How do I partition a computer?

[Lucio M Nicolosi]

On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 10:42 PM, Jay Daniels<tux at myt60.net> wrote:
> On Wed, 2009-07-22 at 08:24 -0700, Charlie Dorff wrote:
>> Hi...
>> I was wondering if someone could please explain how to partition a
>> computer so I can have 2 versions of ubuntu on the same machine. Thank
>> you.
>> Charlie
>>
>>
>>
>
> When using ubuntu, the install offers that option.  Just know how much
> space you need on the linux that is already installed and move the
> slider!
>
>
> jay d.
> --

Charlie,

A typical Ubuntu install requires less than 10 gigs (mine 6 to 7).
/home should reside in its own partition, as well as (of course)
/swap.

Beside a primary partition for Windows, if you still use it (it may
run as a guest OS inside Linux, say on VirtualBox), you may install as
many Ubuntu versions as wanted, say in the extended file system. If
you set an independent partition for /home, your "Ubuntus" may share
the /home partition as well as the single /swap partition. This way
you can try several tastes of Ubuntu without messing with your
personal data (maybe messing just a bit).

Of course, while installing a new Ubuntu built, you have to carefully
choose an empty partition and take care not to format /home.

Gparted is an easy tool to accomplish this. Although I never lost a
single bit, remember to back-up your data before expanding, shrinking
or moving partitions.

When you have multiple Linux partitions, Grub will reside in one of
them (unless you set a shared /boot partition, I guess -  never
tried), so kernel upgrades will require manually editing
/boot/grub/menu.lst, wherever it might be.

I've been successfully using multiple Ubuntu installs for a while,
since I feel that a fresh install is much more trouble free than
upgrades. It is only one opinion but the postings in Ubuntu-users list
regarding failed upgrades suggest this this might be true.

L.

-- 
L M Nicolosi, Eng.
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