New to Dualbooting and Need Help Partitioning (Ubuntu)

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turkey3_scratch

turkey3_scratch

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Okay, the Windows 10 technical preview looks intriguing so I am going to dualboot that along with Ubuntu on my computer, but I do not know where to start. I know that I have to burn Windows 10 onto the disk and all that, but the hard drive partitioning is where I am at a loss. Here is what I have partition-wise in Ubuntu:

2n236gy.png

So there are my partitions, and it seems I have 3 of them. I am guessing that the OS is installed on Partition 1 and the programs and files on Partition 2 (correct me if wrong). Partition 3 I am unsure. Here is what I want to know:

1) How many new partitions must I create for Windows 10?
2) Can I reduce the maximum possible size of partition 2 to make more room for a new partition?
3) What is really the difference in all these partitions? I mean their purposes.
4) In general, what must I do in order to dualboot Win 10?

I am experienced in computers, but I never dualbooted before. Thanks!

 
Solution
stillblue
If you have two hard drives go ahead and disconnect the ubuntu drive while you install windows on the new one. When finished reconnect it and set the Ubuntu drive as the boot default. You won't see an entry for windows yet, not to worry. When it's up and running open a terminal from the menu or using ctl+alt+t and type
sudo update-grub
This will add your windows partition to the boot menu. Bootrepair does the same thing if you'd rather have a gui.
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skittle

skittle

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Use the program gparted to shrink partitions.
You have /boot on sda1 which just contains boot files and your kernel. The rest of your OS is entirely on sda2. Sda3 is your swap file, "virtual memory" that exists on your HDD in case you accidentally fill up your RAM.
 
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skittle

skittle

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After you shrink your root (/) partition, boot into windows installer and simply install it to the free space you just created, you don't need to create a partition with gparted here (or if you do, simply format the empty partition as NTFS).

Windows will overwrite the GRUB code in MBR with its own. To get back into Linux you will need to boot into an Ubuntu LiveCD and use the boot repair tool.

Probably it is easier to test Windows 10 in VirtualBox, VMware or KVM instead ;)
 
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turkey3_scratch

turkey3_scratch

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Why would I need a liveCD? Wouldn't I get a boot menu when I start up the computer and then select which OS I want to boot to?
 
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skittle

skittle

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Basically what happens:
Ubuntu has its own boot loader, GRUB. Its writes information to MBR that points to the /boot partition to find the boot files.

When you install Windows the MBR will be over written with windows boot loader. Windows is not aware of Linux or GRUB so you will not be able to boot into your Linux unless you reinstall GRUB to the MBR. Easiest way to do this is via Ubuntu liveCD/USB.

PS this is why recommended dualboot process is to install windows *first* because grub will detect windows!
 
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turkey3_scratch

turkey3_scratch

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Okay thx guys! Would there be a difference if the computer had two hard drives rather than one? Meaning one OS on each hard drive? Just curious, because then all this stuff is probably simpler I'm guessing that you can just select which hard drive to boot to. Also, if you have two hard drives, one for Ubuntu one for Windows, then in Ubuntu could you read files off the Windows hard drive?
 
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stillblue

stillblue

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Nov 30, 2012
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If you have two hard drives go ahead and disconnect the ubuntu drive while you install windows on the new one. When finished reconnect it and set the Ubuntu drive as the boot default. You won't see an entry for windows yet, not to worry. When it's up and running open a terminal from the menu or using ctl+alt+t and type
sudo update-grub
This will add your windows partition to the boot menu. Bootrepair does the same thing if you'd rather have a gui.
 
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