Dual boot install with Intel RST?
 

My current system is a Asus P8Z68 Deluxe Gen3 with a HD and SSD. Windows 7 is installed and Intel RST is enabled to cache the HD to the SSD. I want to install Fedora 18 and dual boot. RAID is enabled in the bios to allow for the RST function.

I plan to install a second HD for Linux, but have not done that yet. So far Fedora installer see no HD. I assume it will see the second drive when I install it? Anyway to install GRUB on this second drive and still be able to select between Windows and Linux at boot? I'd rather not risk having it try to write to the boot sector on the first drive and risk trashing it.

Anybody with a similar configuration have tips? I don't want to give up the RST with windows as it significantly reduces boot time.

Hi:

During the installation process Anaconda should (when the time comes for partitioning) see the Hard Drive.
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda

I'd look more into this to see if in the future you may have to disable it and other details that you may not be aware of. I do not know about RST and how it functions to cache the HD to the SSD- Must be newer technology-

These pages may help you to decide:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/24882...echnology.html
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...caching-on-Z68

Do you want to install Grub on the second hard drive you mentioned that you plan to install or do you want to install Grub on the SSD?

I think you have to partition the drive first and than install a file system before installing GRUB. Hope others chime in on this.

I am having a similar issue on a dell 7720 SE. I'm trying to dual boot Windows 7 and Mint. I have iRST set up for windows, (raid o), but Mint does not see my hard drive, /dev/hda. I have been posting on the Mint forums but nothing has helped yet. It seems EUFI and iRST is causing major issues for the linux dual boot communities. I even switched to legacy mode, partitioned with out using GPT, re installed Windows and set us Rapid Start.

I know this is a linux forum but I want to share a bit about iRST.
INTEL RAPID START TECHNOLOGY/ RAPID STORAGE TECHNOLOGY.

Your main hard drive is /dev/hda
You SSD is /dev/hdb

iRST creates 2 partitions on the SSD and creates a raid 0 array with your hard drive. One partition is for data and the other is for caching. You can go from a cold boot to your desktop in under 10 seconds, this is rapid start. The software also allows the SSD to cache data to a partition so frequently used programs open faster, and recovers after sleep mode much faster. For us folks forced to use windows it is good!


trying to install linux as a dual boot to the same hard drive as the windows install using this setup is next to impossible. Linux does not see /dev/hda. I have not tried to install linux to a second hard drive. I am one of the lucky ones and my laptop has a second hard drive bay but I don't want to be forced to buy a second hard drive just for linux.

I had my suspicions on that but wasn't able to do the re-search to find that indeed what you explained is the case:-

I see that you have already said that you have not installed to a second HD. So;....
Are you saying that installing an additional HD is the only option?

I has no issues installing Fedora 18 on sdb with windows on sda. In short, disable RST in windows, install Linux and GRUB on sdb, set the bios to boot from sdb, GRUB rescan to find windows, enable RST.

Here are my notes:

Hardware Configuration
2 TB HDD on SATA port 0 (sda Windows 7)
96 GB SSD on SATA port 1 (Intel RST cache for Windows 7)
2 TB HDD on SATA port 2 (sdb Linux)
DVD on SATA port 4

Asus P8Z68 Deluxe/Gen3 Bios
RAID for Intel SATA controller
Marvel controller disabled
Boot order (DVD port 4, USB, HDD port 2, HDD port 0) assume GRUB is on 2nd drive.

Intel RST Option ROM
RAID0(Cache) for SSD port 1


Disable Intel RST in Windows 7 so GRUB configurator can find the Windows bootloader on sda
Reboot

Fedora Boot CD
Tab at install to modify boot commands.
Remove quiet.

Destination
Choose 2 TB HDD (the last one in the list)
Automatic partitioning

Change GRUB
sudo vi /etc/default/grub and remove rhgb quiet
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
If for some reason Intel RST was enabled during install, the above will re-scan for bootloaders

Enable Intel RST in Windows
Reboot
Enable Intel RST in Windows 7

Great instructions; madengr! ;)

I see that the sda is Win's 7 that's clear-
However having some trouble understanding the sdg:-

Is "sdb" GRUB and the Fedora install?

I'm asking because reading partitions from the
cmd is easier to read and understand and have a more complete confirmation ;)