Using Windows XP and Linux Ubuntu Dual Boot to Maximize Computer Efficiency
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Dual boots provide a certain level of efficiency when using two operating systems on one machine. This tutorial will discuss the basic tips and concepts of managing a dual boot operating system. The operating systems covered are Linux Ubuntu 9.10 and Windows XP Home SP3, since this appears to be the most common dual boot configuration as of December 2009.
This tutorial is for a beginner who has not yet installed Linux Ubuntu on the Windows XP computer. However, certain parts of the tutorial are also applicable to those who have already installed Linux Ubuntu and need some quick and basic information pertaining to this dual boot installation.
Setting safety boundaries
Linux Ubuntu and Windows XP are two entirely different operating systems. Linux is open source, while Windows XP is proprietary. There are a lot of dual boot issues arising from the two operating systems. One of the main issues involves sharing the same physical hard drive for the two operating systems, which necessitates some adjustments to the Windows partition.
It is highly recommended to separate the Linux Ubuntu operating system into another physical hard drive. This will ensure that the original, sensitive and fragile Windows operating booting system will never have the chance to be corrupted during the installation process. There are a lot of reported cases of a corrupted Windows XP master boot record (MBR) happening after Ubuntu installation. This means that after installation, the GRUB (Linux Boot loader program) possibly altered or corrupted the Windows booting record.
Correcting these types of booting issues can be complex. Sometimes you need to repair Windows XP, which might affect or delete your files by accident or mess up GRUB commands. After some basic experience, the typical suggested dual boot configuration is discussed below.
First, assuming you have two physical hard disks of similar sizes (for example 160GB each), the first hard disk should be the “master” which holds the Windows XP operating system. It should be partitioned in two such that:
Drive C: File system/ Windows System files (80GB)
Drive E: Documents/for other data (80GB)
The second physical hard drive will be configured as the “slave” (you can instruct your computer technician to do this). It is empty, without a partition or any files on it (basic NTFS formatting is fine).
You will install Ubuntu on the second hard drive. You can select it during the installation stage of Ubuntu. You should be very careful at this stage to never alter or touch the first hard drive, which houses the Windows XP OS. This option will not resize the Windows NTFS partition, since you are performing the installation on a completely different hard drive.
After successful Linux installation, the GRUB will load during the booting process. So, during computer restart, the GRUB menu will load up and let you decide which OS you are going to select (either Linux Ubuntu or Windows XP). Once you see the GRUB, and are able to boot to either Linux or Windows XP, your dual boot installation is fine. See the screen shot below of the sample disk configuration of a dual boot using different hard disks:
There are plenty of advantages to this setup. Aside from increased hard disk space (which also helps the computer to operate fast and provide more storage space), the two OS file systems receive their own unique spaces. This offers flexibility and provides an easy way to restore or back up files in case of damage.
For example, if Windows XP gets corrupted due to a malware or device error causing a blue screen, file systems can still be accessed by Linux Ubuntu, providing another way to easily recover data. Also, having two hard disks protects you from any hard-disk-related accidents, so if the first drive fails, you can still boot to the other. This will ensure you can still work, contributing to efficiency.
The above configuration assumes that you have first installed Windows XP on the master hard drive.
Next: Accessing Windows partitions from Linux Ubuntu >>
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