[SOLVED] Trouble with GRUB re-installation

[gold_finger]

Linux Lite home page has a "Donate" link on it.  Here is direct link:  https://www.freecinema2022.gq/donate.html

[antenor]

Thanks a lot for your reply my friend!

Yes, one can easily see the link you sent me, it's on our front page anyway! But I could find in there
nothing but guiding to sign in to paypal and donators' names but don't bother, it's because I have never
used paypal before I guess.
As soon as I get this ready (the credit card thing) and still have some problem I will let you know!

Thanks again for your care. 

[Wirezfree]

@gold_finger

Sorry for jumping on the thread, but it is on topic, I'm just about to do a "dual boot" with Windows7 for a friend.

Currently Win7 is the only OS installed, with bios in legacy mode, and it's in a single partition on the disk#1
I want to add LL, If I do the "something else" install, to have it on the 2nd partition on the 1st disk, when I get to the boot loader choice
I assume I say do it to that partition, rather than the MBR.??, and LL will then add it to the Grub during install..?


I will use "something else" so I can create the separate / on disk#1 and /home /swap on disk#2

Many Thanks

[firenice03]

@Wirezfree...
Not 100% on the swap, but I think /swap is typically created on its own partition by default..
I just did a dual with Win7 and set a separate partition for /home.. Real easy  ;D , the /home folder resides where it normally would and did not require mounting...

Some specifics are here:
https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/intro.../#msg18916

[antenor]

What I did on my machine is GRUB installation on the MBR and my Windows 7 had no
problem at all with that, no conflicts at all.
It is just that on the GRUB booting list Lite comes first - of course, since it is the Linux
bootloader - and Windows second.
There are some limitations on the MBR partitioningn system which I am sure you already
know.

Happy tinkering! 

[Wirezfree]

@firenice
Ever since I began, and after reading recommendations I have always done a: /  /home and /swap type set-up's
I have never actually just let it do it's own thing..

@antenor
Yes, I read a lot of things on multi boot, there seems to be pro's and con's to different methods, just looking for least problematic
- Put grub entry in each's OS / root partition, but then I think you need something like "EasyBCD"?
- Just add each OS to the mbr, and let Linux do it's thing, but may need to use repair-grub if OS's not detected.?

I'm also certain my friend is going to ask to also add on Linux Mint,
I got him interested in Linux, he tried Linux Lite, the he found Mint.
So I may be trying a "Triple Boot...

[firenice03]

I'm also certain my friend is going to ask to also add on Linux Mint,
I got him interested in Linux, he tried Linux Lite, the he found Mint.
So I may be trying a "Triple Boot...

FWIW on mine I triple booted, I had Win7, then Mint then Lite.. I chose the Along Side for each Mint and Lite.. Grub updated automatically after each. It worked out, now not sure what troubles I will run into if I need to reinstall/install newer version of Mint or Lite...

[Wirezfree]

@firenice03
Well assuming you don't break it  :'( :'( ,
and there is nothing compelling in the next LTS version..?? You can worry about that in 2019


Having never done an "Along Side" install, does it still give you the partition size & location options..??
I want / on 1st disk & /home & /swap on 2nd disk


cheers

[gold_finger]

@Wirezfree,


Setting up Root on disk one and Home and Swap on disk two is fine.  Yes, you'll need to manually make each of those partitions.  (Swap won't get automatically made with a "Something else" install.)  You can either make them from partitioning page of the installer (using "Something else" option), or you can make them ahead of time with GParted on live LL, then set mount points during "Something else" install.


If you make them ahead of time, when you get to partition selection page of "Something else" install highlight your pre-made Root partition and click the "Change" button.  That will bring up a window where you tell it to:

• Use as = Ext4 file system
  
• Size = keep as you already made it in GParted
  
• Mount point = "/"
  
• Format box can be either checked or not (since you already formatted it in GParted)
  

Do same thing for the Home partition except change mount point to "/home".


No need to do anything with pre-made Swap partition.  Installer will recognize and use it automatically.


"Device for boot loader installation" should be the MBR of the boot drive (drive 1), not the LL root partition.  So, likely "/dev/sda".  If you choose the LL root partition it won't boot unless you do something like install EasyBCD to Windows and add LL boot option to that.


If machine came with Win 7 pre-installed, I'd highly recommend that your friend make a set of reinstall/repair DVDs for Win 7 if they haven't already done so before installing LL.  (There is usually a way to do that built into the system from manufacturer.)  That will make things easier to fix if something gets messed up later.  Also, if you'll be needing to shrink any Windows partitions to make room for the LL install, best to defragment the drive(s) and do the shrinking from Windows disk manager ahead of time to minimize potential problems.

Having never done an "Along Side" install, does it still give you the partition size & location options..??

I've never done that type of install either, but answer to question is "No".  It will allow allotting overall size to use for LL, but it will then use that space to automatically make only a Root and Swap partition to sizes it determines are best.  You won't be able to make a separate Home partition and won't be able to specify which partitions go on which drive.

[Wirezfree]

@gold_finger
as always really good useful guidance/pointers...
The NUC was barebones, so he added a M2 NVME SSD and a regular 2.5"HD

I set the BIOS for Legacy & turned off secure boot.
I installed Win7, that was a challenge Win7 does not see NVME drives out of the box.
So had to install to 2nd drive, add 2 MS hotfixes, then "clone" to NVME, So Win7 installed and working.

I had all ready been thinking about pre-partitioning, given what I think/know he will want
disk#1
> Win7 already installed
> / Linux Mint Root(ext4)
> / Linux Lite Root(ext4)
> spare
disk#2
> D:\ already done for Win7
>/home Linux Mint(ext4)
>/home Linux Lite(ext4)
>/mnt/files(NTFS) for mounting in all OS's F:\ for windows and mount it as files for Linux

Given he's got 16GB ram, he runs 2/3 VM's to do various things in, and on reading/research I think swap is not needed,
but it could be added in spare space on disk#1,
either a shared swap between Mint/Lite, but then no hibernation allowed.
or create Extended partition with 2 swap partitions. but 2 X 16GB+ swap files is 32GB+ of potentially wasted disk space.