Arch Linux

levy_pl

Member

Registered: 2012-02-03

Posts: 32

Adding SSD next to HDD in laptop - Arch + Windows 7

Hi,

I'm thinking of buying 128 GB SSD next to 500GB HDD.
What do you think about dividing SSD to:
1 - 100 mb for win7 (I've read somewhere that it's not needed. Is it true? I've got some "old" s96s - no uefi and other new features)
2 - 0.5GB - /boot
3 - 30GB - /
4 - 95GB - win 7 OS
5 - 2GB - linux user .config folder (do you think it will speed up boot up speed?)

and HDD:

~250 gb - windows file store
~250 gb - /home
4 gb - /swap

Do I have to reinstall arch or can I migrate it to SSD (with some fstab tweaks)?
Maybe it's better to do a fresh install?

I'm waiting for your opinions and advices. I'm not power user (maybe mid-advanced ) so I'd appreciate your help.

Best regards!

esdaniel

Member

From: Paris

Registered: 2010-02-01

Posts: 58

Website

Re: Adding SSD next to HDD in laptop - Arch + Windows 7

FWIW I'm using about 60GB for my Win7 C:\ partition and I recently got a 500GB Samsung 840 (the cheaper one with low write speed) because I use that OS for gaming and nothing else these days and migrated the partition to that along with its D:\ data partition.

Migration is an option that is not overtly painful nor complicated, a fresh install is not the fix it is in the Windows world but sometimes can be useful if you don't pay attention to what you've previously done configuration/installation wise - btw if that's the case I'd use another Linux distro.

You'll want to decide how you boot and that affects how you migrate and what partitions you create and with which tools for your boot, for example I currently boot from a usb key into syslinux, from there I can chain to the syslinux on the SSD where Arch is deployed or to the Windows SSD again via chain using MBR reference to identify the partition to boot.

ANOKNUSA

Member

Registered: 2010-10-22

Posts: 2,141

Re: Adding SSD next to HDD in laptop - Arch + Windows 7

#5 - Can you clarify this?  A user's ~/.config directory has no bearing on boot speed, as it's not accessed until a user logs in.  Really, the biggest boost in performance from an SSD would be in launching apps and booting the OS itself.

The rest of it is fine, as I see it.  Regardless of the kind of drive you use, you can easily just copy a partition scheme to a new disk and change /etc/fstab (or partition the disk and copy the files over). 

Personally, what I've done is this:  My system and /home partitions are both on a 40Gb SSD, with /home/$USER containing only documents, images, a downloads folder and some games.  When I'm working on battery power---on battery power I'm always actually working---I have no need for games, video, eBooks/comics or music (I have another device for music).  So all my media are stored on the internal HDD, which isn't listed in /etc/fstab; unless I explicitly mount it, the HDD is never accessed, and laptop-mode-tools spins it down to save battery power and keep the machine quiet.  If I want to access my media files, I mount the drive's contents to folders in /home/$USER using "mount -o bind."

The Windows "system reserved" partition I'm not sure about; I think if it was created when you installed, you need to go through some migration process before deleting it.

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Linux != Windows  ::  Ask Questions the Smart Way  ::  Configs

levy_pl

Member

Registered: 2012-02-03

Posts: 32

Re: Adding SSD next to HDD in laptop - Arch + Windows 7

Thanks for your answers!

#5 - Can you clarify this?  A user's ~/.config directory has no bearing on boot speed, as it's not accessed until a user logs in.  Really, the biggest boost in performance from an SSD would be in launching apps and booting the OS itself..

I know that but I've got only one user account so I thought that having ~/.config on SSD will speed up setting up a desktop for my account

Regardless of the kind of drive you use, you can easily just copy a partition scheme to a new disk and change /etc/fstab (or partition the disk and copy the files over).
Migration is an option that is not overtly painful nor complicated, a fresh install is not the fix it is in the Windows world but sometimes can be useful if you don't pay attention to what you've previously done configuration/installation wise - btw if that's the case I'd use another Linux distro.

The reasons I'm thinking about reinstalling Arch are: changes in filesystem and systemd. I'm not 100% sure I did everything correctly during updates (although my arch is up and running with latest updates so it can't be that bad).
Another reason is moving MBR and /boot - with new installation of windows 7 I think it's impossible. If I'm wrong tell me please.

I'm using about 60GB for my Win7 C:\

How is it possible? Do you use visual studio or any other developers tools or some other "big" apps like autocad or something similar? Did you migrate your windows libraries to HDD (those Documents, Music and other system folders)?