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I have dualboot(Windows 10, Mint 18.) I want replace Linux Mint to Ubuntu 17.10 because performance in Mint isn't satisficing me. I can't do it with CD or USB because i don't have it. Is there any safe method to do it?

I have two Windows partitions and three Linux (System (10GB), Home(20GB), Swap(8GB))

Drenek
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  • Welcome to AskUbuntu. First and foremost a few questions: 1. whats your system situation in particular how many partitions you have on that machine? 2. is it legacy boot or EFI boot? Please [edit] this into your question so others can have a more clear picture of the situation itself. – Videonauth Oct 24 '17 at 10:28
  • You could try to shrink down one of the Linux partitions to give you a starting point for doing an install via debootstrap, but this is a rather lengthy process and there can go a lot wrong in that process, its completely done by hand more or the less, no installer no safety-net. – Videonauth Oct 24 '17 at 10:34
  • @Willemk I don't need usb stick so i simply don't have it, I don't have any clean CD now – Drenek Oct 24 '17 at 10:36
  • @Drenek: Ok, I understand now. I'm sorry but I have no experience with building Ubuntu without media. –  Oct 24 '17 at 10:49
  • Use a virtual machine to to install Ubuntu17. Image the virtual Ubuntu installation with clonezilla. Restore the clonezilla Ubuntu image to the partition you want to overwrite. Update grub to see the new Ubuntu install. BTW: Isnt Mint 18 based on Ubuntu 16+ ? – jc__ Oct 24 '17 at 14:42
  • @jc__ Nice but it requires external media. If the OP had one of those then they could install the usual way. –  Oct 24 '17 at 23:25
  • Use the Ubuntu iso to install to VM and clonezilla iso to boot the VM to make the image. Run clonezilla on an existing linux OS or even edit grub on the bare metal pc to load the grub iso in memory. – jc__ Oct 25 '17 at 13:52
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    Possible duplicate of How to use manual partitioning during installation? – David Foerster Feb 26 '18 at 19:53

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What you can do without losing your home files is that you can do a install from the live cd and start it as normal. When it gets to the installation type screen, select 'Something Else', then click 'next'. You then select your linux mint system drive and click on 'Change'. You make sure it is the same file system, make sure the mount point is '/' and make sure there is a tick in the box next to 'Format the partition' then click on 'OK'. For your home folder, select that drive, make sure it is the same file system, set the mount point as '/home' and leave the box next to 'Format this partition' UNCHECKED. Then click on 'OK' then continue onto the rest of the installation. Whenit gets to the user creation screen, just make sure you have THE EXACT SAME LOGIN USERNAME AND PASSWORD as before. Then you will not lose any personal files whilst you are moving to Ubuntu or to any other Linux Distro. No need to shrink partitions, or setup a triple boot or a VM like your other replies that you got.

Christopher Hart
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  • They said they don't have the DVD, and splitting a partition into two partitions doesn't preserve any of the original data. – Chai T. Rex Feb 26 '18 at 18:15