I'm planning to install CachyOS alongside Windows 11 on my PC to explore Linux, but I'm a bit nervous about messing things up. Currently, I have three NVMe SSDs and one HDD. The first NVMe has Windows 11, the second holds my games, the third is empty (which will be for Linux), and the HDD contains valuable files that I don't want to lose. Though I managed to set up a Linux Mint server on another machine, I still feel unsure about managing drives in Linux.
I'm thinking of unplugging the other drives during installation to avoid any accidents. I want to ensure I don't end up deleting anything important. I also heard that NTFS drives can be read by Linux but that I need to disable fast boot in Windows to access them. Besides handling the installation process carefully, I'd appreciate any tips, guides, or commands that could help me avoid mistakes.
2 Answers
Remember to turn off BitLocker and fast startup in Windows before you start. It’s also a good idea to avoid running games from an NTFS drive while you transition; either back up any critical data and switch to an ext4 format or shrink the NTFS partition to create a native Linux filesystem. To play it safe, disconnect any drives that you won’t need during the installation.
Before diving into the installation, you might want to boot from a LiveCD of CachyOS if available. You can use the command `lsblk -f` in the terminal to see how Linux recognizes your drives. Typically, NVMe drives will be labeled as `nvme0n1`, `nvme0n2`, and so on, while your HDD will appear as `sda`. This command also gives you details about storage availability, which is helpful to identify your drives.
When you're ready to install, make sure you choose the correct disk for CachyOS. Creating a new EFI system partition (ESP) on the NVMe drive is an option, but you should be aware that Windows typically reserves a small amount for its own ESP. Just be cautious during the installation process! Good luck!
Thanks, I'll definitely check that out!
I'll make sure to do that!