Is it safe to partition a 500gb External Hard drive and run Ubuntu on it? I'm new to partitioning, and am still learning how to do it. I have a 40 gig Hard Drive with less then 10 gigs left, so I got an external to put my games and Linux Ubuntu on. Whats a good size to partition, and is it a good idea? Suggestions?
Thanks!

-Jason

If what you want to do is explore Linux (try it out) you may be best served to format the new
drive as ntfs partitions for use with Windows, then install a Virtual Machine (VM) program. You can then install Ubuntu or any other distribution you want to try inside the VM. A VM simulates a real computer so any OS running in the VM will think it is running on its own real computer. The advantage is that the virtual hard drive is actually a file on your computer and your Windows installation will not be disturbed. The leading commercial VM is VMWare. MS did have a VM you can get for free although I do not know if it is still available. My personal favorite VM is Virtual Box (available for use under Linux, OS-x and Windows).

HTH,

Ernie Registered Linux User 247790
ICQ 41060744

I'm newish to Linux. I would try out a Live cd to start.

Or try installing ubuntu with wubi. This installs ubuntu via windows. So it is in the add/remove programs of windows. But as you haven't much space that might not be an option.

As for installing to an external drive.

First I would partition the external drive to 40GB? with ext3 or another linux file system. Use gparted for this.
http://gparted-livecd.tuxfamily.org/

Then I would run the Live cd, there is an install icon on the desktop. This will ask you which partition to do the install too. I would let it automatically choose the swap size etc.

Before posting try google. Backup. Use anti virus software.

Thanks for the help.

Although what I really want to do is have another OS thats selectable when you boot the system. But is that possible through an external, or will I have to use the internal?

Having read a few books and previous experiences with Mandrake Linux, I'm pretty familiar with the Linux OS. But to have a separate OS, do I need to have it setup in my Main HD or can I do this in my external somehow? I have plenty of space on it, and I would like to later install another linux OS in it as well (Mandrake gaming Edition) But for now just Ubuntu. I just need to know if I can do it through an external.

Thanks.

-Jason

If your pc is quite new, it should support booting from usb. Check your BIOS.

But I suppose you would have to go into the BIOS if you wanted to boot into another OS.

You could remove the 500gb drive & fit into your pc.

Or, just buy another internal drive. If you leave xp where it is, install to the other drive, & run the install, it will ask you where to install Linux. It will then create GRUB or LILO. This will give you the boot options.

Before posting try google. Backup. Use anti virus software.

Okay, so could I possibly do this w/o a Disc and just put ubuntu on the External and boot from it?

-Jason

Err, I'm not sure.

Partition your usb, with a linux filesystem. Run the ubuntu live cd. From what I remember, you can install to the usb drive.

Try it.

Before posting try google. Backup. Use anti virus software.

Quote "Okay, so could I possibly
do this w/o a Disc and just put ubuntu on
the External and boot from it?"
End Quote

I am not very familiar with Ubuntu any more,
but you should be able to install it to the
USB drive (external or otherwise) and boot
it successfully provided you install the
Grub boot loader to the MBR of the first
hard drive (hda or perhaps sda if a SATA
drive). Grub will then provide a boot menu
which includes selections for both Windows
and Ubuntu.

If you do this, the external drive must be
connected any time the computer is started.
Even though the boot loader is installed to
the MBR of the first hard drive, the Grub
configuration which includes part two of the
boot loader will be installed in the /boot
directory on the Linux partition of the
external drive. Unless Ubuntu has changed
significantly since I gave it a try, it puts
the entire Linux system in a single
partition. If this is still true, and the
computer is started when the external drive
is not connected, the Grub boot loader will
return an error (17 or 18 I think) and halt.

If the external drive will be connected all
the time, you should go ahead and give it a
try. If having to have the external drive
connected all the time presents a problem,
there are things you can do to work around
it. If this is the case, post back and I
will give you more information.

HTH,

Ernie Registered Linux User 247790
ICQ 41060744

Wouldn't running an OS off an external thru USB 2.0 be slow? I would just go with a live CD or as clive_pearce suggested, thru Windows using Wubi.

I am kind of with ernie on this. I know the other ideas are good also. Wubi may work on a usb but.. it is still beta and with a newbie well, dunno. I know you have mentioned it a few times. I haven't heard enough good or bad to know.

A ntfs partition can/may help windows install and run a vm as well as any.

The live cd isn't bad. It could use a small partition to use as work area.

No matter what he is running out of the good hard drive space. Any future would be the usb or a new/extra internal drive.

I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.

I tried to partition my external Harddrive today, but it said the whole HD was a partition. So I backed up all the files and deleted it. Now I can't access the external Harddrive and I've tried to reinstall it.. Is there another way to access it?

-Jason

Download the gparted live cd

http://gparted-livecd.tuxfamily.org/

You should then see the usb drive & then format it.

Before posting try google. Backup. Use anti virus software.

Are you using Windows? If so then use the computer managment mmc. Part of Admin tools.

Why did you delete it?

I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.

Alright, the External is backup. I'm goig to give the Ubuntu partition 65 GB's. What file system should I use?

-Jason

Also, I should be able to have the external plugged in 24/7. But is there a way to make Ubuntu show in the OS list on boot? And if I don't have the external, will I not be able to boot my computer?

-Jason

Quote:
I'm goig to give the Ubuntu partition 65
GB's.
End Quote:

On which hard drive (external or internal)?

Quote:
What file system should I use?
End Quote:

I use the ext3 file system here. It is the
ext2 file system with a journal. The
advantage of the ext3 file system is that it
has a long history of dependability (since
it is ext2 with a journal). The disadvantage
is that it does not provide the performance
or include some of the features of the newer
file systems (reiserfs, xfs, etc.). Unless
you have specific system requirements, you
can start with which ever file system your
distribution defaults to (frequently ext3),
then try other file systems if performance
is unsatisfactory.

Quote:
But is there a way to make Ubuntu show in
the OS list on boot?
End Quote:

If you install the boot loader to the MBR of
the first internal hard drive, the Ububtu
installation should set up the grub boot
loader to include both your Windows
installation and the new Ubuntu installation
as choices in the boot menu.

Quote:
And if I don't have the external, will I not
be able to boot my computer?
End Quote:

The second part of the grub boot loader will
be stored in your Linux partition. If the
Linux partition is on the external hard
drive, the boot loader will halt with an
error if that drive is not connected at boot
time.

HTH,

Ernie Registered Linux User 247790
ICQ 41060744

Thanks for the response Ernie.

I partitioned it for the external, which I'll go back and change the file system in a few..

Unfortunately, my system won't boot from a USB, so I will have to get some fairly larger CD's.
Unless you can use multiple CD's to install it.

Thanks for the help everyone, I'll report back this week (after I get some CD's) if I encounter any issues.

Thanks again.

-Jason

If I understand correctly, you intend to put
the Ubuntu installation on a partition on
the external drive. If this is true, there
may be one possible solution I have not yet
mentioned because it is a bit advanced and
may not be supported in the Ubuntu
installation.

First a little background (to satisfy my
educational inclination): Partitions are
mounted at locations (directories) in the
Linux file system. The /etc/fstab file
contains mount information for partitions
that must be mounted at boot time (including
the partition containing the root "/"
directory).

If Ubuntu lets you customize your
installation's partitioning scheme, you
could create a small (25MB to 50MB)
partition for the /boot directory on your
first (internal) hard drive. The main ("/")
Linux partition (as well as any other Linux
partitions created - e.g.: the /home
partition) would reside on your external
drive. You would still install the grub boot
loader to the MBR of the first internal hard
drive. The difference would be that with
this partitioning scheme, the second part of
the bootloader would reside on the internal
hard drive in the /boot partition created
above so even when the external hard rive is
not connected, the system can still boot
successfully to Windows. Of course you can
not boot to Linux if the Linux partition is
not present :).

HTH,

Ernie Registered Linux User 247790
ICQ 41060744

See supergrub docs. Might be easier to use it than learn all of grub tricks.

I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.