[SOLVED] Installing Linux Mint 18.3 on existing Windows XP / Ubuntu 12.04

[gkaucher]

My desktop computer has 160GB Hard Drive and it originally came with just
Windows XP SP3 installed. So many years ago I got online and found some instructions
on how to add Ubuntu and make it into a dual boot. It was more of a manual installation
and I am not exactly certain how I did it, but it worked. I believe that I added
some partitions in such a way that when I was done, in addition to having the
C drive with the original Windows XP, that I also had a D drive that was accessible
from both Windows XP and from the share directory in Ubuntu. For some reason
I also had to create an extended partition and a swap file. Over the years I
gradually upgraded Ubuntu and now it is at Ubuntu 12.04. I set it up so it boots into
Ubuntu, unless I feel like "slumming it" in Windows XP.

I just followed instructions when I did this, and it seems to have worked; maybe by
accident!

Now I would like to replace Ubuntu with Linux Mint 18.3. and still have it dual boot
with Windows XP. I Downloaded the Linux Mint 18.3 iso and I have it installed on a USB
stick, ready to go.

In reading other posts it appears that I have to take a custom approach to this involving
the formatting of certain partitions. I am hoping someone could take a look at the
attached gparted file, and provide a little guidance regarding this process. Maybe
someone can jog my memory of what I actually did! I am hoping that when I am all
done that I will be able to dual boot with the default into Linux Mint 18.3 and with
the option of going into Windows XP. I would also like to keep the option of
accessing the same files from Drive D in Windows that are accessed from the share
directory in Linux Mint 18.3; and I would like to keep those same files "in place".

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Gary

[jameskga]

Hey Gary! I don't know enough about partitions but in the meantime (while we wait for someone to answer your question), I am curious what you do with Win XP?

[Tomgin5]

First of all do a backup!
Then put in the "live boot" flash drive, if the bios is set up to look for it first. Then the opening should recognise one (windows) or both and give an option or "Something different" If one of the options is "replace ubuntu" in a dual boot with windows. Go for it! Otherwise if you need to go to "Something different" go there and select replacing Ubuntu. I only did 2 of these but one had a direct option the other had the second. Both worked. GOOD LUCK!

[gkaucher]

Hey Gary! I don't know enough about partitions but in the meantime (while we wait for someone to answer your question), I am curious what you do with Win XP?

Years ago the only reason that I kept XP was because my old printer worked better in XP and I created some Linked Word Templates that
I used for putting together Time and Material Bills for General Contracting business. You ask a good question, because now the new printer
that I just got works fine in Ubuntu. If I could just figure out how to make these templates work in LibreOffice, then I could "kick Windows
to the curb completely".

[gkaucher]

First of all do a backup!
Then put in the "live boot" flash drive, if the bios is set up to look for it first. Then the opening should recognise one (windows) or both and give an option or "Something different" If one of the options is "replace ubuntu" in a dual boot with windows. Go for it! Otherwise if you need to go to "Something different" go there and select replacing Ubuntu. I only did 2 of these but one had a direct option the other had the second. Both worked. GOOD LUCK!

Sounds good. Maybe it's simpler than I thought. I don't have any external backup device, but I guess I could copy
the files I want to save onto the partition where Windows is located. I don't want to lose the ability to access the
same files from both XP and Linux Mint. I might just "throw the dice" and see what happens.

[deepakdeshp]

First of all do a backup!
Then put in the "live boot" flash drive, if the bios is set up to look for it first. Then the opening should recognise one (windows) or both and give an option or "Something different" If one of the options is "replace ubuntu" in a dual boot with windows. Go for it! Otherwise if you need to go to "Something different" go there and select replacing Ubuntu. I only did 2 of these but one had a direct option the other had the second. Both worked. GOOD LUCK!

Sounds good. Maybe it's simpler than I thought. I don't have any external backup device, but I guess I could copy

the files I want to save onto the partition where Windows is located. I don't want to lose the ability to access the
same files from both XP and Linux Mint. I might just "throw the dice" and see what happens.

It's better to backup. Worst scenario is you are unable to access Ubuntu or xp.I have done dual boot many times without any problem though.
Good luck

[jameskga]

you need to back your stuff up dude!

[prestonR]

This should leave anything as it is, adding Mint as a third bootable OS, however, like anything done in Gparted, it should be done After A Backup:

The drive is a mbr disk with an 'extended' partition sda4 that acts as a container and lets you work around the 'max 4 primary' limit of that format. Right now it contains sda6 swap and a sda5 fat32.

Free-up 15GB of 'unallocated space':
- Boot LiveUSB
- open Gparted
- highlight the 48GB sda3 since it has enough free space accessible on its right (and nearest sda4) which avoids moving its content around.
- hit 'change' and reduce sda3 to about 33GB by creating 15GB 'unallocated space' to the right. (That will reduce the available space on sda3 to 10GB) and commit your changes.

You can't create another partition where the 15GB 'unallocated space' is right now; you'll have to move it inside the extended partition sda4 first. To do that:
- highlight extended partition sda4
- hit 'change' and grow sda4 from 26G to 41GB by adding the 15GB 'unallocated space' to the left of it (a small 'gap' left between sda3 and sda4 is ok) and commit your changes.

Now you should have 15GB 'unallocated space' inside sda4, so:
- start the installer, pick 'something else' and in the partition window
- highlight the 15GB 'unallocated space' inside sda4
- new partition >> format ext4 >> mount point '/'
- highlight sda6 swap >> use as 'swap' >> don't format ( https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... -partition)
- point grub-install to 'sda' and install.

[gkaucher]

This should leave anything as it is, adding Mint as a third bootable OS, however, like anything done in Gparted, it should be done After A Backup:

The drive is a mbr disk with an 'extended' partition sda4 that acts as a container and lets you work around the 'max 4 primary' limit of that format. Right now it contains sda6 swap and a sda5 fat32.

Free-up 15GB of 'unallocated space':
- Boot LiveUSB
- open Gparted
- highlight the 48GB sda3 since it has enough free space accessible on its right (and nearest sda4) which avoids moving its content around.
- hit 'change' and reduce sda3 to about 33GB by creating 15GB 'unallocated space' to the right. (That will reduce the available space on sda3 to 10GB) and commit your changes.

You can't create another partition where the 15GB 'unallocated space' is right now; you'll have to move it inside the extended partition sda4 first. To do that:
- highlight extended partition sda4
- hit 'change' and grow sda4 from 26G to 41GB by adding the 15GB 'unallocated space' to the left of it (a small 'gap' left between sda3 and sda4 is ok) and commit your changes.

Now you should have 15GB 'unallocated space' inside sda4, so:
- start the installer, pick 'something else' and in the partition window
- highlight the 15GB 'unallocated space' inside sda4
- new partition >> format ext4 >> mount point '/'
- highlight sda6 swap >> use as 'swap' >> don't format ( https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... -partition)
- point grub-install to 'sda' and install.

Thanks for the input.
I wouldn't mind eliminating Ubuntu 12.04 completely, and just having a Windows XP / Linux Mint 18.3 dual boot. When all done, I would like to still be able to access
files from Linux Mint's share directory that are shared to what is referred to as Drive D in Windows. I can't remember how I originally set this share thing up. Is what is referred to as Drive D in Windows represented by sda2 or sda5? Maybe I should copy some files into the Ubuntu 12.04 share directory and check gparted for any changes in the "used" amounts of sda2 or sda5.

[prestonR]

sda1= WinXP #leave alone
sda2= Ubuntu #probably '/' or root of existing linux filesystem, (folders like 'bin', 'boot', 'etc', 'usr') Check!
sda3= Ubuntu #probably 'home' ('Downloads', 'Desktop' + pers. folders) Check&Back-up!
sda4= 'the container' #leave alone
sda5= your 'D drive' #leave alone
sda6= Ubuntu swap #use as Mint swap

To get rid of Ubuntu and install Mint dual-boot with XP
(leaving your old Ubuntu 'home' partition sda3 and your 'D drive' sda5 untouched)

- boot LiveUSB and start Gparted
- highlight sda2 or root of existing ubuntu (folders like 'bin', 'boot', 'etc', 'usr') Check!
- 'delete' and apply changes

Close Gparted and start the Mint installer. Pick 'something else' and in the partition window:
- highlight the 24GB 'unallocated space' where sda2 was
- new partition >> format ext4 >> mount point '/'
- highlight sda6 swap >> change >> use as 'swap' >> format or don't, no matter
- point grub-install to 'sda' and hit 'install'.

[gkaucher]

sda1= WinXP #leave alone
sda2= Ubuntu #probably '/' or root of existing linux filesystem, (folders like 'bin', 'boot', 'etc', 'usr') Check!
sda3= Ubuntu #probably 'home' ('Downloads', 'Desktop' + pers. folders) Check&Back-up!
sda4= 'the container' #leave alone
sda5= your 'D drive' #leave alone
sda6= Ubuntu swap #use as Mint swap

To get rid of Ubuntu and install Mint dual-boot with XP
(leaving your old Ubuntu 'home' partition sda3 and your 'D drive' sda5 untouched)

- boot LiveUSB and start Gparted
- highlight sda2 or root of existing ubuntu (folders like 'bin', 'boot', 'etc', 'usr') Check!
- 'delete' and apply changes

Close Gparted and start the Mint installer. Pick 'something else' and in the partition window:
- highlight the 24GB 'unallocated space' where sda2 was
- new partition >> format ext4 >> mount point '/'
- highlight sda6 swap >> change >> use as 'swap' >> format or don't, no matter
- point grub-install to 'sda' and hit 'install'.

OK it's coming back to me a little. The share directory that I have on Ubuntu 12.04 is located at /share. It has all the same
files that are on Drive D in Windows XP. These files are music files, videos, and pictures that have been saved from many
different computers that I have owned over time. I must have created /share years ago when I set up the dual boot. I don't
remember what I did to make it so /share in 12.04 and Drive D in XP would share the same files. If I delete sda2 would I also
be deleting all the files in /share? After installing Linux Mint 18.3 would I then need to create a new /share directory, and
would I have to do something to make it share with Drive D in XP?

[prestonR]

If I delete sda2 would I also be deleting all the files in /share?

Boot your LiveUSB, start your file browser and check out the 24GB sda2 partition that you want to delete. Any personal data should be in the 'home' folder, so copy that somewhere else. I don't think there will be much since the 'used space' is 8GB; that's small for a Ubuntu file system after years of use. Nevertheless, it's your job to make sure.

I believe your 'share' is sda3. Use your file browser to open that 48GB sda3 partition and look for 'share' or your personal data there.

If you follow "To get rid of Ubuntu and install Mint dual-boot with XP"
- this 48GB partition sda3 will be untouched during install (of course, you made a backup too!?) and
- the installed Mint will be able to use it fully but
- XP can not handle the 48GB partition's 'ext4' file format

- the new Mint can also see 'D drive' sda5 and it can read/write/copy/paste to it
- and of course XP can see 'D drive' and it can read/write/copy/paste to it too

[gkaucher]

If I delete sda2 would I also be deleting all the files in /share?

Boot your LiveUSB, start your file browser and check out the 24GB sda2 partition that you want to delete. Any personal data should be in the 'home' folder, so copy that somewhere else. I don't think there will be much since the 'used space' is 8GB; that's small for a Ubuntu file system after years of use. Nevertheless, it's your job to make sure.

I believe your 'share' is sda3. Use your file browser to open that 48GB sda3 partition and look for 'share' or your personal data there.

If you follow "To get rid of Ubuntu and install Mint dual-boot with XP"
- this 48GB partition sda3 will be untouched during install (of course, you made a backup too!?) and
- the installed Mint will be able to use it fully but
- XP can not handle the 48GB partition's 'ext4' file format

- the new Mint can also see 'D drive' sda5 and it can read/write/copy/paste to it
- and of course XP can see 'D drive' and it can read/write/copy/paste to it too

Looks like my share folder is located in sda2. In addition to bin, boot, cdrom, etc, folders and others,
there is also the share and home folders. From my Ubuntu 12.04, if I open the that share folder I see all of
the same files that I see when I open D drive in XP which is sda5, as you indicated. In checking sda3 I
see only the folder gary (my name).

Note: If I access sda2 using a file browser in my LiveUSB, and I click on the share and home folders
no other files or folders appear. But from my Ubuntu 12.04 they do.

Does this change the game plan?

[prestonR]

Looks like my share folder is located in sda2.

sda2 (which we want to use for Mint) is a 24GB partition of which only 8GB are used. Since Ubuntu's file system takes almost this much there could be max 1-2 GB of personal data on this partition. The 'share' folder and the 'home' folders there are only links, that's why:

If I access sda2 using a file browser in my LiveUSB, and I click on the share and home folders
no other files or folders appear.

The actual data in 'share' and 'home' are in sda5 ('share' = 'D drive') and sda3 (ubuntu's 'home' folder 'gary'). Check by browsing there and try to locate your music, video files etc

In checking sda3 I see only the folder gary (my name).

Yes, that's how a linux/ubuntu/mint 'home' folder looks like. Have you opened it? Of the 48GB available on sda3 there are 22.9GB of used data inside 'gary'; those are your personal data.

Remember: We'll only delete sda2 to install Mint, 'gary' on sda3 will not be affected and neither will the 'shared' 'D drive' on sda5. But all 8GB of existing data on the 24GB sda2 will be lost. Maybe create a folder 'backup' on sda3 beside 'gary' and just copy all 8GB of data on sda2, so you have a fallback, there's enough space on the 48GB sda3.

[gkaucher]

Looks like my share folder is located in sda2.

sda2 (which we want to use for Mint) is a 24GB partition of which only 8GB are used. Since Ubuntu's file system takes almost this much there could be max 1-2 GB of personal data on this partition. The 'share' folder and the 'home' folders there are only links, that's why:

If I access sda2 using a file browser in my LiveUSB, and I click on the share and home folders
no other files or folders appear.

The actual data in 'share' and 'home' are in sda5 ('share' = 'D drive') and sda3 (ubuntu's 'home' folder 'gary'). Check by browsing there and try to locate your music, video files etc

In checking sda3 I see only the folder gary (my name).

Yes, that's how a linux/ubuntu/mint 'home' folder looks like. Have you opened it? Of the 48GB available on sda3 there are 22.9GB of used data inside 'gary'; those are your personal data.

Remember: We'll only delete sda2 to install Mint, 'gary' on sda3 will not be affected and neither will the 'shared' 'D drive' on sda5. But all 8GB of existing data on the 24GB sda2 will be lost. Maybe create a folder 'backup' on sda3 beside 'gary' and just copy all 8GB of data on sda2, so you have a fallback, there's enough space on the 48GB sda3.

OK.I appreciate your insight. I think I'm just about ready to give this a try. Through access via USBLive It appears that the folders in sda2 are just links, as you indicated, but accessing sda2 from Ubuntu 12.04 and checking the Properties of each of the folders shows a lot of data. I suppose that is the data that the links are pointing to. I'm not sure how I would separate the 8GB from all that. I may avoid creating that 'backup' folder on sda3 since I'm not really sure how to go about it, and I don't want to create a problem. After the installation of Linux Mint 18.3 will the new folders that appear in sda2 automatically be links, or will I have to do something to make that happen?

[prestonR]

accessing sda2 from Ubuntu 12.04 and checking the Properties of each of the folders shows a lot of data. I suppose that is the data that the links are pointing to

Browse the 48GB sda3 partition by opening the 'gary' folder. I bet that's where those links are pointing to. If you do a right-click on 'gary' >> Properties it should show the size of 'gary'; about 24GB of your personal data.

Please check and tell me if that's right.

After the installation of Linux Mint 18.3 will the new folders that appear in sda2 automatically

You can see other partitions or drives in your file manager in the same way as you see them in the file manager of your LiveUSB; they'll show as 'devices' in the left pane, click them and their content will be shown in the main window.

[gkaucher]

accessing sda2 from Ubuntu 12.04 and checking the Properties of each of the folders shows a lot of data. I suppose that is the data that the links are pointing to

Browse the 48GB sda3 partition by opening the 'gary' folder. I bet that's where those links are pointing to. If you do a right-click on 'gary' >> Properties it should show the size of 'gary'; about 24GB of your personal data.

Please check and tell me if that's right.

That is correct.

After the installation of Linux Mint 18.3 will the new folders that appear in sda2 automatically

You can see other partitions or drives in your file manager in the same way as you see them in the file manager of your LiveUSB; they'll show as 'devices' in the left pane, click them and their content will be shown in the main window.

I decided to follow your suggestions and give it a try. I seem to be having some difficulty
with a message that says "The creation of swap space in partition #6 of SCSSI1 (0,0,0)
(sda) failed. Is this a common error message? Should I go back into gparted and make sda6
unallocated, and then give the install another try at creating a swap space?

[deepakdeshp]

Perhaps this may help.
https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.tecm ... guide/amp/

[gkaucher]

Perhaps this may help.
https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.tecm ... guide/amp/

The dialog box for the swap file in this tutorial is a little different than mine. I suspect that is because
my sda6 was already being used as a swap. But the "failed to create swap file" error may have been
caused by my slow computer (512RAM). After clicking the install button, I waited until my hard drive
activity slowed down before proceeding to the next step. I think it needed little time to format sda2
before it could finalize the swap file. First things first.

[gkaucher]

accessing sda2 from Ubuntu 12.04 and checking the Properties of each of the folders shows a lot of data. I suppose that is the data that the links are pointing to

Browse the 48GB sda3 partition by opening the 'gary' folder. I bet that's where those links are pointing to. If you do a right-click on 'gary' >> Properties it should show the size of 'gary'; about 24GB of your personal data.

Please check and tell me if that's right.

That is correct.

After the installation of Linux Mint 18.3 will the new folders that appear in sda2 automatically

You can see other partitions or drives in your file manager in the same way as you see them in the file manager of your LiveUSB; they'll show as 'devices' in the left pane, click them and their content will be shown in the main window.

I decided to follow your suggestions and give it a try. I seem to be having some difficulty
with a message that says "The creation of swap space in partition #6 of SCSSI1 (0,0,0)
(sda) failed. Is this a common error message? Should I go back into gparted and make sda6
unallocated, and then give the install another try at creating a swap space?

Success!! I think. It appears to have completed the installation successfully for the most part. It boots up perfectly to
both XP and Linux Mint 18.3, I didn't lose XP! This is great! I still need that for somethings. Before I started the install
I copied the /share folder (9GB worth of files) in sda2 to sda3. I figured it might be helpful in case something happens.
Well, the only glitch that I can see is that even though I can see sda2 in gparted (see attached), I can't see it in the Linux
Mint filemanager. Is there something I have to do to make sda2 accessible; permissions? or is it hidden somehow?

This is really great. I hesitated to do this for a few years because I thought I would trash the computer. I don't
have any formal knowledge of computers. I'm just an old guy that got sick of defragging, virus checking, and spyboting XP!
Thank you for your help!