[conspire] (forw) Re: Question about installing linux

[Rick Moen]

----- Forwarded message from Chris Mason <harrymason845 at gmail.com> -----

Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2014 10:45:32 -0700
From: Chris Mason <harrymason845 at gmail.com>
To: installers at linuxmafia.com
Subject: Question about installing linux

Dear Linux Mafia:

I have a desktop computer with two hard disks.
I don't have the knowledge to figure out how to dual boot
with the UEFI Bios setup and Windows 8.1 which is currently
on one hard disk.  I flubbed an install of fedora, and I am thinking of
trying to put ubuntu on the second disk.
I'm reluctant to try since I don't know what I'm doing.
Last time I tried with fedora I got the grub command line
and had to reinstall windows...
Can you recommend someone with a linux background could help me?
Thanks,
Chris Mason.

----- End forwarded message -----
----- Forwarded message from Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> -----

Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 19:08:40 -0700
From: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
To: Chris Mason <harrymason845 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Question about installing linux
Organization: If you lived here, you'd be $HOME already.

Quoting Chris Mason (harrymason845 at gmail.com):

> Dear Linux Mafia:
> 
> I have a desktop computer with two hard disks.
> I don't have the knowledge to figure out how to dual boot
> with the UEFI Bios setup and Windows 8.1 which is currently
> on one hard disk.  I flubbed an install of fedora, and I am thinking of
> trying to put ubuntu on the second disk.
> I'm reluctant to try since I don't know what I'm doing.
> Last time I tried with fedora I got the grub command line
> and had to reinstall windows...
> Can you recommend someone with a linux background could help me?

You've encountered one of the pitfalls with dual-booting; the potential
to mess up the bootloader configuration and interfere with your ability
to boot anything at all.  I mention this in order to point out that 
dual-boot isn't the only way to have the use of multiple operating
systems.  You might prefer to leave the main OS (Windows 8.1) alone and
install other OSes in virtual machine environments - which has many
advantages including concurrent use of the installed OSes and avoiding
the need to shutdown and reboot to switch.

So, bear that thought in mind.  Meanwhile, back to your task as you
described it:

I've just now done some quick reading, and it seems like a real mess.
You're advised to study one or more of these:
http://amidstsky.com/tech/install-ubuntu-or-fedora-in-dual-boot-with-windows-8-1-uefi/
http://askubuntu.com/questions/400602/uefi-dual-boot-ubuntu-12-04-3-windows-8-1-one-gpt-hdd
http://itsfoss.com/install-ubuntu-1404-dual-boot-mode-windows-8-81-uefi/
http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/2014/05/install-ubuntu-1404-alongside-windows.html

Sure, we'll walk you through the matter during the CABAL gathering, but
we'll very likely be reading the page(s) too.  ;->


Anyway, as I said, one compelling alternative is to install Linux in a
VM, something like VirtualBox.  Much simpler, no fussing with
bootloaders.


----- End forwarded message -----