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Firstly, I am a complete beginner. I've been using Windows for all my computing life. I'm confident about installing Linux as I've done it before, however I am about to buy a new laptop and it will have a 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD.

I want the option of installing other Ubuntu variants, but will begin with standard Ubuntu and need some detailed guidance on how to configure the partition correctly. I've seen a few guides on this site and elsewhere, but they all seem to assume some prior knowledge and make assumptions that you know something when you really don't.

I need an idiot's guide to how to configure the installation of Ubuntu on a new machine whilst allowing for the installation of one or more other Ubuntu/Linux installations at a later date. I am wondering if I should install Ubuntu on the entire SSD and then, later, I can install another Linux system on the HDD, or would it make more sense to partition the SSD and put a couple of Linux installations on it? In which case, I need help with setting up the first partition for the first installation of Ubuntu to both optimise it, and allow for the other variant's installation later.

K7AAY
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When you install an Ubuntu or Ubuntu flavour desktop OS, the Ubiquity (more) or Calamares (used by Lubuntu) OS installers give you the choice of where to install that new OS. They allows\ you to put the OS on the drive without erasing the prior OS, and to shrink the space given to the original OS to give more space to the new version. Consider that installer your Idiot's guide.

FYI, unless you plan to add Hibernation in Ubuntu to your system after installation, you do not need a separate swap partition, which will make installation choices simpler. Here's more on swap.

The most frequent recommendation I have seen here historically has been 30 GB per Ubuntu instance, but with the growth of Snaps to install new apps, I would suggest 50 GB per Ubuntu instance, as Snaps consume more disk space per app when compared to installing apps using the traditional apt method.

Both OS installers cited above will edit GRUB (more) to add links to boot with the new OS, to the links which allow you to boot with the original OS.

Each Linux you install must have its own /home directory, but can share a common directory for documents and media files. That shared directory can reside on any drive.

A 256 GB SSD gives you plenty of room for multiple versions of Linux, especially since you can put /home for each distro on your HDD. As you learn more about Ubuntu, you will acquire system maintenance skills which will allow you to clean out files you don't need, and you can resize partitions as needed.

K7AAY
  • 17,705