How do I install Ubuntu on a separate SSD?

Question

Premiss

I have just built my first desktop PC and it has been a lot of fun, but the instant I tried to use Windows for coding I noticed I needed a *nix system. I was on a Macbook before and it worked well for what I needed, now it's time to switch to Linux for the main coding system, I'll not abandon macOS entirely of course, but the aim is to limit its use as much as I can. So keep this in mind, I'm a noob and I'm starting now with Linux :D

Where

I would like to install Ubuntu on the 3rd SSD, my sistem is this one (PCPP) and I have Windows on the NVMe and a 2TB SATA for everything else. I found a 128GB SATA SSD laying around and so decided to use it for Linux and start this adventure! Anyway, I'm making this question to be sure I do everything right since I did not had a great experience while installing Windows, is basically spreaded boot files around in the 2 SSDs randomly even tho I specifically selected the NVMe, fortunately I did notice it fast enough and didn't do much work, I proceeded to disconnect the SATA and install Windows on the NVMe (only one connected). I think Linux is a bit cleaner but I wan to be sure.

What I know

I downlaoded the ISO for the LTS version on the official website, if it works like Windows I would be able to burn it with Rufus on a 4GB usb stick and just reboot my system to get the prompt to install Ubuntu where I like.

I can use the SSD MBR or GPT, since I never really got advantage on one or the other.

What did I get wrong and what should I do?

Watching video and reading guides, there seems to be a lot of options to do this, and for a noob like me it started to be confusing. Should I just disconnect the other SSDs to be sure and boot the PC only with the USB and the 128GB SSD connected? The SATA is pretty easy to disconnect, a bit more work will be needed for me to disconnect the NVMe tho...

Main questions

1. GPT or MBR? Does it depend on my other SSDs? If so why?
2. Will I have to pollute other SSDs in the process?
3. (2.1) Can I make a clean install on just ONE single SSD?
4. I am confused about the partitioning, how much and why, location, ...
5. I am confused about the boot, why people select Windows Boot if I'm installing Linux on a separate SSD?

What is your advice and which method should I use? Any tip is appreciated! :D

Thanks!

Answer 1

I first started with Linux myself not to long ago, but since I had a lot of problems and spend days on research, I'd say I have enough knowledge to help you out. I went through the same process: I installed Ubuntu on an additional SATA SSD.

GPT for Ubuntu. Windows should anyways also be on GPT drives. It depends on the way your Operating system is booting and windows and ubuntu both use EFI. Follow this guide: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop#1-overview to install safely. Removing all other drives should not be necessary. At one point it should ask you, wether you want to replace your current OS with linux or install it parallel. Then choose parallel and select the SATA SSD. If this option is not showing up or it only lets you install Ubuntu on the same drive with windows, you should choose "other" and follow some video tutorials on how to set up dual boot with ubuntu and windows, where they teach you how you create the partitions yourself. If you dont find a good tutorial, I can give you a step by step instruction. 4. There are different ways to handle data on a drive and you can set up, which one of those protocols your partition uses (examples: NTFS, FAT-32, ext.4, swap or EFI) . The Partition from which you boot in this case requires EFI, while the root partition where you normally have your main data and programms should be ext.4 or ext.3 for Ubuntu. A USB stick f. ex. only has one big partition in NTFS or FAT-32. And this is also why you need GPT for Ubuntu: it's because you can't create EFI-Partitions on MDR drives. When installing, you normally don't have to worry about all this, because the installer handles this for you. If however you need to set this up manually as I described, it's worth to do the research and getting some basic knowledge. It's not necessary, you may just follow a simple tutorial, but I'd still recommend it. 5. Here I don't quite get your question. Is it about boot options in the BIOS setup or do you mean something else?

I hope my answers help you a little. If not you maybe find someone, who has more experience and is better at explaining.

Cheers!

[EDIT- Removing all other drives before installing is of course an option that would work, but I wouldn't recommend it, except you really dont want to bother with anything I mentioned]

Answer 2

You should plug in the USB where the Ubuntu ISO is burned to. Then plug in the SSD as well, and boot the computer on the USB, to start the installation process.

1. Let the installer partition your disk, and let it chose the standard installation for your Ubuntu

2. No you will not pollute other disks, because you only write data to the SDD fro the USB

3. Yes you can make a full installation of Ubuntu on its own disk as if it was any other disk

4. Let the automatic installer create all the partitions. It will set sizes for the boot sector, the swap area and everything else that Ubuntu needs to run.

5. Can you boot from the USB directly? Does the USB allow you to write its data to the SSD disk where you want to install Ubuntu? In this case, do that.

After you have installed Ubuntu, set it to start as primary disk in the BIOS and it should load up the Ubuntu installation. When you want to switch back to Windows change the setting in BIOS.