How do I install linux using an internal hard drive?

Question

I have an ISO of a linux distribution. I have two hard drives connected to SATA: one has a Windows 10 partition, and an empty partition each 250Gb; the other hard drive is empty. Can I put the ISO onto the second hard drive and then boot off of it? Then I would like to install linux onto the second partition of my first hard drive. My motherboard is a Rampage V Extreme if that matters.

Solution

You absolutely can, but you'll need to do a whole lot of reading about UEFI and partitions if you want to feel more safe, and using a bootloader like GNU GRUB rather than the Windows one. Do you just want to play around with linux, or do you want to utilise you hardware in linux to its maximum capacity? If you just want to have a play you should consider just installing linux within a virtual machine (see VirtualBox) and playing with it there. That way you can use the unused hard drive space with either system. It also means you can be running Windows and Linux at the same time, and shunt any files between them. Virtualisation is great!

If you want to go down the non-virtualised, one-running-system-at-a-time route, you'll need to use a tool to create a bootable linux installation, there are many, but if you're insisting on avoiding using a USB you need one that's able to create a bootable drive out of a hard drive rather than a USB. Check out something like https://unetbootin.github.io/

Comments

[dirkt]

Not sure if you can boot from an ISO in a partition; ISOs have multiple levels of emulation the simulate booting from a floppy/real partition, and I'm not sure if this is also emulated if it's on a real partition. But you can put the ISO on an USB stick and boot from that, that might be simpler. There are also ways to boot Linux from Windows.

[Neil G]

Thank you, can you elaborate on the how to boot linux from windows?

[dirkt]

I just checked, but unfortunately, Wubi seems to have trouble from Windows 8 on, though some people apparently managed to make it work on Windows 10 in some way. I don't have personal experience with that, sorry.

[Neil G]

@dirkt no problem, and thanks. I will just buy a USB drive I guess

[dirkt]

Note you don't need an USB drive (i.e., harddisk), a cheap USB stick (flash ROM) for the first boot will do.

[Neil G]

I've edited the question.

[Admin]

@NeilG The answer is still valid. It is possible but really complicated. It's easier just using a USB stick. But if you want to learn about it I suggest Ubuntu Forums where, years ago, I remember reading a few threads that were about that.