Migrating from dual-boot to single encrypted system on hybrid drive

johnso51 · 2014-11-26 18:23:42

Hello all.

I bought a new laptop this fall and it came with Windows 8.1 on it. I left Windows on there just in case I wanted to play any games. I haven't booted it to Windows in over two months and I never really play games so I am going to delete it. My plan is to delete the Windows partitions, create new partitions in their place, move Arch over, and then extend partitions. On a regular laptop this wouldn't be too bad but I have one of those new hybrid drives that is part SSD and part HD. My current partition scheme is as follows:

Disk /dev/sdb: 931.5 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 0B9D931B-8FDD-4AB6-A77F-9CA7A0FBF855

Device          Start        End    Sectors   Size Type
/dev/sdb1        2048    2050047    2048000  1000M Windows recovery environment
/dev/sdb2     2050048    2582527     532480   260M EFI System
/dev/sdb3     2582528    4630527    2048000  1000M unknown
/dev/sdb4     4630528    4892671     262144   128M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sdb5     4892672  630284692  625392021 298.2G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sdb6  1868806144 1921234943   52428800    25G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sdb7  1921234944 1953523711   32288768  15.4G Windows recovery environment
/dev/sdb8   630286336  630288383       2048     1M BIOS boot
/dev/sdb9   630288384 1835550719 1205262336 574.7G Linux filesystem
/dev/sdb11 1835550720 1852178431   16627712     8G Linux swap

Partition table entries are not in disk order.
Disk /dev/sda: 14.9 GiB, 16013942784 bytes, 31277232 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x74f02dea

Device     Boot Start      End  Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sda1  *     2048 31277055 31275008 14.9G 73 unknown

So there is a 16G SSD that is recognized as a serparate drive. I want to put /boot and possibly / on this for speed. Then I want to remove sdb1-sdb8 (sdb8 is BIOS boot. I installed syslinux in BIOS mode, but I want to move to UEFI). I will then create sdb1 as 8G swap (encrypted) and then the rest of the space between sdb1 and sdb9 for /home. Then I will use dm-crypt for encrypt new /home, then copy files over. Reboot in to the new system on sda and sdb1-2 and delete the other partitions, extending sdb2 (or possibly leave it open for a Kernel hacking system for future use).

Does this sound reasonable, and if it doesn't sound entirely reasonable, what would you reccommend changing or doing better? I have been on Linux for a few years and Arch specifically for roughly one year, and I know there is still a lot that I need to learn, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

TheSaint · 2014-11-26 19:49:30

In a short answer AFAIK, use clonezilla or use live distro with (g)parted.
Ensure yourself to have a go-back situation and then you may start from the live distro to move and arrange partitions.

clfarron4 · 2014-11-26 19:56:05

What you propose reads like it should work. And as TheSaint says, backups/archive any essential data you need before you do anything.

A bit of reading of the Wiki will be needed, but it should work.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-11-26 18:23:42

Migrating from dual-boot to single encrypted system on hybrid drive

#2 2014-11-26 19:49:30

Re: Migrating from dual-boot to single encrypted system on hybrid drive

#3 2014-11-26 19:56:05

Re: Migrating from dual-boot to single encrypted system on hybrid drive

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