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I formatted my laptop due to messing up GRUB and MBR.

And I don't want that to happen again, so... Where is the correct partition that I should install GRUB?

My partitions are

System Reserved (/dev/sda1 I beleive)
Windows 8 (/dev/sda2)

The next ones are not made but are supposed to be as I list when I create them:

Ubuntu (/dev/sda3)
Pear OS 8 32-Bit (/dev/sda4)
Swap Partition (2GB /dev/sda5)

Now, where should I put GRUB?!

Braiam
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Lucas Smith
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    I believe the answer here is relevant: http://askubuntu.com/questions/23418/what-do-i-select-for-grub-install-devices-after-an-update – belacqua Sep 30 '13 at 22:13

3 Answers3

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If you are using your internal hard disk for both Windows 8 and Ubuntu, then you should be storing your grub on the first sector of the HDD.

This is while installing Ubuntu, in the partitioning stage. You will get a dialog box with all your partitions mentioned and at the bottom, you will be asked where you want to store your grub. Here, you should point it to /dev/sda. Note that there is no number at the end and just the device name.

jobin
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  • System Reserved Partition right? – Lucas Smith Sep 30 '13 at 03:59
  • Didn't get you, please clarify. – jobin Sep 30 '13 at 04:22
  • The first sector of the HDD is the System Reserved Partition?, System Reserved Partition is some 350 mb partition automatically created when I install windows 8, and I think it is on /dev/sda (By the way, I'm very sorry for my english, I speak spanish and I still need further study on the language, since the education of english in this country is not very good, most of what i know has been independant studying). – Lucas Smith Sep 30 '13 at 10:30
  • That(your English) doesn't seem to be a problem at all. I am not sure about that, I am only aware of the process. While installing Ubuntu, you need to point on which device you are installing your grub and as I said in the answer, should be on /dev/sda – jobin Sep 30 '13 at 12:57
  • With that being said I think that I understand. – Lucas Smith Sep 30 '13 at 18:49
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if your hdd is gpt (not ntfs), Ubuntu should put grub in a "bios grub" partition. Shouldn't need a GB, 2MB is plenty for multiple OS's in Grub

BillV
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This is a matter of planning and preferences. In your case since you will have several OS's installed you should use a single partition for the /boot separated of everything else. The size should be about 1GB for the amount of OS's you will be installing.

You didn't put more information into your question but, if you are not using Windows 8 with UEFI and/or plan to deactivate UEFI, I don't see problems when you install Ubuntu. BTW, the order of installation should be:

  1. Windows 8 (remembering to leave space for other OS's)
  2. Other OS
  3. Ubuntu, here you select were to install the boot partition. The reason is that GRUB seems to do not like several kernels into the /boot (I had to experience that myself) so it's better to leave the /boot partition till the end.
Braiam
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  • How do i make a /boot partition?, on the Ubuntu Live USB Installer? BTW Windows 8 is already installed. Oh and should I have 2 separate GRUB installations? Like put Ubuntu's in one place and Pear OS's in another? @Braiam – Lucas Smith Sep 30 '13 at 04:08
  • Normally the installer will help you in that. Same as before. GRUB apparently in newer versions doesn't like to be messed around, I have 2 grubs in my system 1 installed in Ubuntu's / and another in a /boot partition for Debian. I just did update-grub in Debian and it found Ubuntu's grub. If you want test your luck, you can create the /boot partition with PearOS and dump Ubuntu's /boot there too (the installers I presume let you configure where to put each directory). – Braiam Sep 30 '13 at 13:38
  • I get it now, when installing the Operative Systems I select two different directories, one for other Linux Operative Systems and another for Ubuntu, now, I just need confirmation if what I said is correct, thanks in advace! – Lucas Smith Sep 30 '13 at 18:47