Ubuntu server installation questions

[TheWestWing]

I am installing ubuntu server from a bootable usb onto a computer with one hard drive that already has windows 7 installed and I have a couple of questions

 

1. I am on the partition disks steps of the installation and it gives me the option to do guided - use entire disk, guided - use entire disk and set up LVM, guided- use entire disk and set up encrypted LVM. What is LVM and what choice should I choose? If possible, I would prefer to be able to keep all my existing data. Thanks

[TheGlenlivet]

LVM is a partitioning tool that has some advanced features you probably wont need with only 1 drive.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/3596/what-is-lvm-and-what-is-it-used-for

 

It's used for crating a partition across multiple disks or setting up striping, that sort of thing. 

[TheWestWing]

Just now, TheGlenlivet said:

LVM is a partitioning tool that has some advanced features you probably wont need with only 1 drive.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/3596/what-is-lvm-and-what-is-it-used-for

 

It's used for crating a partition across multiple disks or setting up striping, that sort of thing. 

Will any choice allow me to keep my data?

[risk]

LVM is a Logical Volume Manager

 

It enables you to do snapshots and thin provisioning and you can have as many partitions as you want. (kind of like with ZFS and btrfs), but it does this on a block level.

 

You can go back to windows and shrink the windows partition, it might take a few tries to get enough space and enabling/disabling some settings that cause windows to keep data close to end of the partition. (I've done this last year on my mom's computer when switching her to an SSD, don't remember the details, sorry).

 

 

[newgeneral10]

if you "Try ubuntu before installing", then you may be able to shrink the windows partition using Gparted.  Sometimes Windows (and other OSes) don't like to shrink volumes that they're using.  Then, once you've shrunken the partion, reboot, and install in the unallocated space.