strategy to install ubuntu and dual-boot it with existing winxp

Question

I have a laptop with winxp already installed on it, and I am considering what is the best strategy to install Ubuntu and dual-boot. I am familiar with the procedure to shrink the winxp partition and install Ubuntu on the second partition (as outlined here, I performed this a few times already). However, I am still not sure about the following problem:

1. Can I, over time, shrink the Windows partition and enlarge (leftward) the Ubuntu partition? Will it break grub2?
2. If I can resize the Ubuntu partition leftward, then ultimately my goal is to get rid of the winxp partition all together. Will that be possible? Are there any issues that I should expect, like problems with reconfiguring the hdd primary partition or something like that?

Answer 1

Can I, over time, shrink the Windows partition and enlarge (leftward) the Ubuntu partition?

Yes, use GParted.

Will it break grub2?

Nope. GParted will move it and resize it:

If I can resize the Ubuntu partition leftward, then ultimately my goal is to get rid of the winxp partition all together. Will that be possible?

Yes. Delete the Windows partition with GParted Live, then expand your Linux volume to fill the space.

Are there any issues that I should expect, like problems with reconfiguring the hdd primary partition or something like that?

When removing Windows you may still have an entry for it in the GRUB menu. It can be removed from grub.cfg.