Hi all
I’d like to install 13.2 on a HP laptop running Windows/ with dual boot.
I started shrinking the C: disk ov windows to 250 Gb.
This is the output of the “detail disk” command of DiskPart of windows 7 :
Hitachi iHathc iTH7S727 SCSI Disk DeviceID disco: 4D46B0F1
Tipo: RAID
Stato: Online
Percorso: 0
Destinazione: 1
ID LUN: 0
Percorso: PCIROOT(0)#PCI(1F02)#RAID(P00T01L00)
Stato corrente di sola lettura: No
Sola lettura: No
Disco di avvio: Sì
Disco file di paging: Sì
Disco file ibernazione: No
Disco file dettagli arresto anomalo: Sì
Disco cluster: No
Volume ### Let. Etichetta Fs Tipo Dim. Stato Info
--------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
Volume 1 SYSTEM NTFS Partizione 1025 Mb Integro Sistema
Volume 2 C Windows NTFS Partizione 250 Gb Integro Avvio
Volume 3 D HP_RECOVERY NTFS Partizione 12 Gb Integro
Volume 4 E HP_TOOLS FAT32 Partizione 2048 Mb Integro
I used the unallocated apace between partition 4 and 2 to create the / partition and the /home partition for linux.
I would GRUB2 to manage the dual boot.
Now the problem is:
which is the correct check in the boot menu during installation ?
Have I to install the boot code in the MBR or in the “/” or in both?
Where can I find explanation about this?
The best advice normally given here, for a dual boot with Windows or for a multiboot situation, is to leave the MBR untouched with whatever Windows put there. You then install grub into the root (/) partition of the openSUSE version being installed. That is what I did dual booting with Win7 long ago, and with all subsequent openSUSE versions.
BUT make sure you have a rescue CD nearby including a decent partitioner such as Gparted, that will allow you to move the boot flag between the two [or more] system partitions, as and when necessary e.g if you make a mistake and/or Windows becomes unbootable.
Unless you really have a RAID array turn it off ion the BIOS
I don’t read your language but it seems like you have a EFI boot Is this a new machine? If so it probably is EFI in which case the boot is different and does not use the MBR
If Windows is installed as a EFI boot then you should install Linux in EFI mode so boot the installer in EFI mode
It is best to adjust the sizes of partitions in Windows to give continues free space for the installer to use
Hitachi iHathc iTH7S727 SCSI Disk DeviceID disc : 4D46B0F1
Type : RAID
Status : Online
Path: 0
Destination : 1
LUN ID : 0
Path: PCIROOT ( 0 ) #PCI ( 1F02 ) #RAID ( P00T01L00 )
Current Status read-only : No
Read-only : No
Boot Disk : Yes
Disk paging file : Yes
Disk hibernation file : No
Disk crash dump file : Yes
Cluster Disk : No
Volume ### Let. Label Fs Type Dim . State info
--------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- ----- ----
Volume 1 SYSTEM NTFS Partition 1025 MB Healthy System
Volume 2 C Windows NTFS Partition 250 GB Healthy Start
Volume 3 D HP_Recovery NTFS Partition 12 GB Healthy
Volume 4 E HP_TOOLS FAT32 Partition 2048 MB Healthy
Your info is confusing but may be due to tools you used. To my knowledge there has never been a partition numbered 0 and there are no extended partition in EFI/GPT partitioned drives. but it looks like you may have a efi boot partition. This makes it very confusing. Did you add that extended? You should not mix boot modes if a OS is installed in legacy mode you should install the next one in legacy and same for EFI mode. DO NOT mix modes
You need to determine the way Windows was installed. If EFI then there is no MBR because EFI boot is different then legacy boot.
It would help to know what file system is on each of the exiting partitions.
If I were to guess I’d say you had Windows installed in EFI mode (if it came on the machine and is 8 or above it is EFI) and you made some space and forced a extended partition. So not knowing the full detailed history I can at best guess
Also it is not normal for extended to be numbered 0 All in all it is odd.
I image that might happen if the extended was created on a originally a GPT. In any case it is seriously odd so you need to proceed carefully and understand what is actually on that drive
I used the internal windows utility DiskPart to get the information
My system is Windows 7
Browsing the internet it seems that if the windows is installed in EFI mode it should be reported in the label showed by disk manager and it doesn’ t. Point me to a way to determine how the windows is installed if in EFI or legacy.
I used “partition wizard” to change from dynamical to legacy the windows partitions. Then I shrank and changed (steel using partition wizard) to logical the C: partition to have more or less 430 unused Gb.
Now I have another problem the opensuse installed doesn’t allow me to create a partition on the unused space. The extended partition is reported having only 250 Gb
If what is reported is correct then you have a 250 gig extened that contains a 250 gig logical. ie you have no available space
Assuming the info about Windows reporting legacy or at least non EFI boot then you want to be very sure to boot the installer in legacy mode.But first remove the logical partition that is in the extended to give space to install. Do not install to mbr but install grub to the extended. A boot flag should be set there. Note generic MBR code will not boot to any logical partition that is the reason to put grub in the extended.
I believe the the install will default to that if you give it free space to install to. But just be sure that all is as above if you don’t understand something ask here before committing to a partition scheme
Leaving generic (Windows) boot code in the MBR when multi booting is a good idea since Windows tends to step on things that are in the MBR and change them one updated. So keeping Windows MBR is a good idea and will save you trouble later. But if you understand things you can simply put Linux in full control of the boot and repair the MBR when Windows messes with it.
There is no right way Linux is about choices so you make the choice
The odd reporting may just be the program you used but I have never seen an extended numbered 0 so that does worry me.
Disregard this, you have 4 primary partitions already so yuo cannot create primary. That explains your other problem
Because you only can install Linux in logical partition, it is impossible to install bootloader on Linux partition - it is not bootable. And you probably have not enough space in MBR. By default 13.2 suggests btrfs filesystem; if you chose different one, like ext4, it needs less space and fits in MBR. Or if you want to use btrfs, you could create separate small /boot partition and format it as ext2.
On your system you can only install bootloader in MBR anyway, at least using standard installer.
Well that problem arises because for Win7, OEM’s supplied notebooks in that way. Two primary for Win7, one for system backup/restore (often 10GB and at the end of the HD). No problem really for 13.1 and earlier, as is the case on my ThinkPad. There, an old 11.4 Evergreen version now sits in the 10GB recovery partition which moved to external HDD (supported by Lenovo). That partition and others are booted from a logical partition (/boot) with the boot flag initially set there.
By default 13.2 suggests btrfs filesystem; if you chose different one, like ext4, it needs less space and fits in MBR. Or if you want to use btrfs, you could create separate small /boot partition and format it as ext2.
Does it then follow that to leave Windows code in MBR, even without Btrfs, a separate /boot partition is required?
On your system you can only install bootloader in MBR anyway, at least using standard installer.
What do you mean by “standard installer” - e.g. taking defaults? Doesn’t it include the facility to create/change the partitioning i.e. to set up logical /boot and root partitions for 13.2?
created in the extended partition three partition the first for “/” the second for /home and the third for the swap
The system propose for the boot neither the boot code installation in the MBR nor the installation of the boot code in the "/,
the boot flag is set, there is the following warning:
“location for first stage of the boot loader is not set proceed only if you know what you are doing”
Have I to proceed? Is it up to the win 7 boot loader the first stage?
on the section “boot code option” the check box “boot from extended partition” and “set active flag in the partition table for the boot partition” are set
