Arch Linux

rampantandroid

Member

Registered: 2012-05-21

Posts: 2

Two SSD configuration

Hi all,

I've recently built a Z77 system and am finally installing Linux (I haven't touched it in 6 years or so, since I last had Gentoo installed.) I've got a bit of an odd configuration going right now:

Intel 510 SSD - MBR Windows 7 install
Crucial M4 SSD - to be Arch install.

Now, I've never built a SSD up with a GPT, and while I know the commands for Gdisk, I don't know what partitions I need. Once I partition the disk in gdisk, what do I need to do for the Arch install then - since it looks like it only has fdisk, I have to use gdisk first, then boot my install media, right?

Moreover, how can I boot both hard drives without toggling boot options in my BIOS? Will I need to convert my Win7 install to GPT?

Thanks!

ijiboom

Member

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 21

Re: Two SSD configuration

Leave the Windows in your first ssd, and through the arch install disk, select the correct hard disk (the one WITHOUT windows) and tell arch to pre-configure the disk for you. It's much easier that way. After the install, you will only see Arch linux in your bootloader. Don't panic. Re-configure Grub as is described here : https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Grub
Beginner's guide (follow it all the way through) : https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide
Have fun with arch!

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stqn

Member

Registered: 2010-03-19

Posts: 1,191

Website

Re: Two SSD configuration

You don’t _have_ to use a GPT; MBR works fine.

rampantandroid

Member

Registered: 2012-05-21

Posts: 2

Re: Two SSD configuration

I know I don't need GPT, but it seemed like something worthwhile for the sake of reliability, no? Similarly, I'd kinda like to try out BTRFS - is possible in the auto setup?

For the auto config option, will it handle alignment for my SSD correctly?

Finally, if I wanted to have both arch and centos on this SSD, what would I do differently, just not take up the rest of my space with the home partition?

Thanks for the help!!

Fackamato

Member

Registered: 2006-03-31

Posts: 579

Re: Two SSD configuration

I know I don't need GPT, but it seemed like something worthwhile for the sake of reliability, no? Similarly, I'd kinda like to try out BTRFS - is possible in the auto setup?

For the auto config option, will it handle alignment for my SSD correctly?

Finally, if I wanted to have both arch and centos on this SSD, what would I do differently, just not take up the rest of my space with the home partition?

Thanks for the help!!

If you use GPT, the alignment will be OK by default. The same thing applies when using MBR, because fdisk defaults to sector 2048 for the beginning of the first partition (1MB).

If you want to have both Archlinux and CentOS on the SSD I'd say install Archlinux first, and enable LVM. Then create a new volume group and call it "centos", and install CentOS there.

Or you could just run CentOS in Virtualbox if you're using it to learn RHEL.