Dual Boot Windows 7 & Linux Ubuntu on SSD with Data on 2 HDD's in RAID 1

Question

Can someone point me to clear directions for a Dual-Boot system using Windows 7 on #1 SSD and Linux Ubuntu on SSD #2? And then configuring 2 HDD's in RAID 1 for Data (NTFS)? Clean Install all around. Or what other set-up would be preferable to achieve a similar goal?

Answer 1

Install Windows on the first SSD

Install Ubuntu on the second. This will automatically detect Windows 7 and set the boot order correctly.

Then boot into Windows 7. Open Run and type diskmgmt.msc. This will open the disk management console. In the bottom section of the console, select one of the empty data disks and right click. Then select "Add A New Mirrored Volume" and select the two data disks. Then format the new volume and you're done.

Answer 2

I recall reading somewhere that software raid set up in Windows is not easily readable/mountable from Ubuntu and vice-versa (correct me if I'm wrong), you may wish to research that first just in case.

I have a similar set up to what you're after though (I have Win7 on SSD, 2x 500gb in RAID0 for storage, and 1x 500gb hdd for important data with a partition for ubuntu) My steps were:

1. Setup the RAID via the BIOS (I used on-board Intel RAID controller as it seemed the easiest option).
2. Install Windows 7 onto SSD.
3. Partition the 500gb drive from Disk Management in Windows.
4. Reboot with ubuntu disc and install onto the partition.
5. Ubuntu installer should auto detect the Win7 install and setup the boot loader for you automatically.

Only problem with my setup is that since onboard RAID controller is "fake" RAID, I need to do a few more steps in Ubuntu to get the RAID0 volume to show up properly. It shows up fine in Win7 though.

Hope that helps in some way :)

Answer 3

if you plan to do the system install on win7 and ubuntu, you should install win7 first and ubuntu later, as suggested by MarkM above.

then, for the matter, depending on whether you plan on using software or hardware raid, you should format the volume after ubuntu & windows 7 installed (to minimize the fuss associated with multiple disk sets while installing ubuntu) and adjust the set accordingly in windows (e.g. install the RAID card/raid set driver, etc.), and in linux.

you need to note too, that the current kernel driver for ntfs is limited in terms of write support although it reads almost perfectly. check out ntfsmount ( http://www.linux-ntfs.org/ ) if necessary.