Avoid Installing Grub to MBR -- how?

[cmbcne]

I'm somewhat of a newbie, although I've played with a number of distros over the last few years. My "Play" computer has two physical drives. The first has Windows and the second is for whatever linux distro I'm checking out. In the MBR on the first drive I have BootMagic (that I got when i bought Partition Magic a few years ago.) I like it and I want to keep it.

This means that I have to have grub install to the boot sector of the second physical drive, then point BootMagic to it.

All the other distros I've tried allowed me to select where to install grub, but not Ubuntu or Mint (according to the documentation, at least).

Question 1: Why is this? Is this a deliberate choice, or is it just a design oversite?

Question 2: Is there a way to do what I want to do?

[Husse]

You have the choice - it's just that it's sort of hidden
When you install you will find a button "Advanced", and it's the only button there, in the last dialog box which sums up your choices. In there you can select where to put grub.
We don't like that it's hidden there but that's how Ubiquity, the Ubuntu installer, is and we don't have the resources to make our own

[cmbcne]

Thanks for the tip, Husse

As to the lack of resources; I can understand. I'm puzzled why Canonical would design it like that.

Since you're part of the Ubuntu "family" (sort of), surely feedback from yourselves to the Canonical folks could prompt a change? I can't believe that, if you don't like it, there aren't a lot more folks using all the different flavours of Ubuntu that also find it strange and would like to see it changed.

Thanks again.

[eppoh]

I'm confused. Being a Linux user for a couple years, I though I knew how to do an install to a removable hard drive.
After I started it, I went to the kitchen and when I came back, the installer dialogue was gone, and everything was done- including installing Grub!

I was not there to see, but I presume it just went ahead and installed it without any confirmation from me. It buggered up my Grub on the host PC I was using for the install. Took me a while to get everything back working properly.

I really like Mint, but Is there some way to install it without installing grub at all? Right now I'm scared to try it again.

I won't need it for the USB hard drive.

[cmbcne]

I sympathize with you. I'm a relative newbie and I find the Ubuntu/Mint installer one of the worst I've encountered. I should note that this is the fault (if fault is to be laid) of Ubuntu/canonical -- the Mint folks are simply using the installer and cannot control the vagaries of the program.

I would like to see some really indepth work done on the installer, even if it means a delay in the next Ubuntu release.

[merlwiz79]

I'm confused. Being a Linux user for a couple years, I though I knew how to do an install to a removable hard drive.
After I started it, I went to the kitchen and when I came back, the installer dialogue was gone, and everything was done- including installing Grub!

I was not there to see, but I presume it just went ahead and installed it without any confirmation from me. It buggered up my Grub on the host PC I was using for the install. Took me a while to get everything back working properly.

I really like Mint, but Is there some way to install it without installing grub at all? Right now I'm scared to try it again.

I won't need it for the USB hard drive.

Before you start the install it has an advance button to disable the install of the grub or change where it's installed to.
Click image to enlarge:

[Husse]

Addendum to Merwiz79's reply
If you don't want grub, just delete everything in the "advanced tab"
@ eppoh
You can't just start the install and then get it finished. You have to answer a few questions, but the grub alternative is as stated hard to see. I'll see if it is possible to name that button Grub or something like that.
@ cmbcne
Ubiquity has it's problems - but one of the worst??
I don't want to "distro bash" but I tried to install Vector Linux yesterday - that's one of the worst ... In the end it failed.....
I find Ubiquity a good installer, but with problems (mostly this Grub problem and problems with getting Gparted to work for some)

[cmbcne]

OK, ya got me You've obviously tried a lot more distros than I. When I said "one of the worst" I meant "... of the ones I've tried, which is not that many".

I would prefer to see that advanced button replaced by a whole dialog page (called 'GRUB INSTALL' as you suggested) that would be seen prior to the "Ready To Install" page. It should explain in reasonably clear language that one has the option of installing GRUB or not and that there are several choices as to where to install it. A check box (selected by default) to do the install and then a list of the locations where it might be placed with radio buttons for the user to choose from (hd0,0 being the pre-selected default).

What do you think?

[Husse]

Jikes
I don't have to write a suggestion