Dual boot Windows 8 and Linux

[stuartf]

I have spent two days researching dual booting Windows 8 and some linux flavor.

I am intending to do this with a yet to be received X230 that will receive a 128 gb mSata as soon as it arrives. I intend to use the mSata for the OS's and applications. I will use the 320 gb platter drive for documents.

1) I think I need two partitions on the mSata, one for Win 8, one for Linux. ?? The apps for each of these OS's goes in the same partition??

2) The documents on the 320 gb drive will want to be accessed from either OS; it seems that if I format it as NTFS I should be good, there is something about "mounting" it, that I understand, but there also seems to be a way to have it accessible without needing to mout it each session.

3) As the Win 8 will some pre-installed, I intend to make my recovery USB first off, remove the 320 gb drive and boot from the WIN 8 USB and install it on the mSata.

4) Once that is done, I take my linux USB and install it on the mSata, and partition the mSata at te same time. Suggestions as to how large each partition should be? I hope to be working mostly in linux, but need the safety of the Windows 8 install for now.

Many thanks.

[Ashley_Pomeroy]

I've just installed Linux Mint on my old X60, alongside Windows 8 - but not on the same drive. I have Windows 8 on the internal drive and Linux Mint on a separate disk in the Ultrabase docking station:


The automatic installer worked just fine, and I ended up with a Grub boot menu:


BUT I had to fiddle around with a tool called Boot-Repair, 'cause there was a problem when I removed the docking station and tried to boot up (I wrote more about it here). If I read your post right, you're planning to have Windows 8 and Linux on the same 128gb SSD, with a second 320gb HDD as a data drive accessible for both drives (the X230 has two drive bays).

1) You do need two partitions. My Windows 8 folder is just over 10gb, the entire fresh Linux Mint 14 installation is 3.3gb, so I'd be tempted to go for a 90/38gb split:


2) Both operating systems will see and use NTFS. I believe you can auto-mount a partition, but you can do it manually, viz:


In that shot the 250gb drive is the internal, NTFS drive that has Windows 8 installed on it. If I boot into Windows 8 the Linux drive - which has EXT4 - is invisible.

3) Ah, so the machine comes with a HDD and you're swapping in an SDD. Good-oh. I have a Thinkpad X61 with a Samsung SSD installed it in, and the SSD came with cloning software that transferred the disk contents across - you might be able to simply do this (e.g. stick the SSD in the second caddy, tell the software to copy the Windows 8 drive to it, and then swap the drives, verify that it works, cross fingers).

4) See 1) above.

NB I have no idea what effect partitioning an SSD into different file systems will have on the lifespan of the drive. When you set up the Linux partition you have a choice of several formats. EXT2 and EXT4 are popular; apparently EXT2 writes less to the drive, and extends its life, but (a) don't quote me (b) SSDs are pretty durable.