Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

DmitriKill · 2009-11-04 16:24:19

Hi,

I am about to install Arch on a laptop that already runs Ubuntu (9.10). I want to keep Ubuntu, and all of the files currently on Ubuntu, intact. In other words, I don't want to accidentally delete my Ubuntu partition while installing Arch. Is there a good way to ensure that this doesn't happen? It might be extremely obvious, and I might be acting a little over-cautious, but it is extremely important that I don't lose the data on Ubuntu (I am a graduate student with tons of papers and shiz on my comp).

I know that Ubuntu has Disk Utility, which allows you to partition your hard disk, name the partition, and name the partition type. Would I see the partition (recognizable by name or space availability) during Arch install? When I attempted it earlier, it seemed to just give the total space of my hard disk (60GB) with no identifying information (and I must confess that I freaked and quit the installation without really exploring the available options--I didn't want to accidentally hit "enter" and screw myself and my academic career). Is this actually the case?

I guess to summarize, what is the best way to partition the hard disk and install Arch that minimizes the risk of the accidental reformatting of existing partitions?

Thanks in advance

DmitriKill · 2009-11-04 16:27:21

By the way, the existing partitions are: (1) 37GB Ubuntu; (2) 1GB swap space; (3) 13GB free space (formerly XP partition, now gone and dead); and (4) 9GB free space. I want to put Arch on #3, 13gigglebites!, or potentially take a gigglebite or two from the 9gigglebite partition and give it to the 13gigglebite.

mrunion · 2009-11-04 16:32:55

I think I would back everything up I wanted to keep to CDs/DVDs/external drive. I wouldn't take the chance on losing important data -- and I hope your laptop is not your only copy anyway!

evr · 2009-11-04 16:33:53

just make sure you know the drive name of all your different partitions (sda1, sda2, etc.) and make sure you don't use your ubuntu partition when you're setting up your arch install. Also, the arch install disk comes with cfdisk which allows you to manipulate partition sizes if you want to change them like you were saying. It might be a good idea to read up on how to use it before you start trying to mess with the install.

either way though, if there are files on your ubuntu partition that you don't want to lose, it's always good practice to make backups anyway.

wonder · 2009-11-04 16:45:21

why not trying arch first in virtualbox just to accommodate with the installer?

Gen2ly · 2009-11-04 17:39:03

+1 for wonder's suggestion.

There are also gui partitioning cd's. Parted magic has gparted on it.

mcsaba77 · 2009-11-04 18:38:02

Make sure you choose manual partitioning (forgot what the exact term was), that way you'll see all your partitions. Google cfdisk or read the beginner's/install guide to see what options are available. Cfdisk was a bit confusing for me at first, because when I choose the file-system type I was looking for ext4, but couldn't find it. I got to choose ext4 in a later menu if I remember correctly...

Otherwise, follow the advices above, backup everything important. Print out the documentation, read it a couple of times, and than just do it Don't worry too much (you did backup your data, right?). Arch is a wonderful AND userfriendly system. Granted, you have to do everything manually, but it's not as complicated as you'd think, and you'll learn a lot in the process. Also, a great advantage of Arch is that the community tends to be a lot more knowledgable than ubuntu's. I don't mean this as an insult or something, (k)ubuntu users are really friendly and helpful, but when you run into a serious problem (like I did using Kubuntu in the past) there is a chance that you'll find an answer before you'll even have to ask (just use the search feature on the forums).

Good luck

the dsc · 2010-04-04 00:27:20

I have two related questions. Or "sort of" questions.

I have a debian system, which I don't want to lose. I don't find the arch install (aif -p interactive) crispy clear on what it's going to do with the partitions on the "manually configure block devices, filesystems and mountpoints" part. I don't need to format or resize anything, I have it all partitioned and formated from the start.

If I just set the debian partitions in that "custom" option, will them be formated, or arch will just mount them? I think the safest way is just to leave them untouched by the arch install, and after that I can adjust everything manually, it's not hard. But even then, will the arch install just leave them alone, or it will make some permanent low-level damage, kill my cat, and somehow put incriminating evidence on what was left, and call the police on me? I'm used with the debian install, which in my opinion makes more clear that the other partitions won't be touched, or just mounted by fstab but left untouched, and that my pets won't get hurt.

The second question is about grub. I think that the worst that can happen is that I may have to manually add either debian or arch to one another's grub configuration. Yet somehow I still have that creepy fear of ending with some "grub error ##". I have debian's boot/root in a primary partition, but arch's target partition is within an extended one. Is this trouble waiting to happen? Like arch pointing the mbr grub part to a partition it will not be able to access, making me unable to access any grub menu?

Last edited by the dsc (2010-04-04 00:28:02)

fsckd · 2010-04-04 00:55:20

Might I suggest installing Arch from Debian instead of the conventional (CD, USB, etc.) method. While the process will be manual, it will be entirely within your control. The guide is at http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … ting_Linux .

the dsc · 2010-04-04 01:54:13

It ended with:

ERROR: process_filesystem needs a partition as $1

Just after I Ok-ed the mountpoint setting, in which I had set just the root and the swap partitions. By the way, isn't there any trouble if I'm using the same swap? Should I unmount it? The guide says to not install arch on any partition the system is currently using (it has to be unmounted, I assumed), but isn't clear if it also applies for the swap partition.

An additional question: does arch requires a separate /boot partition? Because I was not expecting that, and the installer considered it as an error. It gave me, however, the choice of ignoring it.

edit: I've deactivated the swap and tried again. I've additionally set to reformat the partition, even though it wasn't supposed to be needed, and it seems to be running fine.

I've found in a few other threads that just not selecting the partitions will indeed leave them untouched, not transform me in a zombie. Another additional important bit of information I've found is that I can just skip the grub install, and add arch to my current grub without the all the "let's figure out how to reinstall grub from a live cd for the 37th time" hassle.

Last edited by the dsc (2010-04-04 03:39:31)

azo · 2010-09-13 06:26:14

Hi,
I have some questions about Arch installation and I think they can be posted under this existing topic.
So I have two hard disks, one with XP (/dev/sda) and other with ubuntu (/dev/sdb). Everything works ok. Now I want to try other linux distributions so I resized ubuntu partition and created 2 new partitions, sdb now looks like this:

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 303GB 303GB primary ext3
3 303GB 308GB 5651MB primary ext3 boot
4 308GB 314GB 5651MB primary ext3
2 314GB 320GB 6046MB extended
5 314GB 320GB 6046MB logical linux-swap(v1)

4 and 5 are the new partitions. Let's say that 4 should be for arch and 5 for backup if I want to try another disto.
I followed the link http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … ting_Linux but when it gets to hard disk preparation I'm stuck. Actually, I haven't got an idea what to do next. So, how am I supposed to prepare partitions to obtain a working system (no other special requirements )

Btw, I've found also posts under
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=101864
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=97658
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=93188
but I don't find them very useful. Also, as I'm quite a stranger to linux I'd appreciate more detailed advices.

ngoonee · 2010-09-13 08:17:31

azo wrote:

Hi,
I have some questions about Arch installation and I think they can be posted under this existing topic.
So I have two hard disks, one with XP (/dev/sda) and other with ubuntu (/dev/sdb). Everything works ok. Now I want to try other linux distributions so I resized ubuntu partition and created 2 new partitions, sdb now looks like this:
Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 303GB 303GB primary ext3
3 303GB 308GB 5651MB primary ext3 boot
4 308GB 314GB 5651MB primary ext3
2 314GB 320GB 6046MB extended
5 314GB 320GB 6046MB logical linux-swap(v1)
4 and 5 are the new partitions. Let's say that 4 should be for arch and 5 for backup if I want to try another disto.
I followed the link http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … ting_Linux but when it gets to hard disk preparation I'm stuck. Actually, I haven't got an idea what to do next. So, how am I supposed to prepare partitions to obtain a working system (no other special requirements )
Btw, I've found also posts under
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=101864
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=97658
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=93188
but I don't find them very useful. Also, as I'm quite a stranger to linux I'd appreciate more detailed advices.

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Forum_Etiquette

Check out 'thread hijacking' and 'necro-bumping'.

After that, head over to the Beginner's Guide and read it a few times. If you're 'quite a stranger to linux' who would 'appreciate more detailed advices' you should really consider NOT using Arch, its not meant to be used by less experienced users.

In any case, once you've done the above, please start a new thread if you have questions. Make sure the questions aren't subtle 'please just tell me what to do, don't want to search and find out myself' alternatives though.

Closing thread.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-11-04 16:24:19

Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#2 2009-11-04 16:27:21

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#3 2009-11-04 16:32:55

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#4 2009-11-04 16:33:53

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#5 2009-11-04 16:45:21

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#6 2009-11-04 17:39:03

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#7 2009-11-04 18:38:02

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#8 2010-04-04 00:27:20

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#9 2010-04-04 00:55:20

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#10 2010-04-04 01:54:13

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#11 2010-09-13 06:26:14

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

#12 2010-09-13 08:17:31

Re: Ubuntu user, new to Arch,

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