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Config

Single laptop. 2 drives (500GB SSD + 2TB HDD).

SSD

Has Windows 10 installed as the primary system.

HDD

Is split - 500GB are reserved for Ubuntu (at the beginning). The remaining 1500GB are supposed to be used as storage for Windows (uses NTFS).

Goal

The goal is to install Ubuntu on that 500GB into HDD without blowing up the current Windows 10. Windows is supposed to be the primary system. I would like to boot into Ubuntu sometimes for development purposes.

Thoughts

If I am going to just install Ubuntu on that 500GB and use SSD as the 1st boot device is it going to ingore Ubuntu completely and load Windows? If so I could just change the BIOS boot order in rare cases when I need Ubuntu and set HDD as the 1st boot device and load Ubuntu.

I want to be sure that doing so will not put GRUB as the default loader for some reason or break things.

0leg
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  • your idea is good that to choose from BIOS settings which OS.. i have never tried that why.. but i read lot in AskUbuntu that to disconnect Windows Drive while Installing Ubuntu on other Drive.. this is fine.. you can choose which OS from BIOS settings.. but when you update grub later on.. it will capture Windows entry and when ever you choose boot drive as HDD it will show Windows Boot Manager also.. when you set boot drive as SSD it will stright away boots to Windows.. – PRATAP Jan 13 '19 at 14:48
  • if you disconnect Windows drive while installing Ubuntu... you need to first create EFI System Partition on 2TB HDD – PRATAP Jan 13 '19 at 14:50
  • Is it possible to not disconnect any drives during install, then during install DO NOT install GRUB and then use Windows Boot Loader to decide what to load? – 0leg Jan 13 '19 at 14:57
  • It is possible not to disconnect but sure grub will capture Windows Boot Manager. let me check some references, this kind of Question was already asked. but the answer is not in favor of you. I will link it in a while. – PRATAP Jan 13 '19 at 15:00
  • https://askubuntu.com/q/1048300/739431 – PRATAP Jan 13 '19 at 15:01
  • https://askubuntu.com/q/132116/739431 – PRATAP Jan 13 '19 at 15:03
  • I have tried EasyBCD on windows to boot Ubuntu.. but did not proceed as EasyBCD allows only MBR partitions i guess which is opposed to GPT partitioning and UEFI etc.. – PRATAP Jan 13 '19 at 15:06
  • As long as you are installing in UEFI boot mode and Windows is UEFI boot mode, having grub install to the ESP on SSD is ok, it will not modify Windows with exception of making it first in boot order which you easily can change. But I still like to have an ESP on every drive, even if just backup of main ESP. New versions of Ubuntu now use swap file, so no swap partition required. http://askubuntu.com/questions/743095/how-to-prepare-a-disk-on-an-efi-based-pc-for-ubuntu – oldfred Jan 13 '19 at 16:06

0 Answers0