[SOLVED] Help with manual partitions

[Manohoxha]

I plan to this week install a M2 SSD nvme on my laptop. I already have a sata ssd where i have Kubuntu 22.04 installed. I want to install Kubuntu on my new m2 nvme ssd and i want to delete kubuntu that i have on my normal sata ssd and use it only for storage. Basically i dont want to dualboot. How can i do that? Since i am used to do a clean install i dont have any experience with creating the bootloader or partitioning.

[Schwarzer Kater]

Welcome!

There are several ways to do this.
The following would be my preferred way for a simple standard installation - nothing fancy with e.g. encryption, seperate /home partition or seperate swap partition, btrfs, etc. (I assume that your computer is new enough to already have UEFI, you have set the first boot device to the M.2 SSD in your UEFI and that you have already backed up everything important to you from your old Kubuntu installation and it can be erased):

I would use a bootable USB stick with GParted (https://gparted.org/download.php)
- create a new GPT partition table on the M.2 SSD (this will erase everything on this drive!)
- create a 320 MB Fat32 partition with the name "EFI system partition" and set the flags to "boot,esp".
- create an ext4 partition (or a blank partition) for the rest
- create a new GPT partition table on the SATA SSD (this will erase everything on this drive!)
- create an ext4 partition with e.g. the name "Storage" on the SATA SSD

Boot from a Kubuntu installation USB stick, to be safe choose "Manual" on the "Installation Type" page
- select your 320 MB Fat32 partion of the M.2 SSD, click "Change", select "EFI System Partition" and point /boot/efi to it (if this has not been automatically done already)
- select your ext4 partition (or blank partition) of the M.2 SSD, click "Change", select "Ext4 journaling file system", select "Format the partition" and point / to it
- on the bottom of the page for "Boot Loader" select the device /dev/nvmen0n1

After installation you can automount the "Storage" partition in different ways - there are several threads in this forum about this.
You could also give your / partition a name with e.g. the KDE Partition Manager, so this name shows in Dolphin.

PS: I would also advise to add noatime to the options for your / partition in /etc/fstab after installation.

[claydoh]

Since i am used to do a clean install i dont have any experience with creating the bootloader or partitioning.

The installer will still do all of that, you just need to point the installer to the correct drive.





The worst case scenario is to simply physically remove the SATA ssd, and the installer will only see the single drive.
If you re-attach the original drive, you will have a dual-boot setup until you reformat the SATA drive.


However, manual partitioning is not overly complicated. This how-to is pretty thorough on the steps and settings needed.

Afterward, make sure the boot order in your BIOS firmware is changed to the nvme drive.

[jlittle]

Schwarzer Kater and claydoh have taken "i want to delete kubuntu" at your word, but my reading is that it's not clear that you want to throw away everything on the SATA SSD. "i am used to do a clean install" implies to me that you don't want to do a clean install, and maybe you want to move the existing install to the M.2. (I've done that recently, but I used btrfs which gave me options in the process.)

Perhaps you could ease my worry on this point.

[Manohoxha]

Schwarzer Kater and claydoh have taken "i want to delete kubuntu" at your word, but my reading is that it's not clear that you want to throw away everything on the SATA SSD. "i am used to do a clean install" implies to me that you don't want to do a clean install, and maybe you want to move the existing install to the M.2. (I've done that recently, but I used btrfs which gave me options in the process.)

Perhaps you could ease my worry on this point.

Sorry i used the wrong term. What i meant is that i am used to having only one drive on my laptop and always choosing the "Guided - use entire disk" in the Disk setup part of the installer and since now i will be having 2 drives i will need to do it manually with the "Manual" option. Im not sure but i think i have two options:

1. Install Kubuntu in the nmve drive(dualbooting), then log in to the nvme Kubuntu and then erase with GParted the sata drive and use it for storage
2. Im not sure if this is possible(i didnt have the time to view the other answers above) - After choosing the Manual option to erase the sata disk right then and there, format it to be used for storage, and then install Kubuntu on the nvme

i want to know if i can do the second option. Sorry if i cant explain it good enough. I didnt know there was an option to move the existing install but no in this case i want to start fresh.

PS: Can i use "Guided - use entire disk" when having 2 drives😳? If so which one will it install the OS? My brain is hurting 😂

[claydoh]

Either 1 or 2 is fine, though 1 is safer and easier (better UI in KDE Partition Manager and Gparted) - you have a backup OS in case something goes south.

I didnt know there was an option to move the existing install but no in this case i want to start fresh.

That would be using a disk cloning tool, such as clonezilla.

PS: Can i use "Guided - use entire disk" when having 2 drives😳? If so which one will it install the OS? My brain is hurting 😂

See that image I posted When on that page, you should have a dropdown menu similar to what I circled.. You should be able to easily tell which drive is which. If not, the SATA drive will be something like 'sda", while the NVME will show as 'nvme0n" or similar.

Again, if in doubt at all, simply remove the SATA drive before you begin. If you are intending to start fresh no matter what, you can do so from a live Kubuntu session. But afterward is fine.

The only confusing thing you *might* have to face there is re-connecting the drive and seeing two Kubuntu options in your Bios boot order settings. Which you will want to check to make sure you choose the right one. Easy enough. If you get the wrong one, reboot and set the other one.
THEN wipe the old drive once you are satisfied.

[Manohoxha]

The installer will still do all of that, you just need to point the installer to the correct drive.





The worst case scenario is to simply physically remove the SATA ssd, and the installer will only see the single drive.
If you re-attach the original drive, you will have a dual-boot setup until you reformat the SATA drive.


However, manual partitioning is not overly complicated. This how-to is pretty thorough on the steps and settings needed.

Afterward, make sure the boot order in your BIOS firmware is changed to the nvme drive.

Now read your reply. Thank you. I didnt know you could use the dropdown menu with the "Guided - use entire disk" option 😅. I thought that was only when using manual partition. They should seriously update the ui a little bit.
SO "Guided - use entire disk" + nvme drive name on the dropdown menu = sata erased and made into a storage + Kubuntu on the nvme drive.
Got it now 😂. Sorry but the nmve will be a way better drive thats why i am making such a big fuss about it.