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I would like to confirm if I can install Ubuntu on a secondary hard-drive without dual boot option and without messing up my work laptop. I have this work laptop that has encrypted hard-drive with windows 7. I have option to install a hard-drive caddy and I could install a Ubuntu on it. I would like to avoid having a dual-boot option. I could change the boot hard-drive to secondary whenever I need to use Ubuntu. I am unable to enter in the BIOS, but I have option to select boot device (F9). So here's the procedure I was thinking:

  1. Install secondary HDD and remove main temporarily during installation
  2. Install ubuntu on secondary hdd - since main is removed boot info will not be shared?
  3. Re-install main HDD
  4. Select F9 - boot device whenever I need to use Ubuntu - otherwise Windows 7 will boot as a default

Does this work?

Appreciate!

user2661372
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    It may not work because your secondary disk was likely primary when installed, and it'll boot whenever it's primary again. It'll depend on your machine BIOS/uEFI config if it allows it. It'll possibly also depend on what release of Ubuntu you're talking about (and to a lesser extent how installed). With the little you've provided, it may work, but likely won't work is my 2c. (depending on hardware/firmware config/setup, release & how installed etc) I have hardware where I believe that would work, other hardware where I know it wouldn't work – guiverc Nov 14 '20 at 21:24
  • I am planning of installing Ubuntu 20.04, but could install Ubuntu 18 LTS as well. What other info would be useful to know? The laptop is HP Zbook 15 G2 version. SSD hard-drive. Sorry, I am unable to go into BIOS. – user2661372 Nov 14 '20 at 21:27
  • https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04488080 – user2661372 Nov 14 '20 at 21:43
  • If the hardware is owned by somebody else (like your employer), then don't do it. If something goes wrong, you might not lose your job, but you may be embarrassed and your employer may trust you less. Not worth the risk. – user535733 Nov 14 '20 at 22:56
  • Aright! Here's thought! If I install Ubuntu on my personal laptop, then install the secondary hdd on work laptop, could it work after fixing the drivers/chipsets? I am just curious. My personal laptop has a much older GPU, whereas work laptop has a slightly upgraded GPU, so I was curious if I could use it (with Ubuntu) rather than buying a brand new PC. Thanks! Machine A and B are very different (but still intel based). – user2661372 Nov 15 '20 at 01:35
  • Can you check this tutorial, this guy created a truly portable ubuntu setup! https://www.58bits.com/blog/2020/02/28/how-create-truly-portable-ubuntu-installation-external-usb-hdd-or-ssd – user2661372 Nov 15 '20 at 01:44

1 Answers1

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Ubuntu on Second Hard Drive or SD Card

Most laptops have a SD card slot. SD cards are getting fast, cheap and large. You can quickly do a Full install of Ubuntu to an SD card.

If you install to the SD card in the same BIOS or UEFI mode Windows is installed in, you only need to run sudo update-grub to add Windows to the SD cards boot menu.

Once everything is working well, you have the option to clone the SD card to an SSD without loosing any data, and you know it will work and be safe.

For a quick and easy way to fully install Ubuntu to an SD card using an Ubuntu image See:

Install Ubuntu on a micro SD card class 10 512GB

C.S.Cameron
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  • This option sounds like a dual boot. It seems it's possible to create a portable Ubuntu on a removable media, in my case, I want to treat a secondary hard-drive in a hard-drive caddy as a portable media. Check Out this Link:https://www.58bits.com/blog/2020/02/28/how-create-truly-portable-ubuntu-installation-external-usb-hdd-or-ssd If I follow this and create a portable Hard-drive, I could plug into any computer without messing up existing installation, correct? – user2661372 Nov 15 '20 at 03:11
  • @user2661372: Scanning your link I was not able to tell if the USB will work in both BIOS and UEFI modes. The link I gave works on all USB drives, not just SD cards. The final product is the same as your link, but is designed to work in BIOS and UEFI. It is also much simpler to make on both Windows and Linux computers, just a matter of flashing an image file to disk. – C.S.Cameron Nov 15 '20 at 03:28
  • So once I create an SD card using your method, I can insert the card in any PC and select boot from SD card and it will work? I would eventually like to move stuff on to actual drive, use hard-drive caddy. – user2661372 Nov 15 '20 at 13:45
  • @user2661372 I recall that really old computers would not boot from SD. I think that you should have no problem with any modern computer. You can use dd or Gnome-Disks, (Disks), to clone the SD to a SSD. Please let us know if there is any problem. – C.S.Cameron Nov 15 '20 at 13:53
  • Thanks a lot for your help! I just want to triple check, your method will not affect existing computer's boot record, right? I will have to buy an SD card as I don't have one, but I was thinking if I can just install on an SSD. instead? – user2661372 Nov 15 '20 at 14:17
  • @user2661372 Sure, install to a SSD whenever you are ready. Flashing will overwrite everything on the SSD. So back up if necessary. I don't think anything on the existing computer will be affected, except perhaps swap, (if there is any, but that is temporary). nothing else will unintentionally be written to disk. (That I know of). – C.S.Cameron Nov 15 '20 at 14:33
  • Cool, I will report how it goes! I found an old sd card (16 gb), class 10. So I will load up on it and then when I get SSD, I will copy on to it. The reason for SSD through SATA port in hard-drive caddy is, it will be much faster and won't cause random freeze. thanks! – user2661372 Nov 15 '20 at 14:37
  • @user2661372: I have been finding that if there is enough RAM, Ubuntu runs in it, (except when reading or writing to disk).. You may be surprised. – C.S.Cameron Nov 15 '20 at 15:16
  • Well, SD card was a no go, but works well with USB 3.0. The ram is good on this laptop, but writing will be a slow due to USB 3.0 interface/and USB itself. Do you think when I install another SSD in a CD rom place, the bios will see it and allow to boot from there? Thanks! – user2661372 Nov 15 '20 at 16:03
  • @user2661372 It should boot from CD ROM place. I am surprised by the SD card not working, Is it set as first HDD? Is Fast Boot and Safe Boot turned off? – C.S.Cameron Nov 16 '20 at 01:59
  • I will try again, but maybe booting from SD card is locked? Not sure, it wasn't even recognized. One weird thing I noticed was that it was taking too long to boot, so I removed the USB to restart PC rather than waiting and I noticed my account was gone. It was like a brand new Ubuntu on the next boot. :/ – user2661372 Nov 16 '20 at 14:02
  • for what it's worth, I am unable to boot from cd rom bay. Bios sees it as an upgrade bay. I click on it, but it goes by and original OS from the main drive boots. When I insert the same drive in CD rom on my personal laptop and select boot from CD rom, it works. I am going to buy USB 3 HDD enclosure and see I can boot from USB port instead. – user2661372 Nov 20 '20 at 18:20
  • So it works when I install the hard drive in an external enclosure and use with USB, but it fails to boot from CD ROM bay. The bios sees that as an upgrade bay and I select it, but it skips and boots into windows. Any thoughts on the reasoning? It would be great if I can boot from CD ROM bay because It'd be easier to use the laptop that way. Thanks! – user2661372 Nov 21 '20 at 16:43
  • @user2661372 Connecting to a CD bay in a Laptop is beyond my experience. Everytime I fill my laptop drive they have a faster one one twice the size available. – C.S.Cameron Nov 22 '20 at 04:38