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Ubuntu Single Boot

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Ubuntu Single Boot

Have made a convert and jmdlp has decided to use Ubuntu when her lappy comes back with a new hard drive.
It is going to be used as a spare computer plus storage (instead of buying an external HD). The lappy works fine with Ubuntu live CD.
The new disk size is 250GB.
I am going to select Use Entire Disk and will firstly create a primary partition of 40GB for Ubuntu, then 1GB for Swap (512MB RAM) then all the rest for Home so that this bit can be safely used for back up independent of the OS itself.
Last time I somehow missed the Home bit so I am really keen to get it right this time.
Have located a link which talks you through it http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installseparatehome so I feel well prepared.
However, want to do everything correctly so can anyone offer any advice or opinions about this please? 
16 REPLIES 16
VileReynard
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Strictly speaking, your entire disk will be Ubuntu, but with 3 partitions allocated:-
Partition 1:  /
Partition 2:  swap
Partition 3:  /home
(Make sure they are in that order).

I think your chosen sizes are about right (although you could get away with less than 40GB for /).
Do you ever plan to run two linuxes side by side?
If so, you might have to re-plan your layout.
Don't forget to do "custom install". Smiley

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

orbrey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
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Registered: ‎18-07-2007

Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

I tend to use a separate boot partition, but for no other reason than it was recommended in the guide I was reading at the time and I've stuck with it. Your layout looks peachy to me. I may have said more, but mr evil appears to have covered it.
Not applicable

Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Thanks for the advice mr evil and orbrey. The sequence was just what I needed to know 'cos last time I think that I allocated Swap first.
Looking forward to setting it all up but there is always that bit of nervousness first. Hope that the computer man leaves the bios set to boot from CD or I will have to do that first.
jmdlp fancies a play with Ubuntu so maybe we shall see her on our Linux forum soon, especially if she doesn't get on with W7.
Hope that she does like it though.
*No, just one Linux system will be fine - I realise that Ubuntu could well manage on less than 40GB but there is loads of space so that is why I gave it room for manoeuvre so to speak.
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Hi poppy, well easy to setup (easier with Mint  ;), sure she wouldn't prefer Mint Cry :D)
When you install, choose Manual partition,
select the disk, delete the partition if there is one.
Set new primary partition of 40Gb & ext4 (Loadsa space there*) and label it /
Select empty space, add new primary partition of 1Gb and mark as Linux swap
Select rest and add new primary partition & ext4 and mark as /home
(I use ext4 now in preference to ext3 for performance.)
*My / partition is running at about 4Gb even though it has 30Gb allocated, it does mean loadsa space in /tmp for temporary files.
Not applicable

Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Yes, Mint does seem easier to install but with not currently using it myself I wouldn't be in a position to advise her if she wanted to know something. You know what it's like - often you have to look before you can answer.
My current installation is ext4 - I read something about this is automatic now (am on Jaunty 9.04). I reckon it must be because I can't remember selecting it - I had ext3 in mind from last time so thought I'd done something wrong!  Roll_eyes
It's a bit off topic but seeing as it's my thread - you referred to temp files in your reply. In Vista I clear the rubbish at the end of the day with CCleaner. Never done anything like that with Ubuntu. Took a look at the janitor but didn't dare proceed.
Should I be cleaning things up somewhere?  Huh
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Well in 2 years + of using Linux, I have NEVER emptied my /tmp folder.
Checks useage:- (Ok new install after my boot/home disk crashed a couple of days ago) but 124K Used
Mint and Ubuntu share a common ground (since Mint is based on Ubuntu) but I would let her try it along with PCLinux to see which she prefers. (All the cost is some downloading and a couple of cd's)
For new users Mint is better than Ubuntu since it includes the codecs you need to play stuff OOB. But YMMV as they say, I started on Mandrake many years ago (OK I tried Red Hat 5 at one point but command line Linux was beyond me 10 years ago)
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Quote
(Ok new install after my boot/home disk crashed a couple of days ago)

Oh dear - what happened?  Sad
VileReynard
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

After a lot of updates you will get many tiny files and directories.
Use
sudo apt-get clean
occasionally. It won't save much storage, but it will speed up backups if you are in the habit of backing up your entire /var directory.
/tmp seems to be automatically cleared at boot time - and possibily more often Smiley
To check use
sudo du -sh /tmp

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

HairyMcbiker
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

My boot, root & home drive was an old 200Gb Sata drive. It decided to start giving me read errors & hanging the system, it fooled me because I thought it was one of the other drives that was at fault. Much pulling of cables ensued Wink
Eventually I installed an other 300Gb PATA drive as /,/boot,&/home and remounted the others in their homes under /mnt with synlinks to my home folder. Re-installed Mint and copied the stuff off the old drive. Still installing bits  Grin Shocked
I spent more time trying to fix it rather than biting the bullet and installing a new copy, but that is half the fun eh? Undecided
Must admit I though about installing the 6Bit ver but decided against it, I had a 6t4Bit ver installed last year but you have to like building from source using 64bit  Cool as a lot of 3rd party apps are 32bit debs & source only.
After Loosing 2Tb earlier in the year I am more aware of where things are now  Embarrassed (I had a nice raided array of 5 disks but lost one and that took the rest down as it was a striped array)
I must admit when building servers I tend to use different drives for different purposes, one for boot/system and another for home etc. And if it had been a proper server it would have been raid 5'ed.
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Operation completed so I am really hoping that jmdlp gets on with Ubuntu.
It is working very well - graphics, wireless all spot on. She likes to play Scrabble so am looking for one.
Downloaded a version from Sourceforge but can't get it to work properly. Can't find one in the repository. any suggestions please?
Here is the GParted result and I hope that it is OK:
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

You do there is a screen shot util, you don't have to take pictures of it  Grin
Look ok, I see you went for an extended partition rather than primary but it doesn't really make any difference in the long run.
Can't help on scrabble only play it in the caravan Shocked Tongue
VileReynard
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Why not give pyscrabble a shot?
Install from the repositories...

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

Not applicable

Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

I did give it a go but it seems you have to play online so didn't like the idea of that, although it is not for me so jmdlp might not mind.
Anyway, she has enough to cope with at the mo as she attended her first LUG meeting last night and is now a certified Linux Ubuntu user - she wasn't fazed by it at all.
The guys thought that the install was OK but couldn't fathom where I got that extended bit from either.  Huh
At least I got the Home bit right and that is the partition that is important as the new HD was fitted instead of buying an external one and is primarily for storage. You never know though - she could get so 'into' the system that she might prefer it to Vista/W7.
jmd
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Re: Ubuntu Single Boot

Not sure about the "certified" bit Poppy............ but am now using ubuntu.  Seems OK so far but have not done much yet!  However, will persevere and work my way through various things on here - like getting it linked to printer etc.  It is alright so far.  Until my new computer comes and then I have to get to grips with Vista.................