I’ve just ordered a new desktop which has me concerned on a few things regards to install. The tower will be hooked up (via HDMI) to a Samsung TV and I plan to do the installation via this set up. The first concern is the fact it has NVidia GT 630 1GB graphics card, and the 2nd is I plan on dual booting with the pre-installed Windows 8.1.
The spec is as follows…
Case
ZALMAN Z11 PLUS BLACK MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD FX-6350 Six Core CPU (4.2/3.9GHZ - 8MB CACHE/AM3+)
Motherboard
Gigabyte 990XA-UD3 AM3+ (ATX, DDR3, USB 3.0, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X FURY DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (1 x 8GB)
120GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
RAID
NONE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW
2nd DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NONE
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Seidon 120V High Performance CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans
NONE
Fan Controller
NONE
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
Wireless Router/HomePlugs
NONE
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
So when I plug the computer in via HDMI to the TV will the BIOS come on through the TV? Secondly, with having that graphics card, what can I expect with respect to installation, as I understand NVidia drivers aren’t able to be pre-installed…so what will happen and to install it (if I can get any “image” up at all?) do I just go here:
If anyone could highlight any other potential issues I’d be very grateful! The windows will be pre-installed on the 120GB SSD drive…am I best off partitioning this and also installing linux on this (say 8GB swap and 20GB for root partition) and then using the 1TB drive for /home (as well as my windows documents)?
The computer almost certainly use UEFI, and Windows will be installed using UEFI.
I’m not sure what problems you will have with that. Not too long ago, installing linux was said to brick a Samsung computer. But I’m pretty sure that Samsung has fixed that, and the UEFI handling in current linux kernels tries to avoid the problem anyway.
For the NVIDIA problems – if you get a black screen on the installer, then you will have to deal with that prior to install. In that case, assuming UEFI boot, hit the ‘e’ key on the grub boot menu. That will put you into an editor. Scroll to the line with “linuxefi”, and add “nomodeset” at the end of the line. That should avoid NVIDIA problems, though the graphics quality will be poor until you later install NVIDIA drivers.
If you run into UEFI problems (such as the computer insists on only booting Windows), then start a new thread here with “Samsung UEFI” as part of the thread title.
thanks chaps, I’m really looking forward to getting it. I do a lot of video encoding so I reckon I’ll notice a big difference from my current workhorse…a 7 year old laptop with dual core @ 2.00GHz and 2GB RAM rotfl!
Worst comes to worst, if I can’t get it to work, maybe some kind fellow on here wouldn’t mind earning some cash rotfl!
Thanks chaps, been a while since I’ve been on this forum (haven’t changed machines and updating it to 13.1 6 months or so ago was very easy…but you’re all just as kind, friendly and as helpful as you’ve ever been - what a community
I would expect that. Only when I initially googled the MB it didn’t indicate that. But a later check suggests that there are several versions of the quoted MB. So it is likely you will have efi.
In which case expect to have fun
You need to set up the correct partitioning with gdisk unless it already exists? Personally I much prefer to buy (or even better build a machine), and have Windows DVD to install myself.
The first thing you should do I guess is post your partitioning setup here, you just never know what weird and wonderful creation you will have.
Just FYI. With a EFI board you must use GPT partitioning with Windows. That requires that you set the following with gdisk:
sda1 type ef00 (260MB)
then run mkfs.vfat -F 16 /dev/sda1
sda2 128MB type 0c01
sda3 rest for windows type 0700
This assumes you plan to use the ssd for Windows
Install openSUSE to sdb
Just remember to set: sda1 as /boot/efi NO FORMAT
So do you mean leave windows installed, break up the SSD into 3 partitions and then install OpenSuse on the 1TB drive…I’ll likely break this up 500GB for NTFS to share, 20GB for root, 8-9GB for swap and the rest for /home.
Do I need to “reinstall” windows then, or a case of changing the partitioning from when it’s already installed?
What exactly do you mean that I must use GPT partitioning? Is this something I can do from within Windows 8.1 (which software?) or need a bootable disc like GParted?
OK
I thought that with the fact that you would be the proud owner of an actual install DVD, you would start from scratch with Windows. The benefit of that, if it’s not a vendor fuelled version is that you rid yourself of a vendor loaded system with all the associated crud.
Using what is already there is dependant upon the partition layout, which was why I earlier suggested you post the details of it.
If Windows is already installed then the HDD’s will be already GPT assuming the MB is EFI.
Personally, I would start from scratch. Because I like things tidy and organised. This will probably not be the case with a pre-installed system.
But please make sure you have a Windows install DVD not some recovery disk, they are not the same thing.
You can use gdisk on the openSUSE recovery CD to manage partitions. I needed help with that, which I had over IRC.
You need the partitioning scheme I suggested in order to boot efi windows and openSUSE, all but a small part of the SSD would be for Windows.
Well the computer is being built, so it will be a fresh install without anything else I’d have thought (being built by pcspecialist.co.uk). I think I’ll wait and see what the partitioning comes as and then run the OpenSuse installer and see what happens.
Can the OpenSuse installer do this for me (If I choose the partition sizes), or ca GParted be used failing that?
When I get the computer they said they’ll install the OS on the SSD drive so can I assume that those 3 partitions you said to use:
sda1 type ef00 (260MB)
then run mkfs.vfat -F 16 /dev/sda1
sda2 128MB type 0c01
sda3 rest for windows type 0700
Will be on there? If so, shouldn’t it just be a case of running the OpenSuse installer and installing it onto the 1TB drive; or am I missing something?
I’ll be interested to know how the PC turns out from pcspecialist
Are you sure they actually install Windows? Perhaps they can supply it not installed, which would be better IMO, make sure they understand what you plan to do and it will not affect your warranty.
There are few experts in the forum with these efi systems, I’m not one of them. Maybe one day when I have my own efi machine to play with. @malcolmlewis comes to mind.
If I ask them to supply it with no OS on it, but give me the WIndows disc is it best to install Windows 1st? Can’t see why it would be any different to when they do it, since they’ve said they’ll only install it on the SSD drive (formatting the other to NTFS which isn’t an issue); and being an EFI PC I’m guessing that the partition set up shouldn’t be any different to what you’ve already suggested, no?
Honestly Caf, I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to help
Be sure to get a real Windows Disk because a lot of machines ship with image disks not true install disks. As a general rule you will have less trouble if you install Windows first.
Image disks when used will put a factory prepaed image on the machine wiping away anything that may be on the machine. That is not a real installation.
As “g” says, you should make sure it is an actual Windows install DVD. And, it is best if you install it yourself, since then you know exactly what has been installed. Not that I am casting any aspersions on your supplier, but you can be absolutely certain then that no extra unwanted goodies have made it into your new machine.
It should be no problem to install (with guidance here, of course, because not all EFI systems are equal in methods used), and GPT partitioning will be automatically installed by the Windows installer when you install it as EFI.
And, definitely yes, you will have fewer problems by installing Windows and making sure it is running properly before installing Linux.
As for your question about some NTFS on the 2nd HD: That is no problem. If you want to create a shared data partition on that drive, it can be done at any time during or after the Windows install or during or after the openSUSE install. If you leave it for after, make sure you leave an appropriate unassigned space on the 2nd HD the size you would want it to be.
This can be done during the install of openSUSE by, when getting to the HD setup screen, you choose to manually create your Linux partitioning by using the “Create Partition Setup …” option.
Yes, install Windows first
The difference would be that you can prepare the correct partitions for a Multi boot Linux/Windows environment, they will not do that.
But yes, they would have to use GUID partition table (GPT).
Please note that Windows 8 has a strange shutdown setting that needs altering for use with multi boot. The default shutdown, does not actually shutdown Windows. Typically I think if you press the power button on the PC this does do a proper shutdown and that is what I always use to exit Windows 8 regardless of the fact that I have adjusted the settings as follows:
[FONT=arial]The solution in Windows 8 is to go to:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]Control Panel –> Power Options –> Choose what the power button does
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]Uncheck the option that says “Turn on fast startup”. You also need to disable hibernation. You can to this with this command (you need to be in a console with admin rights):
I just spoke to them and they said it is a DVD installation disc and contains no drivers etc etc and when they install it all they do is a completely fresh install and don’t install anything on there. They also said that it will be installed on the SSD and the 1TB drive will be “untouched” but would be formatted to NTFS (this isn’t an issue of course)
All of this means that, in reality it SHOULD come set up as if I were to install windows and sort the partitioning myself, which means I can just tinker with windows a little bit with various settings (like the shutdown menu etc) and then try to install linux.
Just need to wait for the bloody thing to arrive now!
