Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

Post by aekyall »

And onward! No luck I'm afraid. Started okay and got as far as the 'installation type' menu where I selected 'install alongside XP' (plenty of available disc space and connected to internet) - Was presented with the screen showing suggested disc split between XP and Linux Mint. The 'quit' and 'back' buttons were 'live' but the 'install' button was greyed out and wouldn't function; whole process just sat there doing nothing. It would seem that my computer isn't allowing the disc to be apportioned?? I suggest this as, if you remember, when I started to install Ubuntu, it didn't give me the option of installing alongside XP.

I've been into XP's disc management and I can't see anything untoward - although I couldn't, anywhere, find any option to create another partition on the main disc (its a replacement 150GB NTFS of which I'm using just 13GB for XP).

The Linux Mint installation screen which offers to split the disc shows the XP part as '/dev/sda1 (NTFS)' and the (proposed) Linux Mint part as '/dev/sda2 (ext4)'.

I'm now seriously considering trying Linux as a dual boot on my Windows 7 - at least that way I can get to use it a bit and then perhaps take the plunge and do a clean install, dispensing with XP altogether. But I need to mull over that for a while I think. :scratch:
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Keith

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stuck
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

Post by stuck »

Umm, not sure what to suggest next. Are you sure the installer wasn't waiting for you to fill in something in the dialog box?

Although I've still got my Mint installer DVD and I have an unused XP box under the desk I can't try it out at the moment. My spare time is being directed by a Higher Authority as we redecorate our kitchen & utility room. Perhaps if I survive the DIY I can have a go and then offer more help but I can't say for definite.

Ken

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Thanks Ken. I've certainly had enough for today! I'll re-read all the bumf on installation again, slow time and then start over and see what transpires. Good luck with the decorating, not one of my favourite pastimes, but higher authorities are there for a purpose I suppose! :innocent:
Regards,
Regards,
Keith

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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

Post by jonwallace »

You could also have a look at http://itsfoss.com/guide-install-linux- ... t-windows/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
John

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Thanks for pointer John. I've bookmarked it and will go over it later.
Regards,
Regards,
Keith

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stuck
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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stuck wrote:...Are you sure the installer wasn't waiting for you to fill in something in the dialog box?
Keith,

Just had another thought, look for a tick box to accept a EULA in the dialog, since install buttons often are inactive until you accept the license.

Ken

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

Post by aekyall »

Thanks. Didn't see anything like that, but I'm planning to start again from scratch this weekend - I'll make sure I re-read all the user guides and 'how to' docs that many have pointed me to, before I start - and I'll double check everything as I go along.
Regards,
Regards,
Keith

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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A quick update on progress - or rather, lack of progress!

I started again from scratch, trying both Ubuntu and Mint but, as before, ended up hitting a road block when reaching the screen display which determines partition split - the 'install' button is always greyed out. One thing I have noticed (I did before but didn't take that much notice, perhaps I should have!) is that when Ubuntu/Mint home page displays, there is a warning notice in the top right-hand corner of the screen to the effect "the program is currently running in software rendering mode without video hardware acceleration - you may observe much higher than normal CPU usage" It also states "there could be a problem with your drivers or some other issue - for best experience it is recommended you only use this mode for troubleshooting purposed"

I can install on my Windows 7 computer - I've progressed as far as the 'install now' option, but have not proceeded as I'm loathe to risk causing issues with my main system, especially with Windows 10 just round the corner. So it's likely that the issue is with the XP machine.

Did consider upgrading the graphics on my XP but I only have a 4X AGP slot and most of the modern graphics cards seem to need either PCI Express or AGP (but not AGP 4X, which hosts a different contacts layout). In any case, not sure that that would have made any difference?

I've appreciated all the help and assistance you've all given me and, regardless of not yet succeeding, I have learned quite a bit along the way. I'll come back to the issue at some point, but for now I think it's time to call it a day. Thanks all :thankyou:
Regards,
Keith

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stuck
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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aekyall wrote:...time to call it a day. Thanks all
Before you do...

You say you tried Mint but did you try Mint Xfce? The laptop onto which I installed Mint Xfce with no problem only had on-board graphics.

Ken

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Yes, last thing I did before calling it a day was to go through the whole process again with Mint Xfce (download ISO file and then created a bootable USB stick) - still hung up at the disc partitioning screen with the 'install now' button greyed out. Only difference was that with Xfce I didn't get the warning notice on the home screen about running in software rendering mode. Either I'm doing something fundamentally wrong, or there's a problem with my computer hardware/software not being compatible. I think I need to step back from this for a while then try and approach it from a different angle - if I can come up with one!! Again, thanks for all the help, really appreciated.
Cheers!
Regards,
Keith

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stuck
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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aekyall wrote:...created a bootable USB stick...
Here's another idea...

What do you see when you put the USB stick into the USB port and power up the machine? Does it go straight to the Mint installer? Or do you see the usual Windows XP splash screen as it starts up and then the installer then kicks in?

If the former then I think I really am out of ideas.

If the latter then it doesn't sound like you are actually booting off the USB. It sounds like you are just running the installer from the USB stick. In this case I wouldn't expect the 'install alongside XP' option to work as expected since, while the installer would be able to work out what partition resizing was required, it wouldn't be able to actually resize XP partition because it was in use.

Ken

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Ken - It boots straight to Mint, no sign of XP anywhere in the process. Whilst the USB boot up process is proceeding I get four (mint) green dots sequencing in the middle of my blank screen, followed shortly thereafter by the Mint home page. On the occasions I've tried booting Mint in compatibility mode (I've tried every possible combination!) I get screens and screens of DOS type entries, finally followed by the Mint home page. Nowhere in the process do I discern any presence of XP. I guess that for now we're out of ideas. Thanks anyway.
Regards,
ps: perhaps I should borrow your avatar for a while! :grin:
Regards,
Keith

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Five months on and I now have a partial solution to dual booting XP and Linux - or a small step forward anyway! Having recently had, and resolved, a disk partition issue on my Windows 10 machine, by being pointed towards EaseUS partition manager (free) - See under HARDWARE - I decided to install it on my XP machine, where I used it to 'shrink' my 150GB single MBR partition down to 100GB, leaving 50GB of 'free space'.

Having done that, I had no problem then installing Linux/Ubuntu on my machine, alongside XP - Everything went smoothly and Ubuntu didn't ask me to split my formatted partition, it just installed itself using the 50GB 'free space'

So far, so good! I can now boot to either XP or Ubuntu. Unfortunately, for some reason, running/using Ubuntu is like watching paint dry - very slow, almost like slow motion; select an option and wait for 5/10 seconds before the screen display slowly fades out and the new one fades in!!) :hairout: and it would appear that there is/are software problems with Ubuntu as it doesn't always function - sometimes it freezes and informs me that there has been a software problem and do I want to report it now or later! Usually the only way out of that is to shut down the computer using to power switch, and then reboot.

As to why Ubuntu is running so very very slowly I'm not sure, but the graphics it is saying it is using is 'GALLIUM 0.4 ON NV4A', whatever that means/is. It's certainly not the graphics I have currently installed (GeForce 6200 512MB DDR2). I've not come across GALLIUM before.

Just thought I'd post an update - I'll press on (here's to another five month hiatus!) and see what, if anything, I can resolve. Now that I've 'cracked' the dual boot aspect, I suppose I could always either - re-install Ubuntu, or perhaps try Mint. I'll post again when/if I get to take another step forward!! :grin:
Regards,
Keith

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stuck
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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aekyall wrote:...why Ubuntu is running so very very slowly I'm not sure...
Neither am I but my money's on your hardware being too underpowered, which is why further up this thread I suggested you install Mint Xfce.

For what it's worth, my eldest son did his fourth year uni. engineering project on the Linux side of an old dual boot XP/Mint Xfce laptop. Despite it being only a 1.6HGz Celeron CPU and with only 2GB RAM it acted successfully as the ground station receiving and transmitting real time data to control an autonomously flying blimp, i.e. it was processing incoming data about velocity, elevation, pitch etc. and returning data that navigated the blimp around the test flight area without human intervention.

Ken

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Thanks Ken - Reason I installed Ubuntu was I had left the software on a USB stick; it was easy to hand, so went with it! I'll certainly give Mint Xfce a try once I've had a play around with Ubuntu (it's already on my computer, so don't want to waste an opportunity :grin: . I'll post back re Mint (and any other problems encountered!!) etc.

I Google'd GALLIUM and it would seem there are lots of issues associated with Ubuntu and NVIDIA graphics cards (on askubuntu.com) - unfortunately (again!) I could only understand about one word in ten of the posts, most of it went straight over my head!!
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Keith

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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Ken/All,
That will do nicely!! :fanfare: - Downloaded Mint 17.1 Xfce 32 bit (Rebecca) ISO file and created a bootable USB drive using USB Universal Installer - did this on my x64 Windows 10 machine. Booted my XP machine from the USB stick and ran/used Mint - worked okay and wasn't at all slow, so clicked on the install and let it do it's stuff - It identified that I already had Ubuntu on my disk along with XP and offered to overwrite Ubuntu and leave XP - I let it do this and everything went like clockwork! Have had a bit of a play-round with it and so far everything seems to be fine - no software glitches/freezes, not so far anyway! It has already offered me an update to Ver 4.9.3.2 which I have downloaded and installed with no apparent issues.

Looks like I'm on the home straight - thanks to your (and a few others) help and patience! :thankyou: Much appreciated

PS: No issue over NVIDEA graphics, although I note that in Mint's explanatory notes it did mention that there were some issues with some NVIDEA cards - obviously not mine though - thankfully!!
Regards,
Keith

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stuck
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

Post by stuck »

:clapping: Glad you got there in the end :thumbup:

Ken

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aekyall
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Re: Linux/Ubuntu - dual boot?

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Just to tidy this thread up:

I have just managed to install (as dual boot) a full version of Linux Mint on my old Windows XP(H) computer - Version 17.2 Rafaela/Cinnamon. Having upgraded my GPU (to a cheapish 'legacy' NVidia GeForce 6200) and managing, finally, to partition my disc using EaseUS (free) It would appear that one of my issues (which turned out to be NVidia driver compatibility with both Ubuntu and Mint) was resolved, at least for Mint, with the very recent release of Mint 17.2 (Rafaela) - My previous, failed, attempts were with Mint 17.1 Rebecca; according to 17.2 release notes, Rafaela addresses some, but not all, of the issues with NVidia drivers.

I had, thanks primarily to Ken ( :chocciebar: ), previously managed to get Mint Xfce installed and running, but was unsuccessful with any version of Ubuntu - and I think there are still a number of issues over Ubuntu and NVidia drivers.

My thanks to all who helped/contributed/offered useful advice to resolve my (many) problems :thankyou:
Regards,
Keith