Dual booting Ubuntu 16.04 with Kali Linux as main OS

Question

I have Kali Linux as my main OS when I boot up my laptop, I am currently downloading Ubuntu version 16.04 and am wondering how I would be able to have the option to dual boot so I can choose which OS I want to run when I start up my laptop.

I am still pretty new to Linux Distros so any help or feedback you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance everyone

Solution

Firstly, it would be a good idea to back up any important data.

As you are installing to the same drive as your current OS your current partition(s) may have to be resized during the installation of Ubuntu. This will depend on whether or not you used all the drive space for your current OS. The Ubuntu installer can do this for you and installation is pretty much the same as if you were installing Ubuntu on its own. You would be best selecting "something else" at the installation type partition screen so you can configure the partitions how you need them.

Assuming your using standard partitions and don't intend to share them between the different OS's the main decision you have is whether to use the boot loader you currently have or the one Ubuntu will install. If you want to use the current one, ensure the boot loader in Ubuntu is installed to the root partition (such as sda1, sdb1, etc) rather than the drive (sda or whichever drive your using). If you're OK with Ubuntu overwriting the current boot loader then install the boot loader to the drive sda, sdb, etc. This is selected during the partition configuration screen you will have used above.

If you go with keeping your current boot loader, you will have to boot into your current OS after you have installed Ubuntu and update the boot loader so that it finds and includes Ubuntu in the boot selection screen. If you go with the Ubuntu one, it should find and include your current OS during installation.

Hope that helps and good luck.

Comments

[gsxruk]

Do you intend to install Ubuntu to the same physical drive as the other distribution or on a separate drive?

[Victor Slater]

Same drive yes.

[Victor Slater]

I would prefer using Ubuntu boot loader so thats probably the route I will go. I am using a Toshiba Satellite that orgininally had Win 8 on it before I wiped the HDD and put Kali on. It uses EUFI boot loader and in order for me to get Kali to boot from the usb and install originally I had to switch to CSM, will this be the case in order for the Ubunutu boot loader to take over?

[gsxruk]

Ubuntu supports UEFI but dual boots should have boot modes that match. See here for more information.