sTIMPZ Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I'm currently using a multi-boot setup anchored by Vista's bootloader. I have XP Pro, Vista, and Ubuntu 7.10 which I was able to get into Vista's bootloader by some googling and using the LiveCD to install GRUB to I guess the partition that Ubuntu is on. So my question is this: If I upgrade to 8.04, will it re-install GRUB over top of Vista's bootloader? I've done this in the past and it's resulted in MANY headaches ending with my reverting to strictly using XP. Or will it simply leave the Vista bootloader alone and I can follow the same steps I have previously done to get Ubuntu 8.04 to appear in the bootloader? Any insight over the next 24 hours would be great as I don't plan to upgrade until the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew S. Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 You can use the advanced options in the ubuntu installer to install grub to the partition... Heres a guide http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Ubuntu I dunno if it'll work with the 8.04 installer though Also I think the upgrade manager path will install grub to where it's already located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neyht Member Posted April 25, 2008 Member Share Posted April 25, 2008 Can't he just do a distribution upgrade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Caro Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 yeah, do a dist-upgrade rather than installing the whole thing from the scratch anyway, grub is supposed to detect the windows bootloader and add it to the list, if you installed 8.04 I think it would look something like this: -> ubuntu linux.. -> ubuntu linux recovery mode .. -> mem test ... -> windows vista (bootloader) selecting vista, you would find vista's bootloader: -> microsoft windows vista.. -> earlier version of windows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 25, 2008 Veteran Share Posted April 25, 2008 Can't he just do a distribution upgrade? I just completed one overnight. (Y) One app is failing after the upgrade, and that is just seti@home. Other than that, my modified fluxbox version of Xubuntu was successful in using the built-in updater. After work, I will try re-installing seti@home from within 8.04, and I expect it will be successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew S. Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 anyway, grub is supposed to detect the windows bootloader and add it to the list, if you installed 8.04 I think it would look something like this:-> ubuntu linux.. -> ubuntu linux recovery mode .. -> mem test ... -> windows vista (bootloader) selecting vista, you would find vista's bootloader: -> microsoft windows vista.. -> earlier version of windows He uses the Vista bootloader to go into GRUB :/eg. Vista Bootloader -> Windows Vista -> Windows XP -> Ubuntu Linix ... Extra options Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sTIMPZ Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 He uses the Vista bootloader to go into GRUB :/eg. Vista Bootloader -> Windows Vista -> Windows XP -> Ubuntu Linix ... Extra options Yep. When I choose my Ubuntu option I then go into GRUB and select what I want from there. I'm guessing if I just do a distribution upgrade (upgrading from within, correct? if so, that's what I was planning on doing anyway), it won't install GRUB again since it would have already (theoretically) been installed anyway? I really do need to know the answer to this question or how to go about it before I plan to upgrade...because at the moment I have no CD's with me to fixmbr with! Like I said, last time I tried installing Ubuntu with Vista already installed it ended with a lot of headaches and was ultimately unsuccessful. I don't quite know what I was doing last time but I'm pretty sure Vista's bootloader was still active. I need to go find that thread I made a while back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey_richie Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Use Wubi from Windows to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sTIMPZ Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 I think I found my answer anyway...as long as it will let me boot into Vista afterwards! http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_wi...alled_first.htm If instead of GRUB you want Vista's bootloader to be in charge, load up the Vista installation and install EasyBCD. Go to ?Manage Bootloader?, then ?Reinstall the Vista Bootloader?, an GRUB is overwritten. You can then configure the Vista bootloader to add Linux to the boot menu. I just prefer Vista's boo:/oader :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 25, 2008 Veteran Share Posted April 25, 2008 ...I just prefer Vista's bootloader :/ Having a preference is nice.Having a reason for a preference is even better. ;) GRUB allows you to manually enter a boot editing state and change the boot parameters 'on the fly', and even type in your arbitrary boot kernel image from a command line type of environment. Now, I don't have experience with the features of Vista's boot loader (which is supposed to be more advanced than the XP one). But the XP one was so minimal, having no real interruption/editing features, that it wouldn't be hard to be more advanced than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sTIMPZ Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 I use EasyBCD within Vista to edit the bootloader. I never understood how to edit GRUB's and when I did try it didn't let me save the changes for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 25, 2008 Veteran Share Posted April 25, 2008 EasyBCD looks nice (I just googled a few hits and looked at their site), but requires a bootable Windows system in order to use it to manage anything. For me, that's a big minus, as if you change your drives around and end up with a non-bootable OS, you cannot edit it on the fly at time of boot to fix the problem and boot it. But if having a GUI to manage it is a requirement, EasyBCD seems to provide a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fix-this! Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I use EasyBCD within Vista to edit the bootloader. I never understood how to edit GRUB's and when I did try it didn't let me save the changes for some reason. i could never get the easybcd thing to work no matter what i tried. basically i gave up and have to use the grub menu and edit it to my liking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew S. Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 I use EasyBCD within Vista to edit the bootloader. I never understood how to edit GRUB's and when I did try it didn't let me save the changes for some reason. You weren't editing the GRUB's menu.lst file as root were ya? (nano(All env): sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst gedit(Gnome/Ubuntu(xubuntu?)): gksu gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst kate(kde/kubuntu): kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst) Thats why it wouldn't save. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarkhy Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 How much space is needed for ubuntu? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew S. Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Minimum is 5GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sTIMPZ Posted April 26, 2008 Author Share Posted April 26, 2008 How much space is needed for ubuntu? I installed it on just over 5GB and I have something like 2GB free. And yea, I was editing the menu.lst but what does 'as root' mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 26, 2008 Veteran Share Posted April 26, 2008 I installed it on just over 5GB and I have something like 2GB free.And yea, I was editing the menu.lst but what does 'as root' mean? System files like that are prohibited from being changed by normal users. In order to edit them, you must either be the special "root" account (which has no login capabilities in Ubuntu), or be a member of the "sudo" group (which is a allowed to Super User DO tasks). To assert your "sudo"-ness and edit these protected files, you need to preface your command with "sudo", for example: sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst You will be promted for your password to ensure you are "you" and not someone else sneaking on your computer, then you will be able to edit and re-save your changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew S. Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 I installed it on just over 5GB and I have something like 2GB free.And yea, I was editing the menu.lst but what does 'as root' mean? The root account is basically like any administrator account on windows, it'll allow you to write to protected files. (eg. different owner) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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