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I don't know if there are any special instructions to follow, or if the Ubuntu (Ubiquity?) installer automatically detects this (and if it does detect the additional internal drive, what exactly would it do in the background)? I am not trying to dual-boot (I just plan to use a Windows 10 Virtual Machine, but for that, I'll need more disk space: I was planning to purchase a computer with a small 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, but I didn't know if Ubuntu would automatically install the bootloader and essential?? things on the SSD, and then I could use the HDD for other storage. This is because I had heard that SSDs are faster for starting up the operating system and for everyday use, but HDDs are still better for long-term storage. Is this correct as well?)

Riyaad Azad
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  • https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/tutorial-install-ubuntu-desktop#0 (I always use the 'something else' so I can setup the system exactly as i want, but that option is not usually covered in tutorials) – guiverc Apr 27 '19 at 10:47
  • Oh yes - I've seen this tutorial before. However, it does not go very in depth into the "Something else" option. Perhaps Ubuntu should add more documentation for this since it's such a hard thing to learn more about (at least on the official Ubuntu docs)? – Riyaad Azad Apr 27 '19 at 10:50
  • It's not actually hard; its pretty intuitive in my opinion; though I occasionally opt to setup my partitions with gparted (if using a GTK+ or gnome/mate/xfce/.. system) or kde partition manager (if using KDE/LXQt/.. system) first, noting the desired setup on scrap paper then start the install - just selecting my pre-prepared partitions with the installer (using something-else). It's easy either way, but I find gparted easier as I'm more familiar with its controls. – guiverc Apr 27 '19 at 10:53
  • I found something: https://www.addictivetips.com/ubuntu-linux-tips/split-ubuntu-between-hdd-ssd/. But I would feel more comfortable using information from Ubuntu itself. – Riyaad Azad Apr 27 '19 at 10:54
  • there are a number of install tutorials, but I rarely touch them sorry. try searching using https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/ (thought a search engine search with a limit on site:*.ubuntu.com is usually how I find things) – guiverc Apr 27 '19 at 10:56
  • Related: https://askubuntu.com/q/62152/301745 – wjandrea Apr 27 '19 at 22:02
  • Unless you use some old BIOS or new NVMe protocol drives which are not supported by your machine to boot SSD is transparent to Linux installers (assuming the distribution contains a kernel which has drivers for your disk type of course) – eckes Apr 27 '19 at 22:16
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    Possible duplicate of How to install applications to a separate hdd?, especially this answer – Fabby Apr 29 '19 at 10:41

2 Answers2

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but I didn't know if Ubuntu would automatically install the bootloader and essential?? things on the SSD

The UEFI part you start from BIOS. It will offer to install the bootloader on the FIRST disk it sees (sda) and offer you the option to pick another disk (sdb).

I don't know if there are any special instructions to follow,

Nope.

or if the Ubuntu (Ubiquity?) installer automatically detects this

Yes.

Basically:

  • Set the ssd up with a mount called /

  • Set the hdd up with a user named mount (I use /discworld)

  • What I tend to do next is edit ~/config/users-dirs.dirs to point the directories in home to /discworld. The personal files are best kept on the hdd. The config in /home/ is better kept on the ssd.

This is because I had heard that SSDs are faster for starting up the operating system

Yes. Not just starting up but also starting applications (if the config files are on the ssd)

and for everyday use, but HDDs are still better for long-term storage. Is this correct as well?)

Yes. For video, music and general personal files the hdd is best used as the "fileserver". It is also better to set all downloads in things like torrent programs, browsers to the hdd.

Is there an official tutorial for installing Ubuntu 18.04+ on a device with an SSD and an additional internal hard drive?

Nope. Not "official" since it basically has a high personal influence: what I consider best someone else might believe it not to be. But I did found a AU answer that might be helpful in explaining how to use the "something else":

How to use manual partitioning during installation? See part 2 in this answer: https://askubuntu.com/a/521195/15811

graham
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Rinzwind
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I have Ubuntu 18.04 installed on a 128Gb SSD with no problems whatsoever.

Much depends on what you want to use the machine for but in the majority of cases 128Gb should be more than sufficient and any extraneous files such as videos and photos etc can be directed to the other HD as required.

It is possible to change things round so that you move your ~/home folder to the HD and any content currently in ~/home on the SSD there also but there is a school of thought that suggests it is better to leave ~/home where it is on the SSD (which is what I subscribe to) to aid in more speedy loading of programs.

Moving the ~/home folder is described in detail in this article.

Read down from from Migrating the Home Folder in the article if you wish to follow that route.

graham
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