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I'm a huge fan of Ubuntu, and I have been using it as my main OS for about 2 years now. I never had any issues with it until now when I have to dual boot (work requirement) with Windows.

I followed a guide how to install Ubuntu, and Windows and took the decision so simply start from scratch as it seems easier (since all guides said I should start with installing Windows).

So, I got myself another SSD (I want to have Windows on one and Ubuntu on the other one. I then started to install on sdb, so far so good, Windows starts fine. It created an EFI drive, and a system, etc. Whatever Windows needs.

However, now I wanted to install Ubunutu 18.10 on my PC on my other SSD. I created a USB installer and followed the normal steps until I came to pick drives, there I picked "Something Else" (I think that is what is it called) and re-portioned my other SSD (sdc) so half of it was the OS, and the other half my home folder. For the boot drive I have tried picking (sda, sdb and sdc), however, whenever I pick another drive than the Windows EFI drive as first boot option, I get straight into grub-rescue and can't do anything. :( If I move back over to making the Windows EFI drive, I get straight into windows and all works fine. I tried re-installing Ubunutu over and over again with different options but nothing worked.

Could someone explain the installation process to me like I'm 3 years old and can't even start the PC without my parents clicking the on-button? Because I just can't get it too work, and I miss having Linux as my main OS, I only want to boot in to Windows when I work from home, not always.

I'm not sure I understand all the options with /, /home, /boot, and the swap, EFI etc. when I create new drives.

sda = A regular HDD, 2 tb that I have partioned so 500 gig is for windows, and the rest I would like to partion as a second "home" drive for Ubuntu, that mounts automatically when I start Ubuntu, however, I have never figured out which option I need to pick for this one? sdb = Windows drive and all the folders it automatically creates when installing the OS. sdc = My other SSD where I want to have my /(OS), /home and SWAP.

However, like I said, I just can't get it working and I would really love any help at all to learn more about this and what it all means. I have tried reading several tutorials, but I just don't get it. :(

Update 1 It seems Ubuntu does NOT install in UEFI mode but in Legacy, and windows is installed in UEFI mode, how do I change this for Ubuntu when installing? The USB is also a UEFI (I turned of Legacy mode completely in my motherboard settings), but for some Ubuntu and Grub just won't work... – Zero just now edit
Thanks in advance!

  • Please pick the Windows EFI partition as that's the right one, hence the advice to install Windows first! – George Udosen Jan 08 '19 at 12:20
  • I still can't get it to work. It just seems to not want to install grub properly for me. :(

    https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/zcBc43XJzX/

     –  Jan 09 '19 at 19:43
  • It seems Ubuntu does NOT install in UEFI mode but in Legacy, and windows is installed in UEFI mode, how do I change this for Ubuntu when installing? The USB is also a UEFI (I turned of Legacy mode completely in my motherboard settings), but for some Ubuntu and Grub just won't work... – Zero just now edit –  Jan 09 '19 at 20:58
  • Ubuntu run in UEFI mode that's what I am using! – George Udosen Jan 09 '19 at 21:00
  • When you select the USB drive to boot from Live USB to install Ubuntu, you may see more than one USB to boot from. One of them will boot the USB in UEFI mode and other in Legacy mode. Depending on how you booted the USB, the Ubuntu will install in that mode. If you boot your USB in UEFI mode you will see a screen like this If you see something like this then you have booted the USB in legacy mode. – user68186 Jan 09 '19 at 21:09
  • Obligatory xkcd. – fkraiem Jan 09 '19 at 22:01
  • Hmm, it looks like the first correct image, but it still doesn't seem to work... My drive doesn't even show up as a drive when I go into bios (since it think's it's not UEFI). I have to see what I'm doing wrong, because clearly it is something... a –  Jan 10 '19 at 09:30
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    Possible duplicate of How do I install Ubuntu alongside a pre-installed Windows with UEFI? – user68186 Jan 16 '19 at 16:27

2 Answers2

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/ is your root partition: main directory for your Ubuntu

/home is a user folder, it will be created anyway

/boot is a partitions where grub will be placed, should be primary

swap is for memory, same size as RAM, useful for hibernation.

G.H.
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  • Where to install Ubuntu Grub is the issue and the Windows EFI partition is where it should be installed! – George Udosen Jan 08 '19 at 12:23
  • Be sure to boot installer in UEFI boot mode. You do not need /boot as a partition, mostly used with servers or full drive encryption, and newer versions of Ubuntu now use a swap file, so no swap partition required. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DiskSpace & http://askubuntu.com/questions/743095/how-to-prepare-a-disk-on-an-efi-based-pc-for-ubuntu Default install is just / (root). Usually better to add a /home. And grub will automatically find & use the ESP - efi system partition that Windows has. (I like to have an ESP on every drive, but grub (only Ubuntu's grub) does not use a second one. – oldfred Jan 08 '19 at 14:39
  • Sorry, it seems like I just won't work... I tried re-installing Grub but I still can't get Linux to work at all again... This is the paste file I got https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/zcBc43XJzX/

    Would really love if someone could help me

     –  Jan 09 '19 at 19:42
  • It seems Ubuntu does NOT install in UEFI mode but in Legacy, and windows is installed in UEFI mode, how do I change this for Ubuntu when installing? The USB is also a UEFI (I turned of Legacy mode completely in my motherboard settings), but for some Ubuntu and Grub just won't work... – Zero just now edit –  Jan 09 '19 at 20:58
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You were on the right track. A system can only have one EFI partition, and this is where the boot files go for all operating systems on the machine.

So do just what you had done, but let Ubuntu share the EFI partition with Windows.

Sturge
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  • It seems Ubuntu does NOT install in UEFI mode but in Legacy, and windows is installed in UEFI mode, how do I change this for Ubuntu when installing? The USB is also a UEFI (I turned of Legacy mode completely in my motherboard settings), but for some Ubuntu and Grub just won't work... –  Jan 09 '19 at 20:57