Set Up a Dual-Boot
Elementary Distro
1
SET UP SHARED DATA DRIVE
First things first: If you’re going to share a data folder
between Elementary and your existing OS, you need to
create a dedicated data drive. This can be a separate (preferably
internal) hard drive, or you can partition your main system drive
if it’s big enough—typically 250GB or larger. 250GB would give
your existing OS and data partitions 100GB each, leaving 50GB
free space as a comfortable minimum for Elementary.
>> We’ll assume you know the basics of partitioning—taking
the example above, Windows users should shrink their system
drive by 150GB, then create a 100GB NTFS partition for their data
[Image A], leaving 50GB free. Mac users can’t leave any empty
space, so start by creating a 100GB data partition using HFS+
(Mac OS Extended—no journaling). Once done, create a further
50GB partition as a placeholder for Elementary—make this FAT
for easy identification later.
>> Once you’ve created your data partition, you need to move
your personal folders to it. Windows users can simply move each
personal folder in turn via File Explorer: Right-click the folder
and choose “Properties > Location tab,” then select a folder on
your newly created partition, moving the data across when
prompted, so Windows knows where to look.
>> Mac users can choose to relocate their entire user folder to
the new drive—copy it across, then open “System Preferences >
Users & Groups.” Click the lock to make changes, then create aIF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A REASON to switch to Linux, Elementary OS is a compelling distro to
try. It’ll appeal to both Mac and Windows switchers looking for a slick, intuitive desktop. It’s built
on rock-solid foundations, forked from Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, so you can leverage your existing
Linux expertise and embrace it in the knowledge that anything that works with Ubuntu should
also work with Elementary.
The latest version of Elementary—version 5.1, codenamed Hera—is the best yet. In this
tutorial, we’re going to show you how to install it alongside your existing OS—whether Windows
or macOS. You’ll set up a shared data partition, giving you access to your key docs, photos, and
other files from both OSes. We’ll give you a quick tour of the basics, get everything working
correctly, and introduce you to its core elements.
Before diving in, though, we recommend taking Elementary OS for a test drive, which can be
done one of two ways: Either set up a virtual machine for an extended trial, or choose the “Try”
option from the installation media, to give the user inter face a test run. Once you’re happy you’d
like to install it permanently, read on.–NICK PEERSYOU’LL NEED THIS
ELEMENTARY OS
Get this Ubuntu-based
version of Linux from
https://elementary.io.HARDWARE SETUP
Enough hard drive space
for a shared data partition
and a minimum of 50GB
for Elementary.new Administrator “rescue” account—this ensures you
can boot into macOS if anything happens to your data
drive. Once done, right-click your current user account
entry, and choose “Advanced Options.” Click “Choose”
next to “Home directory” and point this to your newly
copied folder on your data drive. Once selected, reboot
and check everything’s now pointing to the data drive.
Once you’re happy it’s working as expected, you can
delete the original user folder on your startup volume.2
CREATE BOOTABLE MEDIA AND START INSTALL
Go to https://elementary.io—type 0 into the
“Custom” box to download Elementary OS for
free. Choose the “Download” button when prompted.
After saving the ISO file to your “Downloads” folder, use
a tool such as Balena Etcher (www.balena.io/etcher/) to
create a bootable USB flash drive or DVD as required.
Mac users need to perform an additional step to create
a boot menu that allows them to install (and later select)
Elementary OS—the “Mac Dual-Boot Considerations”
boxout reveals what you need to do.
>> We also recommend turning off Fast or Quick Boot
in Windows—this enables you to properly shut down
your computer and reboot into either operating systemBA©^EL
EMENTA
RY46 MAXIMUM PC MAY 2020 maximumpc.com
R&D