randal's Linux gaming adventure.

As soon as developers really start pushing Linux, which I think will come in 2014. Especially with DICE now backing Linux and the introduction of the steambox I shall definitely be moving back to Arch Linux; Had it years ago and severely miss it! Be interesting to see how far Linux has came in the past 5 years.
 
Well the build started last night, badly.

I knew SSHD's we're slower than SSD's but man, I didn't realise they were going to be such a bottleneck. Took all night to so the W7 portion of the dual boot, 90 minutes to do the SP1 install? Not cool.

Started doing Xbuntu this morning, the installer runs with a corrupted screen which is probably something to do with graphics drivers. Weirdly it runs live fine.

Think I'm going to send the SSHD's back, and rethink my storage strategy. :(
 
Randal did you install linux on a different hdd?

I only ask because sorting out partitions is very confusing and 9/10 led to me borking windows

I unplug my windows hdds and install linux in isolation then use the motherboard bios to select which os to boot. That way I can never lose both.

I'm tempted to order a 60gb ssd to play with linux again, I only have it on VM and my fileserver.

for steam testing i would go xfce.
 
Sorry to hear that the OP is having problems already!

Although they are still more expensive I reckon that SSD's are really the only way to go.

I am looking into this sort of thing myself at the moment, and am currently very impressed with the latest release of Kubuntu (13.10).

This should be OK for installing Steam etc, shouldn't it?

Thanks. :)
 
craptakular said:
Randal did you install linux on a different hdd?

I only ask because sorting out partitions is very confusing and 9/10 led to me borking windows

I unplug my windows hdds and install linux in isolation then use the motherboard bios to select which os to boot. That way I can never lose both.

I'm tempted to order a 60gb ssd to play with linux again, I only have it on VM and my fileserver.

for steam testing i would go xfce.
Click to expand...

I did yep, I've stuck my Sammy 830+WD 500GB Caviar Black back in for my Windows stuff and then started a fresh installation on the 1TB SSHD. The installer picked up my W7 install, and configured GRUB accordingly. I'll stick all the details in my write up in the second post shortly.

Running XFCE on Xubuntu btw. ;)

Montala said:
Sorry to hear that the OP is having problems already!

Although they are still more expensive I reckon that SSD's are really the only way to go.
I am looking into this sort of thing myself at the moment, and am currently very impressed with the latest release of Kubuntu (13.10).

This should be OK for installing Steam etc, shouldn't it?
Click to expand...

Just one of those things, I've got a conversation going with Asus at the moment so I just need to do one more test (try card in another machine) and I think it's RMA time.

Tried another card in my machine, and that works fine so happy board and PSU are OK. Running with the onboard HD4000 at the moment and that's working perfectly for both OSs, so happy that monitor/cable/board are doing what they should also.

I knew going back from SSD to mechanical would be serious downgrade, but I had no idea how slow the 5400rpm SSHD was going to be despite bedding in to move boot stuff to the NAND. So that's going in the Mrs' laptop for a bit of extra space.

Well I had Steam up and running in a matter of minutes on a fresh Xubuntu installation, I know have all the Source Engine games installed and ready to go too. Was rather easy!
 
randal said:
I did yep, I've stuck my Sammy 830+WD 500GB Caviar Black back in for my Windows stuff and then started a fresh installation on the 1TB SSHD. The installer picked up my W7 install, and configured GRUB accordingly. I'll stick all the details in my write up in the second post shortly.

Running XFCE on Xubuntu btw. ;)
Click to expand...

This is what I was trying to say. I wouldn't have done this as I always manage to ensure GRUB destroys my bootloader or my whole windows install.

I would have done this:

1. install win on hdd1
2. unplugged hdd1
3. plugged in hhd2
4. installed Xubuntu
5.plugged hdd1 back in
6. use bios to select which os to boot

That way they are completely separate and can be treated independently.

As a noob you will run into issues now when uninstalling xubuntu, as inevitably you will be begin the great distro hoping journey we have all been through.
 
craptakular said:
This is what I was trying to say. I wouldn't have done this as I always manage to ensure GRUB destroys my bootloader or my whole windows install.

I would have done this:

1. install win on hdd1
2. unplugged hdd1
3. plugged in hhd2
4. installed Xubuntu
5.plugged hdd1 back in
6. use bios to select which os to boot

That way they are completely separate and can be treated independently.

As a noob you will run into issues now when uninstalling xubuntu, as inevitably you will be begin the great distro hoping journey we have all been through.
Click to expand...

That's why you install GRUB in the Linux disk, and let the installer do the creation of the GRUB config. The problems only turn up when people try to install GRUB on the primary disk i.e their Windows disk. It fouls itself, and sits in the corner weeping. :D

Don't see why I'd have a problem changing distros either, the Windows install is totally standalone and just pointed to from the GRUB loader on the Linux disk. In fact I've just proven that by pointing the BIOS at the Windows disk and it works fine.
 
randal said:
That's why you install GRUB in the Linux disk, and let the installer do the creation of the GRUB config. The problems only turn up when people try to install GRUB on the primary disk i.e their Windows disk. It fouls itself, and sits in the corner weeping. :D

Don't see why I'd have a problem changing distros either, the Windows install is totally standalone and just pointed to from the GRUB loader on the Linux disk. In fact I've just proven that by pointing the BIOS at the Windows disk and it works fine.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you know what you are doing, it has always confused me so I install linux ultra cautiously.
 
I'm by no means an expert, but I'd like to think I know my way around. :D

However, this GPU issue is baffling me something chronic. Took the card over to my brother's and he tested it as working fine...

Get home, stick the card in. Same, no BIOS display. Get distracted, turn around 10 seconds later and boom. I have an Xubuntu desktop from the GPU's HDMI output like I always have.

Something has happened with the POST since I disabled the RAID option in the disks and set it to AHCI. I think the shortened post means the GPU and monitor don't have the time to handshake or something.

Need to get to the bottom of it, but it appears I have a fully working system again.
 
randal said:
Well I had Steam up and running in a matter of minutes on a fresh Xubuntu installation, I know have all the Source Engine games installed and ready to go too. Was rather easy!
Click to expand...

That sounds encouraging... can I ask which method you uses to install it, as there seem to be a few different options?

Thanks! :)

Please to hear that your system is working OK at the moment.
 
randal said:
Code: 
/boot           500mb (primary partition, at beginning of disk) 

/                 100gb (logical partition, at beginning of disk) 
/home         890gb (logical partition, at beginning of disk)

swap           8gb (remainder of disk basically)
Click to expand...

Just being nosey here, are you using GPT ?

Looking at the partition layout I'd guess not :confused:
Any reason for not having EFI boot :confused:
 
randal said:
Everything you need is in post #2 matey. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, but for some unknown reason Firefox didn't want to install on my laptop, but I assume it should work OK using the default browser.

I had already installed the Ubuntu Software Center, but that didn't find Steam... presumably because it actually has to be installed first?
 
Montala said:
Thanks, but for some unknown reason Firefox didn't want to install on my laptop, but I assume it should work OK using the default browser.

I had already installed the Ubuntu Software Center, but that didn't find Steam... presumably because it actually has to be installed first?
Click to expand...

Odd, it's the de facto browser on *buntu distros.

apt-get install firefox from a root shell?
 
randal said:
Odd, it's the de facto browser on *buntu distros.

apt-get install firefox from a root shell?
Click to expand...

For some reason (as you have probably found already) Kubuntu uses the KDE offering Rekonq as its default browser, and although an option to install Firefox is provided, it 'crashed' on me when I tried to use it, so I will try the method you suggest.

I immediately grabbed the latest (13.10) version of Kubuntu for this new installation, so perhaps there are still a few bugs lurking about!
 
I have only just started looking into linux and i had never really thought about the whole hopping distros kind of thing. I have a rooted nexus that i keep chopping and changing roms on and to be honest its just annoying but i cant stop myself lol.

Would rather just have a defacto distro that has proper support from companies no?
 
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