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I am installing Ubuntu 20.04 LTS alongside Windows 10. The Windiws is installed in the EFI partitioning style. When I'm installing Ubuntu, and goes to the "Something Else" option, I am provided with a partition table where Windows is already using a ~ 100 MB EFI partition. Do I need to create a separate 512 MB EFI partition dedicated for Ubuntu?

Here's the my partition table (gparted on Xubuntu):

My partition table

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  • Hello. There is a drop down menu below that, which says, if you can remember picturing it, "Device for Boot Loader Installation". So, do I need to select that esp partition, or the complete disc, or what?
    – kamer_kane
    Jun 20, 2020 at 17:22
  • There should be room on your existing EFI, and no matter what you select, the first EFI found (usually on sda) will be the one used.
    – ubfan1
    Jun 20, 2020 at 17:25
  • @user68186 , when K select the whole disc as you mention , where does the bootloader actually gets installed?
    – kamer_kane
    Jun 20, 2020 at 17:27
  • Even though this answer is for installing Ubuntu in a separate drive, you may get enough information to get going. If not, let me know here. I will write an answer with pictures.
    – user68186
    Jun 20, 2020 at 17:39
  • I am working on my Imgur.
    – kamer_kane
    Jun 20, 2020 at 17:42

3 Answers 3

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I assume you want to install Ubuntu in the unallocated 25 GB space at the bottom.

No! You Don't Need Another ESP!

As you are dual booting from a single physical drive, it needs (must have) only one EFI System Partition (ESP).

This question is fully answered in If there is already an EFI partition for windows, do I need to create a new EFI partition for Ubuntu?

However: you have to make sure that you boot the installation USB in the UEFI mode when you install Ubuntu. See Installation problems with GRUB, can only install by reinstalling Windows in legacy mode but need to keep in UEFI mode for details.

The rest of the answer is devoted to subsequent questions asked in comments.

Something Else...

When you get to the partition selection in "Something Else" This unallocated 25 GB should show up as free space like this picture:

enter image description here

Highlight the free space and click on the + to create a partition. This will be the Ubuntu system partition.

  • Create root system partition / in ext4 format:

enter image description here

Make sure the bootloader is installed in the first drive as a whole, /dev/sda in your case. As long as you have booted the LiveUSB in UEFI mode, the installer will find the EFI System Partition (ESP) and install part of the grub bootloader there. Never, Never, NEVER select a specific partition (like /dev/sda2) for the bootloader installation.

Continue the rest of the installation as you normally would by pressing Install Now button.

Hope this helps

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  • Ok, I am proceeding by your method, will let you know! However, out of curiosity I wanted to ask, is this EFI (Fat32 Partition, with boot, esp flags) created itself during the installation of Windows? (I am asking this specific because beforehandly my system had Lubuntu, so I wanted to make sure that Lubuntu didn't created it, but Windows did).
    – kamer_kane
    Jun 20, 2020 at 18:09
  • It depends on which was installed first and in which mode (UEFI or Legacy BIOS). If you had installed Lubuntu in the UEFI mode first (before installing Windows) using the default installation method (that is, you didn't select Something Else) then that installation process created the ESP. If the computer came with Windows, or you installed Windows first again in UEFI mode, then the ESP was created at that time. Once created any subsequent OS will use the existing one.
    – user68186
    Jun 20, 2020 at 18:12
  • Thanks, installation was successful, btw, wanted to know too :p if the partitioning style is MBR, where changes are made in installation process?
    – kamer_kane
    Jun 20, 2020 at 18:38
  • In the olden time when we had BIOS (and now in Legacy or CSM mode) Windows and Ubuntu used to put their respective bootloaders inside the Master Boot Record (MBR) during installation.
    – user68186
    Jun 20, 2020 at 18:45
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The way I installed Ubuntu is just by shrinking the windows partition by about 20 GB and then I just select the option to install Ubuntu along side Windows!

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You need to create a partition for Ubuntu. It cannot reside in the same partition as Windows, but apart from that no need for anything more. The 100MB EFI partition is to be mounted as /boot/efi, the partition for Ubuntu as /. Don't touch the windows partition.

EDIT: You don't seem to have much more space than the not allocated 25GB. If that is enough for you I'd allocate that as ext4 and mount it as / or shrink /dev/sda5 some and use that and the presently not allocated space for Ubuntu (ext4 mounted as/)

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