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I recently assembled a new RIG (specs below) because I needed more power for my work. I also needed to move back to windows to use certain programs that didn't run well (or didn't run at all) on playonlinux. However I'd like to run Ubuntu as a second OS, because I like its DE a lot more.

I've been using ubuntu for several years, but I'm in no way an expert, I can follow a tutorial but I'm unable to solve my problem on my own, tbh I recall when I started using and dual booting linux (way back in the early 2000's) I had a similar issue and I followed a tutorial on some magazine I used to read (that was about the only way to get a linux distro with 56k modem).

I should've gotten to the point by now... well, what I'd like to do is to install linux on a separate HDD (from the old rig) and put GRUB on a USB stick. That way when the USB stick is not inserted Win10 would boot normally, but if I insert the USB drive then Grub will boot and I'd be able to boot linux (or even better get dual boot options). Back then I used a floppy drive to achieve this result, but a lot has changed ever since (also BIOS was replaced by UEFI).

My specs:

CPU Intel core i5 7500 (also I'm using the iGPU HD630)
MB Asrock H270 Pro4 (intel LAN and Realtek ALC892 audio)
RAM Crucial DDR4 2400 2x4GB
SSD (WIN10) Crucial MX300 525GB
HDD (for Ubuntu) some old WD Blue 500GB

So if you can point me to some tutorial I'd be very grateful, because I couldn't find anything at all (for UEFI systems).

PS I think I should specify that considering the architecture of my CPU/GPU probably I will install 16.10 x64 (unity), although I will try 16.04 firstly.

user650229
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  • I don't understand the purpose of having grub on usb stick. You can install ubuntu on the 2nd disk and, either choose the OS you want to boot on from GRUB or just set the BIOS to boot from the Windows or Ubuntu disk. – Dark Sinus Feb 03 '17 at 15:48
  • I won't be the only one to use that pc, and for security purposes and to ease things for others it'd be better that way. – user650229 Feb 03 '17 at 15:52
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    Set your device boot order in the BIOS so it always picks your SSD by default. Then have a look at this https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_node/Installing-GRUB-using-grub_002dinstall.html and a much more comprehensive guide: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing – ThisIsNotAnId Feb 03 '17 at 16:12
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    Be sure to partition both drives as gpt and install both systems in UEFI boot mode. Windows requires lots of partitions. And grub will use ESP - efi system partition on sda Windows SSD. But include ESP on HDD for future use or backup. http://askubuntu.com/questions/743095/how-to-prepare-a-disk-on-an-efi-based-pc-for-ubuntu & https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DiskSpace Only use Something Else on pre-partitioned drive for Ubuntu. Similar, but chose partions you created on HDD. http://askubuntu.com/questions/221835/installing-ubuntu-alongside-a-pre-installed-windows-with-uefi – oldfred Feb 03 '17 at 17:17

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