How to install ubuntu on a second sata hard disk with xp on first sata disk?

[dushyantkum]

i am currently using a WD 160 GB HD fro win xp. I recently got a second SATA Seagate 360 GB HD.
I want to install ubuntu on the seagate HD, where total space is allocated to ubuntu. How should i go about it? Also how should i configure the boot loader, and which boot loader should i trust, the windows one or lilo/grub?

[aktiwari4u]

normally if we connect a new harddisk with blank partition then ubuntu will use that partition only to install the linux. but to be sure i would like to suggest you to go for manual partitining.i suppose that you can do it by normal installation method you just need to customize partitning on the system and you need to manually allocate the partition on the second hard disk only.

 and the second thing i feel that it would be easy to install linux boot loader as you have already installed windows so the new effective boot loader will be of linux one and for the place of the boot loader you also need to verify at the time or installation for on which partition boot loader is installing .manually you may change the boot loader partition also . to what ever partition you want .
 if i would have been in place of you i would have preferred grub boot loader.and i would also suggest you not to write the linux boot loader in mbr so that if in case you got any problem at least your windows boot loader will be working fine for you.

[dushyantkum]

thanks for prompt reply...i expected nothing less.

i was using red hat linux in class xiith..but in college, due to sheer lathargy i have been subsisting on xp, and the help that i got from online forums back then prompted me to post this query. thanks once again.

I found out that ubuntu can be installed on a second sata hard disk and it installs on it without any problems. however, i still have doubts about the boot loader.
should i install grub on linux partition (i.e. the second HDD), and boot to windows from it? is this possible as this hdd will not be primary i guess?
 or should i install grub on windows partiton and boot to linux or xp from this? i have also heard that windows's built in boot loader can do the same task, however teh documentation online seems insufficient to take the leap and this option will be safer as i can have xp running all times even if linux gets screwed.

thanks in advance.

[aktiwari4u]

it is possible in both the cases
1- even if the hard disk is not the primery one you may install the boot loader in the linux partition and from the system setup menu you may change the hardisk boot order in that case the second hard disk will be treated as the first one to check for the boot loader
2- the second idea is quiet simple you may install the boot loader in the mbr , which will most probably will be in the windows hard disk in that case you will only be prompted to use the linux boot loader . though it will show you both the option to use your linux or winows what ever you want .
3- the third one is little bit complicated . you may install your linux boot loader in the linux partition and use your windows boot loader to boot in to linux also . for that you need to follow the tutorial written by ricky in the same forum which is this one.....booting Linux from windows boot loader How to (Dual boot).......
http://www.linuxsolved.com/linux-forums/linux-tutorials-how-tos/booting-linux-from-windows-boot-loader-how-to-dual-boot-a-t17.0.html

so by following any of the above suggestion you may install your boot loader

[dushyantkum]

thanks a ton mate
wel i took a brave step and put ubuntu in c: only.well i was surprised to see everything worked, i get dual boot wid windows working..have ubuntu up and running...amazing!

thanks a ton against..hope to bombard u wid more questions in due time!

cheers!!

[aktiwari4u]

no need to thanks dear we are here to share our knowledge to help us all