USB stick. I like it, a lot. I want to install it along side Windows XP for now. It has a 60 GB hard drive; plenty big for both. The Xubuntu installer does not give me the option of dual-booting. I can only replace Windows XP. I tried shrinking the XP partition in gparted, but it will only expand the current partition, not shrink it. There is a small 7 GB partition in addition to the 60 GB partition. gparted will allow me to expand into that second partition, but not shrink the current one.

Okay, so I boot back into Windows. Disk Management shows only the 60 GB partition and offers no way to shrink it. I did some Googling and found that if Ubuntu won't offer a dual-boot with Windows XP, you've likely exceeded your limit of four partitions, which does not apply to this computer.

Any ideas? I'd like to preserve the Windows XP installation. Thanks.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Any ideas? I'd like to preserve the Windows XP installation. Thanks.


I am not sure that any Linux installer can shrink an NTFS partition (Thanks, Microsoft! Way to play nicely with the rest of the world...) and if XP itself cannot modify the partition sizes of it's own flippin' filesystem; well, you can find me sobbing quietly in the corner.
 
Download the free version of EASUS partition master. Make sure to not install the adware [censored] that come as part of the installer.

Shrink your XP partition. Reboot. Make sure it is actually shrunk and working properly then uninstall the program.

Proceed with your Xubuntu install.
 
Thanks; will try the EASUS product.

After working with both XP and 7&8, I find the Disk Management capabilities of XP to be very compromised. I've had no issues working with NTFS partitions in 7&8, but XP's Disk Management console seems to be next to useless.
 
Xandros linux could shrink an NTFS partition assuming one did a defrag prior to using it. Sadly Xandros appears to be not supported any more.
 
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Xandros linux could shrink an NTFS partition assuming one did a defrag prior to using it. Sadly Xandros appears to be not supported any more.


There is an excellent chance I am talkin' out my back side, here; but my thinking is that NTFS wouldn't exactly be free software ("free" as in "freedom", not necessarily as in "no cost") and therefore Linux distributions would not be in exactly legal good standing by distributing software that could write to or re-size or perform other functions to and with it.

Ubuntu, having a corporate sponsor, Canonical, has to tread lightly when it comes down to doing stuff the right way ("right" according to U.S. corporations, who make laws governing over people) whereas smaller, community-developed distros like Mint (who go right ahead and include codecs and other non-free elements right outta the box) don't worry so much about it.
 
root@xubu:/# dpkg --list | grep ntfs
ntfs-3g 1:2013.1.13AR.1-2ubuntu1 i386 read/write NTFS driver for FUSE

I am currently running 13.10 xubuntu 32bit; ntfs-3g package is loaded which contains ntfsresize

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntfsresize

As with anything, best to hone one's skills on a device you don't need the data. Linux gets a bad rap for making machines unbootable or wiping partitions. I don't blame a car when the driver drives off the road with it.

As for the NTFS licensing, any machine with NTFS has a licensed copy of Windows so no issue there lol. One is just choosing to manipulate it outside of M$'s context.
 
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@xubu:~$ ntfsresize
ntfsresize v2013.1.13AR.1 (libntfs-3g)

Usage: ntfsresize [OPTIONS] DEVICE
Resize an NTFS volume non-destructively, safely move any data if needed.

-c, --check Check to ensure that the device is ready for resize
-i, --info Estimate the smallest shrunken size or the smallest
expansion size
-m, --info-mb-only Estimate the smallest shrunken size possible,
output size in MB only
-s, --size SIZE Resize volume to SIZE[k|M|G] bytes
-x, --expand Expand to full partition

-n, --no-action Do not write to disk
-b, --bad-sectors Support disks having bad sectors
-f, --force Force to progress
-P, --no-progress-bar Don't show progress bar
-v, --verbose More output
-V, --version Display version information
-h, --help Display this help

The options -i and -x are exclusive of option -s, and -m is exclusive
of option -x. If options -i, -m, -s and -x are are all omitted
then the NTFS volume will be enlarged to the DEVICE size.

Developers' email address: [email protected]
News, support and information: http://tuxera.com
Ntfsresize FAQ: http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/info/ntfsresize.html
@xubu:~$
 
Thanks guys. The EASEUS product worked like a champ. I was able to use gparted to format the now-unallocated space into a '/' ext4 volume and into a swap volume. I didn't make a separate '/home' volume, though I reckon that I could in the future.

I must say, I REALLY like the ease of this stuff. I've had a much better experience lately with getting drivers and things working. Xubuntu went on an HP Compaq tc4200 laptop with absolutely zero problems. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi both work. And the UI flies. I've got LibreOffice on it. I also have found that Dropbox supports Linux installations, so I may move my cloud-based files to Dropbox from Google Drive (since Google Drive doesn't seem to support Linux, at least not very well).

I replaced my days-old Lubuntu install on my Compaq Presario C306 with Xubuntu this evening. With the B43 Wi-Fi firmware/driver tip I got here a few months ago, these Ubuntu flavor installs have been going very smooth. And I will replace the Ubuntu on the eMachines desktop with Xubuntu later this week or this weekend.

So now, all of "my" machines are running the same version of the same Linux distro, with the same apps installed, with the same cloud service installed. Pretty peachy. The Dell desktop that my wife uses will stay on Windows 8.1, though I'll probably put Dropbox on it as well and be fully sync'd across all of our platforms. The only machine that gets somewhat left behind here is the little Chromebook...I can go to Dropbox.com and view files on it, but I can't edit files with it like I can with stuff on Google Drive. The Chromebook is quickly becoming our daughters' favorite computer anyway, so it's probably just as well.
 
Great to hear it worked out for you
thumbsup2.gif
 
I have a little problem. When using Mint everything is fine. If I restart the computer grub comes up and I can select Mint(actually it say ubuntu) or Win boot manager. Cool. Now the problem. When I restart the computer looking to run Mint only Win will start. Bringing up the boot list and selecting Mint leads to an error. I have to go into the BIOS and put grub back to the top. Somehow Win alters the BIOS settings and put the Windows boot manger first every time.
 
That did not help. The problem isn't with grub. Somehow, whenever Windows is started, the BIOS boot order changes from "ubuntu" as the default to "Windows Boot Manager." Hitting F9 during post and bringing up the "select boot device"screen will show windows boot manager and ubuntu. Selecting ubuntu will result in a "no disk found"(something like that) error. Selecting windows boot manager will boot windows normally.
 
I think the problem IS in your GRUB. It seems like you have two problems. First, your Mint config section in GRUB got corrupted because you can no longer start Mint (or Mint's partition got messed up or something). Secondly, it sounds like Windows' boot manager is editing your GRUB file, which may be what corrupted it in the first place.

I'm sure there is a way to repair the GRUB with a bootable USB. That's getting beyond my troubleshooting skills, however. I hope someone can step in with assistance.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Secondly, it sounds like Windows' boot manager is editing your GRUB file, which may be what corrupted it in the first place.


If Windows was installed after Mint, it is surely what is ailing you: Windows will always mess up your GRUB setup.

It is absolutely possible to edit your GRUB file by hand to correct the issue: Just make sure you are referencing an up-to-date tutorial that you understand and follow it TO. THE. LETTER. Messing up GRUB (which is astonishingly easy to do) will mess up the computing part of your life good and proper.
 
Originally Posted By: hatt
I have a little problem. When using Mint everything is fine. If I restart the computer grub comes up and I can select Mint(actually it say ubuntu) or Win boot manager. Cool. Now the problem. When I restart the computer looking to run Mint only Win will start. Bringing up the boot list and selecting Mint leads to an error. I have to go into the BIOS and put grub back to the top. Somehow Win alters the BIOS settings and put the Windows boot manger first every time.


It's the new secure bios (UEFI?) messin' with you. Fix it from within linux.
 
Sounds a little complex. I'm not going to worry about it now since everything is working if I need it to. I'm probably going to reinstall Mint or maybe Ubuntu and have a separate home partition when I have some time. Maybe get a SSD.

Clean Windows 8.1 was installed first.
 
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