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I am runnging Ubuntu 17.10 on an HD at the moment. This was just a "test" but I am so pleased with Ubuntu I would like to make it my main environment and have it on SSD. I have then bought a 500GB SSD to copy the partition onto.

Here is the sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 2,7 TiB, 3000592982016 bytes, 5860533168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 79D251DE-01BE-42D2-9496-577131B7AAA3

Device          Start        End    Sectors   Size Type
/dev/sda1        2048     264191     262144   128M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sda2      264192 4836530175 4836265984   2,3T Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda3  4836530176 4837580799    1050624   513M EFI System
/dev/sda4  4837580800 5860532223 1022951424 487,8G Linux filesystem


Disk /dev/sdb: 465,8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes


Disk /dev/sdc: 238,5 GiB, 256060514304 bytes, 500118192 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 8F5D0460-2DBF-4694-A678-4C3449214D1A

Device         Start       End   Sectors   Size Type
/dev/sdc1       2048   1026047   1024000   500M EFI System
/dev/sdc2    1026048   1107967     81920    40M unknown
/dev/sdc3    1107968   1370111    262144   128M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sdc4    1370112   5564415   4194304     2G Windows recovery environment
/dev/sdc5    5564416 473012518 467448103 222,9G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sdc6  473014272 474040319   1026048   501M Windows recovery environment
/dev/sdc7  474040320 500116143  26075824  12,4G Windows recovery environment

new drive is SDB. SDA being the 3TO HD with the 500GB Ubuntu partition. SDC is windows.

I have come across a lot of tutorials to copy the Ubuntu partition but most mentionned a rescue disk/USB. Is it necessary here ? Is there a preferable tutorial ?

Maxence
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    Do not copy, just reinstall and then copy /home and perhaps list of install apps. You do want to partition in advance with gpt for UEFI since other install is UEFI. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DiskSpace & http://askubuntu.com/questions/743095/how-to-prepare-a-disk-on-an-efi-based-pc-for-ubuntu & https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI Be sure to include ESP - efi system partition on drive, even if not immediately used. You cannot easily copy one partition on a gpt partitioned drive. – oldfred Feb 28 '18 at 15:56
  • Thank you @oldfred, I will do what you advise. I am not very sure, when I installed Ubuntu 17.10 I guess it installed this EFI SYSTEM partition automatically. Only thing I opted out was the swap as I have enough RAM. So I will try to replicate and check your guides, especially for the Grub as I will have 2 Ubuntu environments for a while.. – Maxence Mar 01 '18 at 16:04
  • If you have two Ubuntu installs, only one will be in UEFI boot menu and you have to use grub menu to boot other install. I do backup ESP - efi system partition as I typically just install a second version for testing & want grub to be controlled by main working install. then I restore /EFI/ubuntu folder(s) with main working installs version. And then update it to add new install to grub menu. – oldfred Mar 01 '18 at 20:31
  • ohh for now I get offered Ubuntu or Windows directly inside Grub. I never see any Bios invite. I am waiting for a PSU cable at the moment, but once my Pc is up and running, I will install and then troubleshoot if needed. (and erase old partition once new install is done) – Maxence Mar 01 '18 at 23:14
  • Most systems use f10 or f12 for UEFI boot menu. Some use Escape & f8. What brand/model system? Some are not dual boot friendly and need various work arounds. – oldfred Mar 02 '18 at 00:06
  • I have a DELL XPS 15 (laptop) and old XPS 8700 (desktop, on which I am installing a third drive). Both are very friendly and boot into what I guess is GRUB. No tweak needed. I am still a bit confused though with boot partition and grub. Where is my bootloader currently ? Do I need to tweak it as well as grub once new distro is nstalled on new disk ? (it was transparent at first Ubuntu install and I don't remember having done much exccept creating a new partition for Ubuntu on my existing disks) – Maxence Mar 06 '18 at 17:27
  • Newer systems in last 5 years are UEFI hardware which support the now 35 year old BIOS/MBR configuration. If UEFI hardware unusually better to install in UEFI boot mode, but how you boot install media UEFI or BIOS is then how it installs. And then UEFI system must be set to boot in that same mode. With older BIOS, grub auto installs to MBR on drive seen as sda, if more than one drive, better to use Something Else and choose to install grub boot loader to same drive as Ubuntu install. Otherwise defaults to sda. If drive is only Ubuntu you can use gpt partitioning whether UEFI or BIOS. – oldfred Mar 06 '18 at 19:03

0 Answers0