0

I wanted to install Ubuntu in my Windows 7 machine in a partitioned drive named 'B:', but if /dev/sda is my primary, what is my partitioned drive then?

RedzaImran0480
  • 1
  • 5
    You will want manual partitioning , see this guide: http://askubuntu.com/q/343268/295286 When you install, select "Something Else" option and you should see two partitions there - your windows one and the blank one. I'd suggest you remember its size to properly identify the partition – Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy Sep 10 '16 at 08:56

1 Answers1

1

The drive-letters assigned by Windows to drives or partitions are a Windows-internal thing. These drive-letters are not recognized by Ubuntu. Ubuntu uses a different system.

sda  is the first hard-disk-drive in your system
sdb  is the second hard-disk-drive in your system
sdc  is the third hard-disk-drive in your system

A hard-disk-drive may be divided in several partitions.for example, the first drive (sda is divided in three partitions)

sda1  is the first partition on the drive
sda2  is the second partition on the drive
sda3  is the third partition on the drive

I hope this gives you an overview how things work in Ubuntu.

In Windows, you can assign a label (name) to a partition. Partition-labels will be recognized by Ubuntu, using partition-labels would help you to find the partition where you want to install Ubuntu. You may use any third-party partition-manager or the built in partition-tool from Windows to assign labels to the partitions.

If no labels are assigned to partitions, you will have to check the partition-size and/or the used file-system to find the correct partition.

mook765
  • 15,925
  • Is sda1 is the main part which contained the windows? – RedzaImran0480 Sep 10 '16 at 09:31
  • now, let's say I have a hard drive with 3 parts in it, SYSTEM, C:, Ubuntu B: (i preserved this for the installation) and HP_TOOLS. What command line I should enter? *note, all of this are in a single drive. – RedzaImran0480 Sep 10 '16 at 09:39
  • Sorry, 4 parts. – RedzaImran0480 Sep 10 '16 at 09:42
  • There is nothing to enter in a command-line, just start the installer, choose Something else and go on. It seems you have labeled your partition, so it will be easy to find. You will not see drive letters C: or B: as this is a Windows-thing, but you can identify the correct partition by label or size. See instructions in the link given by Serg in his comment... – mook765 Sep 10 '16 at 16:15
  • they say that the arrangements of the commands is based in size. here is from small to big: HP_TOOLS, SYSTEM, B:, C:. so what is th command for B:? – RedzaImran0480 Sep 10 '16 at 19:12
  • not the command, the name as in /dev/sda – RedzaImran0480 Sep 10 '16 at 19:21
  • You know the size off your partition B: and you have labeled it Ubuntu. Start the installer and choose Something else. This will bring you to a screen where you can choose the partition to install. All partitions are listed there and that is the moment you will know the partition-number. Just look at it. Check the partition-size in Windows first to be sure. If it is sda1 or sda2 or sda3 or sda4 does not depend on the size of partitions. I can't tell you the correct number, I am not in front off your screen. You don't need to enter the number, just select the partition with mouse-click. – mook765 Sep 10 '16 at 21:01