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I am trying to install Ubuntu for first time to try it. I have an empty 49GB partition created by xp when installed.

I have got to intallation type and selected 'something else' I now have

/dev/sda
/dev/sda1 ntfs
/dev/sda2 ntfs
  • under that I have new partition table/add/change etc
  • under that I can choose 'Device for boot loader Installation'

There seems to be multiple combinations to choose and I don't know what boot loader means. Can you suggest what my best choice(s) would be please?

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2 Answers 2

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I assume you want a dual boot? Then stop with what you are doing. This can go bad: it will remove parts of your XP installation if you do not identify the correct one.

The easiest method to choose is to...

  • Boot back into Windows.
  • Use a windows tools (like partition magic) to shrink 1 of your partitions and to create an unallocated partition of 20Gb or more. Or if the 49 Gb partition is still empty to delete the partition.

Boot Ubuntu and choose to install in the unallocated partition (either with the choice "install alongside Windows XP" or with "something else" and picking the partition that shows "unallocated space" and NOT the one marked NTFS).

This will make sure you will pick the correct one without having to guess what partition to use.

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    Or choose the option for installing alongside Ubuntu. I think it's the first option...
    – Alvar
    Sep 12, 2014 at 12:37
  • that's the one I meant :=)
    – Rinzwind
    Sep 12, 2014 at 12:37
  • Thanks for your reply. Yes I'm aiming for double-boot and, as far as I know, the spare partition isn't formatted (does the ntfs signify that it is?).
    – Stuart Bradbury
    Sep 12, 2014 at 14:51
  • Yes. NTFS means formatted. A deleted partition shows as "unallocated space" (not sure if that is the same name in Windows) and that is what I consider the easiest method for someone who has not done a dual boot installation before. (our method of naming partitions might be a bit difficult at 1st).
    – Rinzwind
    Sep 12, 2014 at 14:54
  • Will it be better to abort this installation and then create 2 sections of the spare 49GB partition, say, one at 40GB for install and one at 9GB for a swap file, via windows?
    – Stuart Bradbury
    Sep 12, 2014 at 15:06
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I think it's worth pointing out that there are many of us who want to create a dual-boot machine so we can eventually migrate from the now defunct xp to newer windows or maybe Linux.

Not being familiar with Ubuntu/Linux we will want to have xp on one partition and ubuntu on another. Then we can take time weaning from one to the the other, to see if it can cope with everything we need and if we like it.

We need an install choice that will see a blank partition and ask if that's the one for Linux (which obviously it nearly always will be).

I tried twice to achieve this including the choice for 'alongside xp' as suggested above. This time I installed xp on 39GB leaving the remainder of the 250GB disk for Ubuntu.

Unlike stated in the advice above, the install went ahead with no info given, or requested, and placed itself on the 39GB partition, with XP, even though it had seen the empty, this time unformatted, partition.

The Ubuntu guys really need to get their act together and modify the 'installation Type' page so that people unfamiliar with this stuff are better enabled to make the required choice easily.

Currently there is no way non-Linux users can predict the outcome of each choice. If this issue is addressed, I may try again but there is currently nothing easily available that helps.

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