How to install Linux distro to a second hdd from within a running Linux Desktop Environment?

Question

More specifically, I am running Fedora18 on my main HDD. I have a second HDD in the "UltraBay" slot of my ThinkPad W520--eSata connection.

Is there a possibility to avoid creating a LiveCD/USB, etc, and, perhaps, to directly write the extracted ISO contents of a different distro (Ubuntu) to the second drive; or to use a virtual system as a means of facilitating a "non-live/non-virtual"/REAL installation of an OS?

There's got to be a better solution than having to deal with the annoying media-creation! I'm not too familiar with PXE booting, but it seems that even that adds an extra step of preparing the network server/system for allowing access, etc.

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Docs and Resources

• Fedora 19: Hard Drive Installation
• Ubuntu: ISO Boot
• ArchWiki - Category: Getting and Installing Arch
  • Archlinux: Archboot method

Solution

Yes, it is possible to install linux from another linux install. One way is known as "poor man's install". You create a partition, copy the ISO contents there and use GRUB to boot and start the installer from that partition. There are several guides available online, e.g.:

Ubuntu

Debian (see Installation media: Hard Disk)

Fedora (see Preparing for a Hard Drive installation)

Another way would be to "bootstrap" a distro from another distro (see this question on U&L) e.g.:

Archlinux

Gentoo

Comments

[ILMostro_7]

If anyone else has some supporting info/sources, please feel free to add it on here. I'll try to make it more accessible, and easier to find when searching for related issues. Thanks