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In my /etc/os-release file, it says I'm using Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS"

My Dad bought a laptop with XUbuntu OS 3 years ago, but he has no idea how to use it & neither do I. I'm a software dev but only have about a years worth of Linux experience, let alone XUbuntu. Long story short, if I try to help my dad with anything on his computer, I'm always like...."Welp, if you were on WinX I'd know how to do this immediately but I'd have to research since you're on XUbuntu."

I'm tired of it, & want him on WinX. I wanted to dual boot XUbuntu & WinX by installing WinX on a new partition on the HDD, but......it's an MBR disk, so I think my only option would be to convert the MBR disk to GPT. Well I found a YouTube tutorial for just that here. But.....I know it's in my wisest interest to create a backup.

There's 97GB stored on the disk total. I already copied over my Dads /home folder. I just don't want to lose anything my Dad has on this computer.

Is there any other folder I should copy? Should I just copy the entire file system? Is there a safer way to get WinX on this computer? Should I expect any problems converting the disk from MBR to GPT?

Any and all advice or knowledge or correction of misconceptions, is more than appreciated.

Bwizz
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  • You've provided no clues as to what Xubuntu release you're talking about, /home will usually contain all data, but it may not (eg. I store my fonts/themes etc in system directories so they're available system wide and not limited to my initial user account - but that's me). I'd also save the apps installed (list anyway) & more so I could non-destructively re-install on the system (ie. repair install).. but again that's me & you aren't gearing for that. Release details would be a start in your question (start for my decision as Ubuntu defaults vary over time) – guiverc Jul 05 '23 at 22:57
  • I've updated the post to list my release details. – Bwizz Jul 05 '23 at 23:05
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    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS has reached the end of it's standard support life thus is now off-topic here unless your question is specific to helping you move to a fully supported release of Ubuntu. Ubuntu 18.04 ESM support is available, but not on-topic here, see https://askubuntu.com/help/on-topic See also https://ubuntu.com//blog/18-04-end-of-standard-support – guiverc Jul 05 '23 at 23:06
  • My prior comments still apply, but you're off-topic now given you're using an EOL release of Xubuntu, or EOSS release of Ubuntu. ie. I'd leave the Repair Install options available to you so you can quickly get the system operational. FYI: Xubuntu 18.04 reached EOL back in 2021-April, refer https://xubuntu.org/release/18-04/ (as it was a flavor, 5 years applies to Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu Cloud...) – guiverc Jul 05 '23 at 23:07
  • Idk what repair install is, or how I'd create the install to be repaired, or what I'd need to initiate that repair process or how I'd initiate that repair process. It sounds like a lot to figure out. – Bwizz Jul 05 '23 at 23:16
  • What are your expectations here? You can't seriously expect a complete Linux admin course on this Q&A site that can bring you from zero to advanced skills for what you are about to do. You'll need to do some serious learning, and that won't be only one or two YouTube videos. – HuHa Jul 05 '23 at 23:17
  • Idk what my expectations are, I was hoping there'd be an easier way to create a backup. – Bwizz Jul 05 '23 at 23:20
  • You can have a look at my answer here on this site which includes moving from one release to another, OR from one distribution to Ubuntu (or flavors). As you're talking about Xubuntu (a flavor) it's actually easier, and it will allow you to install a later version after restoration of your EOL 18.04 system. The system directories are wiped during re-install (so data isn't kept/used) but the repair install notes what was there so it can install & re-install the apps you had etc. – guiverc Jul 05 '23 at 23:20
  • The oldest supported release of Ubuntu on this site is 20.04; you're asking about an EOSS & with Xubuntu (a flavor) an EOL release that is off-topic now unless question is specific to helping you upgrade. You only mention windows & the now off-topic Ubuntu release (you should have planned & done this whilst 18.04 was still supported!) 18.04 = 2018-April release; so adding 5 years to that tells you when it's EOSS/EOL & off-topic here, ie. 2023-April (18+5 years) – guiverc Jul 05 '23 at 23:23
  • I guess I'll delete my question then. – Bwizz Jul 05 '23 at 23:27

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if you have separate home partition, don't touch it, make filesystem.squashfs from xubuntu root partition, save it in usb drive or make live usb by this file. after that you can install win on first partition, and install ubuntu or reinstall xubuntu from filesystem.squashfs or its live USB on another partition.
if you don't have separate home partition you can create it and flow the steps above.

Talaat Etman
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  • I created a backup of my /home directory on a USB drive for safety. I'm going to create a separate home partition and move my home directory to it. I just put Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS on a USB drive using Rufus 4.1.2045.

    I'm going to make a filesystem.squashfs from my Dad's existing XUbuntu root partition and either save it to my usb drive or make a "live usb" using the filesystem.squashfs file. After that, I'm going to install WinX on the 1st partition, and install Ubuntu or reinstall XUbuntu from filesystem.squashfs or its "live USB" on another partition.

     – Bwizz Jul 06 '23 at 07:19
  • When you say "separate home partition" do you mean on the same internal disk as my XUbuntu root partition or can it be on an external USB flash drive? Cause I just copied my home directory to my USB drive. – Bwizz Jul 06 '23 at 09:29
  • you can make separate home partition in the same hard disk, when you install ubuntu choose home partition as home and dont format it , choose another partition to install ubuntu as root partiton / . also you can move the content from separate home partition to ubuntu root partition as home folder after ubuntu installation. – Talaat Etman Jul 06 '23 at 15:59