Hi all,
I know this may be a few silly questions but!!!
I have install Linux Obuntu onto a USB stick. OK so far.
I have then started the desktop computer and Linux is running. But the menus have asked if I want to install Linux (I presume onto the main hard drive). If it is installed on the hard drive eventually, will Linux delete all my files on that drive?
Also, can I access the hard drive open those programs I have used in windows? I have a lot of pictures etc to transfer.
The other thing is I use a dongle to access the internet. For my convenience. I presume I have to re-setup the connection on Linux as per Windows 7.
Good news is that the printer has printed a test page OK on a Canon Pixma iP4850.
Although I have used computers for over forty years, I am not too knowledgeable (didn’t have the time) with the technicalities.
Parrotsalive.
Hi Parrotslive, and welcome to the forum 
I have then started the desktop computer and Linux is running. But the menus have asked if I want to install Linux (I presume onto the main hard drive). If it is installed on the hard drive eventually, will Linux delete all my files on that drive?
When you (eventually) run the installation routine, Ubuntu CAN install itself alongside Windows … but there may be some preparatory work to do before installation.
That’s what’s known as a dual-boot setup … where you are asked at bootup whether you want to boot Ubuntu or Windows.
If you decide to go down this route, let us know and we’ll try to advise on the best course of action.
Also, can I access the hard drive open those programs I have used in windows? I have a lot of pictures etc to transfer.
In a dual boot setup, Ubuntu will be able to access files on the Windows partition, but Windows will NOT be able to access the Ubuntu partition.
Also be aware … Ubuntu/Linux will NOT run Windows applications natively.
I use a dongle to access the internet. For my convenience. I presume I have to re-setup the connection on Linux as per Windows 7.
You WILL have to set up the dongle … but NOT as per the Windows instructions … but we can help with this when you’re ready.
Hello Mark,
Thanks for reply to my queries. Much appreciated.
I’ve looked again and am still not quite clear about something.
I used LiLi USB creator and believed that the USB stick (16GB) was formatted and that the Linux system was loaded or copied onto the USB stick, as if I reboot my computer and quickly press F11 the Linux Operating system loads.
It then gives me, in a window two options 1) Try ubuntu. 2) Install unbuntu.
But I was under the impression that Linux has been installed on the USB stick. Why do I now need to install it?
Sorry to be a pain but I like to know more of what is going to happen rather than screw it all up.
Parrotslive
OK first let’s explain what a LiveCD is … for quite some time now Linux has been able to boot directly into a working desktop running solely from a CDROM, this “LiveCD” could then be either used as an installation media or as a bootable disk for fixing a broken full installation … they also had the added benefit of allowing people to test drive Linux without having to install it … the downside was as a CDROM has a read-only file system, you couldn’t save any changes.
Later as USB stick became more accessible and PC’s became capable of booting from them, developers found a way of unpacking the LiveCD to a bootable USB stick instead … as a USB stick ISN’T read-only they also added the capability of saving changes … This is a LiveUSB WITH PERSISTENCE.
So as you can see, it was a natural progression that left us with LiveUSB’s … but their original intention is still to be used as an “installation media” for a full install … but now they have persistence, there’s nothing saying you HAVE to install to your hard drive, that’s up to you 
Extra info about LiveUSB’s with persistence -
As the “Live” idea was originally (and still is) for CD’s which are read-only … they have to load into RAM, and cannot have a swap file/partition … so are much heavier on system resources than a “Proper” installation.
They are also stored on te CD/DVD/USB stick as a compressed image, so are slower than a “Proper” installation
As a LiveUSB with persistence uses a “fixed in stone” compressed image, yet “overlays” saved changes from the persistence file … if the persistence file breaks it will be MUCH harder (read nigh on impossible) to fix.
so in summary -
Your LiveUSB offers “Try Ubuntu” and “Install Ubuntu” because it was really intended as an installation media for a “Proper” installation to a hard drive … but gives you the option to test drive.
But it’s up to you if you do that, or just use it as is
Hello Mark,
That has made it a lot clearer.
I have now attempted to install on my hard drive.
A problem has arisen in partitioning.
The screen has split my disc into two with 9.4GB and 6.6GB.
This I accepted.
Then an message comes up “Some of the partitions you created are too small. Please make the following partitions at least this large /2.6GB at least 4.8GB”
Question: it didn’t say what partition (unless 2.6GB was the name of the partition), and initially it only showed two which were over 4.8GB.
Parrotslive
Are you attempting a Linux only setup … or a dual boot Windows/Linux setup ?
Can you boot to the LiveUSB, then open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T), then in the terminal run this command:
sudo fdisk -l
and post the output back here.
for clarity, that’s SUDO FDISK -L … but it MUST be all lower case, as Linux commands ARE care sensitive.
Hello Mark,
Had to reboot to Windows, write it all down and then, type it below.
Hope it is correct but I was careful.
Disk /dev/sda: 500.1GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes/4512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xada4f400
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 176127 8704 7 HPFS/NTFS/exfat
/dev/sda2 176720 844392464 422107872+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exfat
/dev/sda3 844392465 976768064 66187800 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 844392528 871140689 13374081 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda6 871140753 976768064 52813656 bc unknown
Disk /dev/sdb: 16.0GB, 16008609792 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1946 cylinders total 31266816 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes/4512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000aa58e
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 32 18423518 9211743+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
Disk /dev/sdc: 15.5GB, 15504900096 bytes
43 heads, 43 sectors/track, 16378 cylinders total 30283008 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes/4512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc3072e18
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 8064 30283007 15137472 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
Parrotslive
I forgot.
I’m trying to do a dual boot Windows/Linux setup
Parrotslive
Am I right in assuming you want to install Linux to that 15.5GB separate hard drive ?
Hi,
No.
I want to install it onto my main hard C: drive which is 402GB with 195GB of free space.
Parrotslive
I want to install it onto my main hard C: drive which is 402GB with 195GB of free space.
You will find that free space (unused space) on the formatted partition sda2 (drive C:) is not available for your installation.
/dev/sda2 176720 844392464 422107872+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exfat
You might want to shrink this partition first and then install in to the free unpartitioned space.
Hmm … the first thing that jumps out at me is that your primary hard drive has what appears to be 5 (repeat FIVE) primary partitions … you can only have 4 ??? (which probably explains why the last one is listed as “unknown”).
Installing Linux to your primary hard drive is going to be difficult (to say the least) as you CANNOT just resize /dev/sda2 and create a new primary partition (you’ve already got too many) … nor can you create an extended partition without some serious partition juggling.
a hard drive can only have 4 primary partitions, but any of them can be an extended partition containing logical partitions … so if you want more that 4 partitions, you need to have say -
3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition … then the extended partition can contain as many logical partitions as you want (well OK there is a limit but IIRC it’s sommat like 93)
The only way you’re going to get Linux on the first hard drive would be to copy whatever is in the sda3 and sda5 partitions to another drive … delete those partitions (and possibly sda6) … shrink the sda2 partition … create an extended partition filling the rest of the drive … recreate the 2 partitions you deleted inside the extended partition, leaving some free space for Linux … install Linux to the free space … copy the stuff back to the 2 recreated partitions.
Not straight forward is it ?
OK, I am reading that he has 2 primary partitions and one extended (sda3) with 2 logical partitions.
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 * 2048 176127 8704 7 HPFS/NTFS/exfat /dev/sda2 176720 844392464 422107872+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exfat [b]/dev/sda3 844392465 976768064 66187800 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)[/b] /dev/sda5 844392528 871140689 13374081 b W95 FAT32 /dev/sda6 871140753 976768064 52813656 bc unknown
Am I reading this wrong?
Nope … sorry it was me having a blind as a bat moment :-[
Listen to SeZo … my head’s obviously a mess tonight
He could try:
- shrink sda2
- move up sda3
- expand sda3 to fill unused space
- install into the unused space in sda3 (sda 7 /root and sda 8 as swap)
Would that work?
Actually your original idea should work … just shrink sda2 leaving space behind it, then just install to the free space.
an fdisk -l will report that the “partitions are not in disk order”, but that’s not a problem … and Windows will just ignore the Linux partition anyway.
Hi everybody,
I appreciate your help but, I’m getting confused again.
I understood that these dev’s were relating to individual ‘disc units’.
I have a dongle connected for the internet.
Disc unit for backups.
A USB stick for backups to a specific program.
And now a USB stick for Linux.
And of course the hard drive.
Are there too many? Creating the problem for Linux seeing them all as partitions on one unit.
If not what is going on. Where have all these partitions come from?
If I have to shrink the partition on the hard drive, how do I do it? Will it affect Windows 7?
Is all this a good idea for me, or should I stick with Windows 7.
Perhaps I should add that this machine was built for me, with Virtual area added, using VirtualBox for the files recovered from the old machine running Windows 98, with the additional drives etc. added since.
Parrotslive
Hi all,
I did send a reply at 8:31 this morning but its not showing.
Anyway if it appears, following that message would it be possible to over this partition problem by installing Linux on the USB stick, be it that it would run slower.
Parrotslive.
Thank you every for your help but, you can stop panicking (I was).
I checked Windows for partition, opened the Partition management and found that the hard drive had two partitions which were empty. (I assume they were for the VirtualBox created when I acquired the computer.
Deleting these two partitions and trying to install Linux worked beautifully. It looks good.
Now, how do I get my internet connection to work.
It is a mobile connection (I have no land line) on a dongle with 3 (Three).
Parrotslive
[EDIT]
OK, this posting … glad you got it sorted
See my next posting about your dongle.
[END EDIT]
Nope, we’re not talking about individual drives … what we mean is any 1 hard drive can be split into “partitions” (chunks), each of which then contains its own distinct file system.
By the look of things your hard drive contains 5.
A hard drive can contain 3 types of partition -
-
PRIMARY partition … you can have up to a maximum of 4 of these
-
EXTENDED (which counts as a PRIMARY) … think of this as not a “proper” partition, but as a container that can contain any number of logical partitions.
-
LOGICAL partitions … these MUST be contained inside an EXTENDED partition.
so if you want to have more than 4 partitions on the drive, you’ll NEED to have at least 1 EXTENDED partition, then create LOGICAL partitions inside it … now bearing in mind an EXTENDED partition counts as a PRIMARY partitions … you could have say 3 smallish PRIMARY partitions and large EXTENDED partition (that’s your 4 used up right), but the EXTENDED partition can now be subdivided into Logical partitions.
Does any of that make sense ?
Anyway,ho w it applies to you -
Your hard drive curre3ntly has 5 partitions
/dev/sda1 * 2048 176127 8704 7 HPFS/NTFS/exfat /dev/sda2 176720 844392464 422107872+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exfat /dev/sda3 844392465 976768064 66187800 f W95 Ext'd (LBA) /dev/sda5 844392528 871140689 13374081 b W95 FAT32 /dev/sda6 871140753 976768064 52813656 bc unknown
/dev/sda1 appears to be a Windows 7 boot partition (usually hidden) ← PRIMARY partition
/dev/sda2 appears to be a Windows 7 main partition (C:\ drive in Windows) ← PRIMARY partition
/dev/sda3 ← EXTENDED partition
/dev/sda5 appears to be a Windows partition (probably the D:\ drive in Windows unless you have 2 hard drives) ← LOGICAL partition
/dev/sda6 appears to be a broken partition, or one with a file system Linux doesn’t understand ← LOGICAL partition
so you have -
2 PRIMARY, and 1 EXTENDED that contains three logical … the upshot of this is you have room for 1 more PRIMARY partition, so you could shrink the /dev/sda2 partition leaving free (unpartitioned) space AFTER it then allow Linux to install to the “free space” where it will create its own EXTENDED partition.
The problem is I have no idea how (if left to its own devices) the Linux installer would behave with /dev/sda6 which has a partition Id (type) “bc” … which according to this:
http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partitions/partition_types-1.html
is an “Acronis Backup Partition”
Do you have Acronis installed in Windows ?
In answer to this -
would it be possible to over this partition problem by installing Linux on the USB stick, be it that it would run slower.
YES …
you could either continue to use it “as is”, as a LiveUSB
or you could do a “proper” installation to another USB stick … the upside of which is it would likely be quicker and easier to fix … the downside is (without applying some changes) unless you have plenty of RAM it may start accessing the swap partition which will wear out the USB stick quicker (USB sticks having a limited number of write cycles).
How much RAM do you have ?
It would be better (if possible) to do a “proper” installation to a USB hard drive.
Do you have an external USB hard drive ?