Installing XP and Linux on the same drive?

[Mini-no]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and quite new to Linux, I've "studied" Unix in one of my class at school, but I know it's not exactly the same. Anyway, I was curious about the last release of Ubuntu, and I would like to know if it was possible to install Ubuntu on one partition of my hdd, wich is partionned 100 GB for files(formatted by windows, you know when you install the HDD and go to Control Panel, etc.) and 50 GB for Ubuntu(hopefully). Anyway, I would like to know if it was possible to install both and boot from both(when I want to boot from XP, I "decide" it, and vice-versa) on the 50 GB partition and not loosing all my files in my other partition.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Mini-no

[Thrillhouse]

Absolutely. In fact, that's the recommended method for those who still need their Windows partition. If I'm reading your post right, you have one 150 GB hard drive with a 100 GB partition containing your Windows system/files and a 50 GB partition that is unformatted. Just pop the Ubuntu install CD in your machine and select "Use Existing Free Space" when you get to the partitioning section of the installer. Ubuntu will automatically set your machine up as dual boot and you'll be prompted to choose which OS you'd like to boot to (Windows or Ubuntu) every time you start your machine. Good luck.

[Mini-no]

Oh...I thought it would be harder. Thanks, I'm going to try it tommorow.

Thanks a lot,
Mini-no

[Dupmeister]

I just set up the same system you mentioned, I have been running Ubuntu for about a week now and its pretty cool, I only have two issues:

1) I have read that in Ubuntu you can read NTFS files systems, just not write, while I can "see" the NTFS drives on my computer but when I click on them it wont let me see the files, says I cant mount the File system. how would I get to my windows files? for now I have a 20GB external FAT32 that I have been using as a bridge between the two but being able to see my Windows files from Linux would be much smoother.

2) when I start my computer I get the menu to pick my OS but Ubuntu is always at the top of the list. I would like for Windows to be the default selection this way I don’t have to hover over my keyboard when I reboot. I already learned how to do this for Fedora but Ubuntu works differently it seems and the Config file is not where I thought it would be. any help would be appreciated.


Thanks.

[devils casper]

1) I have read that in Ubuntu you can read NTFS files systems, just not write, while I can "see" the NTFS drives on my computer but when I click on them it wont let me see the files, says I cant mount the File system. how would I get to my windows files? for now I have a 20GB external FAT32 that I have been using as a bridge between the two but being able to see my Windows files from Linux would be much smoother.

post the contents of /etc/fstab file and output of 'sudo fdisk -l' command.

2) when I start my computer I get the menu to pick my OS but Ubuntu is always at the top of the list. I would like for Windows to be the default selection this way I don’t have to hover over my keyboard when I reboot. I already learned how to do this for Fedora but Ubuntu works differently it seems and the Config file is not where I thought it would be. any help would be appreciated.

you are right. Ubuntu uses menu.lst file instead of grub.conf like Fedora.

sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

Casper