Moving partitions (gparted) and where to put bootloader/Grub
by rfoLqOrg from LinuxQuestions.org on (#6H9RF)
I support my questions with this concrete example:
Say I have 2 distinct physical HDDS in my (old) laptop,
call them sda (running Windows Vista) and sdb (intending to install
Linux there for dual boot).
The issue: Currently sdb looks like so, from left/beginning of sdb to right; [] denotes whole disc; <> for partition:
[ <data partition, currently used by Vista> <un-allocated space> ]
In an effort to keep that data partition as is, I intend to install Linux on to that un-allocated space, creating its own partition there, so that I end up with sdb1 (data) and sdb2 (Linux) like so:
[ <sdb1 - data> <sdb2 - Linux> ]
sdb2 is supposed to be bootable (for the dual boot with Vista). Does
the described partition layout support that goal, or does the bootable
Linux partition have to be first on sdb? And where do I have to install GRUB in either scenario, if I have that freedom or even duty at all?
In case I need to have Linux first, can I safely move (gparted) that data partition to the end of sdb, in order to install Linux at the start of sdb? I assume that getting rid of that data partition (would like to avoid, but might do if really necessary) would make life easier here.
Say I have 2 distinct physical HDDS in my (old) laptop,
call them sda (running Windows Vista) and sdb (intending to install
Linux there for dual boot).
The issue: Currently sdb looks like so, from left/beginning of sdb to right; [] denotes whole disc; <> for partition:
[ <data partition, currently used by Vista> <un-allocated space> ]
In an effort to keep that data partition as is, I intend to install Linux on to that un-allocated space, creating its own partition there, so that I end up with sdb1 (data) and sdb2 (Linux) like so:
[ <sdb1 - data> <sdb2 - Linux> ]
sdb2 is supposed to be bootable (for the dual boot with Vista). Does
the described partition layout support that goal, or does the bootable
Linux partition have to be first on sdb? And where do I have to install GRUB in either scenario, if I have that freedom or even duty at all?
In case I need to have Linux first, can I safely move (gparted) that data partition to the end of sdb, in order to install Linux at the start of sdb? I assume that getting rid of that data partition (would like to avoid, but might do if really necessary) would make life easier here.