Guidance on Setting Up Ubuntu on Windows Without Dual Boot
Guidance on Setting Up Ubuntu on Windows Without Dual Boot
I’m preparing this new (empty) 250GB SSD for your Windows 7 laptop and planning to switch to Ubuntu without dual boot. You want to know how to set it up and whether your partition ideas are sound.
1. Should I repartition the existing HDD into a single partition before installing Ubuntu?
It’s a good idea to consolidate the drives into one partition once you install Ubuntu. This simplifies management and avoids potential issues during the switch.
2. What’s a suitable partition layout for Ubuntu with your drives?
Your setup looks reasonable:
- SSD (250GB) – root partition
- 25GB swap space
- 16GB temporary area (for OS install or updates)
- 10GB temp folder
- HDD (700GB) – home directory
This arrangement keeps things organized and makes it easier to work with both systems. Unallocated space on the SSD is a smart practice, as it’s about 10% of its size.
Overall, your approach seems logical and practical for learning Linux and developing software.
Is it for a database server or containers? With 8GB RAM, you don’t need a swap partition right away. You can install a swap file later.
You're asking if I should install everything on the SSD now and move the HDD later when needed. Since your storage exceeds 250GB, it makes sense to use both drives together from the beginning. Putting /home on the HDD from the start also seems logical because those files will be accessed frequently. Regarding partitioning, splitting /home across SSD and HDD could work if you can manage it effectively, though it might require careful planning.
I plan to create one or more databases during development. I may also try setting up a mail server. There are no current plans for containers. After reading about it, I thought placing it in a separate partition could help isolate problems with large logs or spam. Although I doubt this will happen, I believe having the space is beneficial and I decided to include it. If I don’t need a swap partition, I’ll make sure there’s even more free space on my SSD!
Flatpak sets up at /var. It has room available, using a swap partition is quicker than a regular file; he prefers btrfs, which isn’t available. I usually use swap and /var/log on a standard hard drive.
I would allocate 35GB for /tmp, 35GB for /var, and the remainder for /home. For larger subfolders like Downloads, Music, or mail, consider dedicating more space. Swap should be avoided unless necessary; adding it helps prevent memory issues during unexpected events. In regular use, excessive swap usage suggests needing more RAM or fewer memory-heavy tasks running at once.
Having a big root partition is fine, especially with lots of drives. At 8GB RAM you don’t need swap, but you should use a swap file instead of files. Save many local configs to your home folder; storing them on the SSD will speed up everyday use. Mount your extra space at /mnt/storage or similar, and link directories there so you can move bulk storage to the HDD. For example, create /mnt/storage/tabby-documents and link it to ~/Documents. This method applies to any service that starts after the drives are ready. I usually leave more empty space on the SSD for future flexibility—add partitions as needed. For web apps that require uploads, I keep them in a dedicated partition with noexec enabled. Ubuntu might need its own EFI partition if you install it recently.