install without changes in my grub

[calligrafan]

Hi

I would like to install this release as it is a LTS as I also will install it on a laptop for an very old aunt (ab. 90 y.) having no experience with PCs: She can accustom slowly with my help at the phone (if I am using the same version) and keep it several years without other changes as security updates).

But I don't will to loose my actual Grub2 settings as they are needed by my actual PC maintenance.

I did make terrible experiences in the past with this point: If you don't accept the installation of the boot manager by Ubuntu, you will never be able to start the new installation and if you do that, Ubuntu erases the precedent settings and you can reinstall all your precedent software installations if you did forget to save you grub.cfg (as my grub is installed in a little Grub partition).

What is to do to install properly without such disappointment?

Kind rgds

[jlittle]

...my grub is installed in a little Grub partition...

That's what I do, but how do you maintain your grub in your little partition?

I hand edit my grub.cfg there, and when I installed precise I told the installer to install grub to the root partition of the precise install, /dev/sdb8 (which didn't make much sense to me). Then I looked at the grub.cfg generated by grub in precise, and copied an entry for Precise to the live grub.cfg. I also put an entry

menuentry "others" {
	set root='(hd0,msdos8)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root bbe52b06-dc17-4cd4-b5a8-5290b4f05f3f
        configfile /boot/grub/grub.cfg
}

at the end to let me switch to the grub menu that's in the Precise install, with all its ugly glory, just in case I need something from it.

Regards, John Little

[oshunluvr]

While I'll say that the decision to remove the "no bootloader" option from the installer was one of the dumbest things the devs have done, there's an easy work-around.

Boot to your install device
Select "Try Kubuntu"
When at the desktop, open a terminal
Type "ubiquity -b"

The "-b" switch turns off boot loader installation.

[calligrafan]

Hi
Thank you very much. Both propositions are very interesting. I actually did have other problems as an upgrade to 12.04.2 is not recommended. So I did finally did reintall completely with 12.04.10 (but it is not an LTS :mad: . It is bad for me as I did wish to use the installation for an old person with more than 87 y. and I wish don't to have to change it for her any more along of 5 next y.! But 12.04.10 has an short support delay!). It was difficult. But I did realize the installation in steps (first time base only, then xorg, after that jwm, kubuntu full etc.), and to avoid to have to spend more time, I did install Grub as Ubuntu does it . But I did try an other way and it works: I have 2 grub.cfg in use and it seems to work! I rename it if I have to use the other systems on my hard disk!
Kind rgds

[SteveRiley]

But 12.04.10 has an short support delay

What is "12.04.10"? Do you mean something else?

first time base only, then xorg, after that jwm, kubuntu full etc.

Why in the world are you installing jwm?