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When I try to install ubuntu on my laptop, at step four I have the option to "install dual boot ubuntu windows 10" or "do something else".

Most of the guides on the internet recommend the "do something else".

I am not sure why... is it a performance issue?

kangaroo_cliff
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    Which guides? Maybe they don't like the default partitioning system. – muru Dec 18 '17 at 04:23
  • For example this one. – kangaroo_cliff Dec 18 '17 at 05:03
  • @muru from your question, I take it best to go with install dual boot ubuntu windows 10. Now, I see a number of others advising this option. Thanks. – kangaroo_cliff Dec 18 '17 at 05:07
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    In that guide, the author doesn't create a swap space, saying swap space "may increase performance in certain situations only if you have a large amount of RAM" ... which is nonsense. https://askubuntu.com/q/49109/158442 – muru Dec 18 '17 at 05:13

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Install dual boot Windows 10 uses the most basic partitioning scheme. It creates a swap partition, and a partition to hold the file system. And on EFI systems it uses the EFI partition on the first internal drive for installing grub.

For many online partitioning guides, the poster is asking how to create a certain set up; for example, separate home partition, server partitioning schemes, USB boot, preconfigured partitions, etc. Also many, recommend custom partitioning schemes for the reasons listed in the next section. Thus, the do something else option is needed to set up partitioning that is different from the default.

There is no difference in performance. Some of the most popular reasons for custom partitioning are:

  • Specify the size of the swap partition. I forget how the installer determines swap partition size, but on larger drives, it can be excessive.
  • Separate /home partition makes it easier to snapshot system files, or do reinstalls without copying a lot of personal files.
  • Separate data partitions can be mounted into various installs without the need to copy large amounts of data into each.
  • I'm not sure why, possibly for departmentalization, but server installs tend to use separate partitions for many system folders.
  • Separate /boot partition is needed for full disk encryption or RAID setups
ravery
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  • Thanks. I think I saw most of those instructions while looking to partition the HD etc. I was a bit scared of installing an underperforming or disabling the windows OS. (it all went well.) – kangaroo_cliff Dec 18 '17 at 06:39