ability to use existing partitions to install Ubuntu

[Eric BREHAULT]

When installing Ubuntu, in the disk partitioning step, the user can choose:
- use entire disk
- automatically use free space
- manual partitioning

When you install Ubuntu to replace an existing Linux install, it would be nice to be able to replace an existing partition without using the manual mode: the wizard would show the list of the existing partitions and the user would just have to pick the one he/she wants to overwrite to install Ubuntu.

Note: Mandriva 2008 does provide this feature and it is quite handy.

[Nanley Chery (nanoman)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This bug did not have a package associated with it, which is important for ensuring that it gets looked at by the proper developers. You can learn more about finding the right package at [WWW] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. I have classified this bug as a bug in ubiquity.

[Nanley Chery (nanoman)]

Could you provide a screenshot of how mandriva does it? Your proposal, in my opinion, does the same thing manual mode does and adds complexity to the installer.

[Evan (ev)]

We discussed doing this at the most recent Ubuntu Developer's Summit, but decided that it was too intrusive a change to the underlying partitioner code to make it into the upcoming 8.04 release, it being a long term support version. I'm leaving this bug open to track the progress of the feature, however.

[vitaliy (0xff)]

Hi,

Given the fact that users can encrypt their home partitions this bug gets another degree of difficulty. Here is the scenario I ran into when trying to install 10.4 on top of the existing version.

I have an encrypted home partition that I did NOT want to delete while installing 10.4 on the system. I selected "manual" mode for partitioning, created new partitions and left my home partition alone ensuring that "format" check box was empty.

After the install was completed w/o errors the system rebooted as expected but it could not come back up. I believe this was because I specified a new password during the installation. Therefore, my home directory could not be encrypted and I believe that it could not be written to as well. Of course this was a user mistake and I ended up installing from scratch again this time I dedicated all partition matters to the installer.

I suggest making the installer smart -- identify existing home partitions and ask users if these partitions are encrypted. If so, force users to enter old passwords.

[Evan (ev)]

vitality,

We fixed that bug for the final 10.04 release by forcing you to select the encrypted home option if you've elected to not format the / or /home partition on which it was previously enabled. If you're seeing this bug with 10.04 final and not a daily-live CD, please file a separate bug with debug logs (select "Try Ubuntu", wait for the desktop to load, hit alt-F2 and type `ubiquity -d` in the box that appears).

Thanks!

[Evan (ev)]

Ubuntu Natty now lets you install over an existing copy of Ubuntu (destroying any data on its partition) or upgrade/reinstall an existing copy of Ubuntu to the version on the CD.

[Evan (ev)]

Details of this change can be found in the installer design specification:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfkkjjcj_101gnkrpg5v#4_5_1_Automatic_partitioning_o_8475526086986065