Thanks for the encouragement on Ubuntu…hopefully I will grasp it relatively easily.
I hear ya on VB…kind of assumed it was a bad idea. I will do an OS install for Ubuntu tonight.
My Use Case is the first- Want to run PMS and Linux is the answer. I am converting an older Desktop and it is not eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 but is able to handle Linux. Additionally I am trying to learn Linux simply to broaden my horizons. This last part is secondary to the PMS but obviously they do happen at the same time.
I will do the Ubuntu install tonight and I bet a dollar to a donut you will be hearing from me soon. Hopefully with good news but more than likely during the struggle.
Use 20.04 or 22.04 as your installation. 24.04 is too new (no updates yet). It’s got bugs . The newer Linux kernel (6.8) breaks transcoding.
If the target installation device is big enough,
– Allocate a 128GB partition for /
– Allocate the remainder for /home (I use 1 GB for /boot (efi), 128 GB /, rest for /home. (I don’t use BTRFS or LVM. I use “standard partition” and EXT4)
– This helps you because we can put all your server metadata on /home to preserve it should you need to (re)install the OS again
Take your time with figuring out the Ubuntu installer.
If you do as I suggest, you’ll want the “Something Else” option.
It’ll be obvious when you get there.
Take the time to get the base install right – FIRST.
Regarding the partitions-You will get a good idea about my noobness here but will the partitioning be self evident in the install process or is this something I would know how to do if I were more experienced?
FYI I will check back in once I have resolved Ubuntu install issue. Getting the GNU Grub screen, 2 Ubuntu boot options in Bios and neither one working. I have tried every boot option and nothing but the GNU Grub screen. Anyway…that is the hole I will be in until you hear back from me.
Ok…I am out of the hole. I should have been more detailed on the grub error…It was after I was instructed to remove the USB as part of the installation and any attempt to boot after that. I am able to start 22.04 reliably now. I have 3 OS partitions remaining in my boot drive (remember I am a noob even on this stuff so if I am saying the wrong thing here, I apologize) w/2 named Ubuntu and I had to direct it to the appropriate partition.
Now back to the next level up in this thread; the partitions. I installed 22.04 prior to you doing this VM walk-through (thank you by the way!). I decided I would do the Erase Disk option first to make sure there were no issues. Of course that was the beginning of the grub issue that is now resolved.
So…Here we are now at a decision point. I can reinstall 22.04 and do the partitioning as you have suggested to avoid future pain with metadata upon a plex reinstall. There are a few details I would like to share about my planned setup. I would like your opinion if I should still partition after knowing the below::
My target device currently only has 500GB drive. My plan is to add additional drives to the chassis as storage is needed. I have a feeling this last sentence is an entirely different thread. Knowing this would you still recommend I do the disk partitioning? I do think I can get through that grub error issue again though I must admit I was throwing some things at the wall in the dark.
Let me know your thoughts or if there is a better way at this juncture. Thanks again for your work on the partitioning VM walk-through. I suspect that will be a useful guide in the future.
I was in that “something else” last night with that grub error…of course my Installation Type Window was more crowded with the 3 partitions already in there.
Linux grub is different than windows.
It doesn’t need two partitions like Windows does
It installs in the free space at the start of the drive and then puts the OS core elements in the /boot partition
The only thing you must make certain –
If you’re installing on /dev/sda, tell grub to install on /dev/sda. DO NOT USE /dev/sda1
My sizing is written for a 500 GB drive. You can use it and know the numbers will all work out… It will look just as I wrote. There will be 4 partitions.
Would you explain how I tell grub to install on /dev/sda?
Is this the drop-down in the ”Installation” window that says “device for boot loader installation”?
If you have one drive in the machine, (/dev/sda), then that’s where it will default (just as my example shows) and you let it install the boot loader (grub) on the disk you just installed the OS on.
I am at the “Installation Type” window and there are a few questions I am unsure of:
1 Should all partitions be located at the “beginning of this space”.
2. What should I choose as a “ Use As” option ( Ext4, Ext3, etc…).
