Ubuntu Installation :: 10.10 And "install Alongside With Other Operating System" Option?

So I wanted to install ubuntu on my pc along with Windows XP (I also had vista, but it did not survive motherboard replacing I burned the LiveCD and booted from it. I chose to try ubuntu. After few minutes of playing with it I started the installer from the icon. I tried the "install alongside with other operating system" option, but I how could know what it will do? There is almost no information in that window. I have two 750GB hdds. sda with big partition over whole space and sdb with two partitions (Vista, and 40GB for Windows XP), but the installer shows only a small strip with ubuntu sign with no readable information! My sda has only 8GB of space free, so would it resize the partition to be 8GB smaller and make new partition for Linux there? On sdb it does not show my two partitions from some reason, but just one big labeled Windows 7 loader, so what would it do there? Delete the WinXP partition? Not a clue because there is no information visible in that supersmall strip with ubuntu sign on it. Just that there are some partitions hidden.

Mouseclick or mouseover do nothing. OK so I changed to the "manually specify partitions" mode to be sure what it does...And now what? I decided to shrink my WinXP partition and let the installer use the empty space, but what a surprise? It does not know what to do with! "No root file system is defined". OK so I fired up firefox and surfed a bit to know what partitions are needed. I then made ext4 partition and swap partition (not a clue how big they should be though : But there is again that message about no root filesystem! OMG so then I somehow figured out I have to assign a mount point / to it, but why there isn't any tip or info that this must be done remains a mystery for me. OK so the installation finally started and I thought that it will be OK at last. But guess what happens! No GRUB boot menu appeared but there was a blank screen for a strangely long time and then the computer rebooted again and then Windows XP started right away! WTH? I guess installer failed to change MBR or something.

OK so I booted from LiveCD again and now what... There are some guides from 2006 to be googled, but when I typed grub into a console it said it is not installed! This is great.Now I crossed a point where no BFU would ever dare to go I said to myself :- When I used the command to install grub it told me it will uninstall grub-pc package. What is grub-pc? Typing grub-pc does not do anything. Is it even possible to install something when running from a LiveCD? The crazy story does not end here. I thought that I will install it again and risk the first option "install alongside with other operating systems", if it will have any more luck with GRUB. So I did that on sdb and it took crazy long time.

I was so afraid what it was doing, but it was probably shrinking my big Vista partition.Then it was installed and what a surprise - I booted right into Windows XP again You probably think I am a masochist if I keep trying so many options desperately, but I frequently help my friends with pcs so I am glad I can test all options and be prepared for anything Now I reinstalled the system again while I was writing this and I will try to figure out how to fix that damn GRUB so I could boot into Linux