I'm planning to install CachyOS on my Windows 11 PC using a dual boot setup to get my feet wet with Linux. I recently set up a Linux Mint server on another machine, but I realized I don't fully grasp how Linux handles drives, especially since my main PC has three NVMe drives and one HDD:
- NVMe Drive 1: Windows 11 install
- NVMe Drive 2: Games
- NVMe Drive 3: Empty (this will be my Linux drive)
- HDD: Contains important files that I don't want to lose.
I'm considering unplugging the other drives during the installation to avoid any mistakes. I also want to ensure that I can access the HDD from Linux, even though it's NTFS, and I heard I need to disable fast boot in Windows to prevent locking it. I want to know what pitfalls to avoid, any guides on understanding how Linux manages drives, and terminal commands that I should steer clear of. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Make sure to turn off BitLocker and fast startup in Windows. Also, while it’s possible to play games from an NTFS drive, it’s better to back up your important data and switch to using ext4 for better compatibility with Linux. If you really want to avoid messing up your installation, I’d recommend disconnecting all the unnecessary drives during the process.
Don’t forget about the migration resources! There are pages and tips that can help you understand the process better. Just remember to only use root access when necessary and always verify checksums of your ISO files after downloading to ensure you’ve got a clean installation. Good luck with your dual boot!
You can try booting from a LiveCD for CachyOS and use the terminal command `lsblk -f` to see how Linux recognizes your drives. Typically, NVMe drives appear as `nvme0n1`, `nvme0n2`, etc. You can also mount the partitions to check their contents if you’re careful. Just make sure you select the correct disk during installation to avoid overwriting anything important, especially when designating the Windows EFI system partition for CachyOS. If confusion occurs, better play it safe and keep everything on a single disk for now. Good luck!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely check that out.