MAGEIA3 Installation UEFI + Dual Boot/Win8 + SSD cache disk

[dubs120]

Hello,

I open a topic since I think my problem is too specific (but certainly not isolated...) to continue to flood the paultgg one "[EXPLAINED] UPDATE 3: UEFI Dual boot with Win8 and Mageia 3". https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=6668#p43409

My configuration is a desktop computer Win8 preinstalled, with UEFI boot loader and two internal disks, with a SSD one used in cache mode (RAID) on the main one (port1).
The Firmware is an American Megatrends, 2.15.1236 version accessible by F8 hot key.
I have to keep win8, in a hardware configuration closed to the initial one (waranty), and off course, I don't have any other available licence or support to reinstall it (and I've no habit of win systems).

I did a UEFI bootable USB stick with MAGEIA3 Live DVD, desactivate Secure Boot and Fast Boot, boot on the USB stick.
I tried different ways as suggested in https://wiki.mageia.org/en/UEFI_how-to
But I didnt' success to install boot loader, I've /sys/firmware/efi and so on... but after installed grub-efi as explained in TMB's instructions, efibootmgr didn't list any mageia or linux entry...

rEFInd didn't reach too :

ALERT: There were problems running the efibootmgr program! You may need to rename the refind_x64.efi binary to the default name (EFI/boot/bootx64.efi on x86-64 systems or EFI/boot/bootia32.efi on x86 systems) to have it run!

I tried to use Boot Repair Disk, but no way! Boot info sum-up my configuration => http://paste.ubuntu.com/6776343/

So, I tried to use an additional SATA disk, hot swap device, install Mageia3, but impossible to boot on it!
And no possibility to choice internal HardDisk boot order in the Firmware... I unplugged main disk, switch ports, install again, but no possibility to boot on the SATA remaining one... May be it's due to SSD one, linked to mother board and to port1?

So, I become mad... since Mageia3 live works fine...
I've you got any suggestion?

Thanks,
Vincent.

[dubs120]

I just tried with RAID desactivation, but now, impossible to boot on main disk... even on Win8!
(EDIT : not RAID desactivation, SSD Cache desactivation)
I don't know how to do... Main disk is now considered on non Raid disk, and invisible from Mageia Live...
And no option on Firmware to set as Raid back...

Intel Rapid Storage Technology program (by F12 Hot Key) doesn't propose other option that reset last RAID disk (small 'disk' on port0, RAID(0) in 128KB).
Firmware is still set to RAID file system, and dedicated Intel Rapid Storage Technology option shows main disk as non RAID physical disk, on port 0 while it is declared on port 1 in advanced chipset part...?
Windows Restoration USB stick say no valid partition...

When I disabled SSD caching, the only warning was that it wil be necessary to do a complete reboot if system has been hibernated... No problem for that, but the consequence was very different since I cannot access the disk now...

[wintpe]

probably best to frame this with the problem from a forum members point of view rather than your own.

so start with what machine is this, is it a home grown , if so whats the motherboard, processor, make etc.

and anything else that is obvious to you but is not to someone else, ie is the SSD caching done on the motherboard or is it one of those add in trays that splits the sata between the two drives.

can you not just reset bios to defaults?

from my own experience my laptop came with windows 8 so before i started anything mageia wise i cloned the disk with
clonezilla so that i could get back to exactly the same point in time over and over again. (as i guessed the uefi bit might be problematic).

from my experience (so this is based on that limited view) no current or next mageia will boot with the full microsoft intended secure boot uefi
in place.
my asus came with two switches in the bios , one secure boot and once cfi i think from memory, but it was an acronym for compatible traditional bios booting mode.
I found that without compatible mode on and secure boot off it would not see mageia. and as far as im aware, unless you add the tools mentioned in the FAQ and other threads, that will always be the case.

I have no need for windows (if i do ill stick it within mageia under virtual box, it does not need to be booted from hardware.)

under virtualbox on a modern day PC unless you into games, windows runs faster anyway. (XP and 7) that is, cant speak for 8.

regards peter

[dubs120]

Hello Peter,
the computer is for my son, so I have to keep Window$ for games. And initialy, I wanted keep it also for waranty... Now, since I've a problem with the disk, I think I will change overall. First, I did restore USB stick, and also made a copy of both EFI partitions. I didn't do a full image disk because of the size, 1TB...
SSD caching is now an usual configuration, with one HardDisk and one small SSD mounted on motherboard (configuration summarized in paste.ubuntu link.
I didn't suppose it is necessary to provide motherboard type and so on?
It is a core i5 haswell configuration, I will note other information is needed, for example by lspcidrake.

I tried to reset Firmware, by dedicated menu (not jumper or hard method, since I don't know do now).

For previous methods to reach a proper bootloader program, yes I tried every tips provided in referenced links, so disable secure boot, disable fast boot, etc...
But now, I become to understand I cannot success with activated SSD caching mode and moreover Fast Start Technolog (I don't know the real difference to Fast Boot), especially with window$ shudown which is in fact hibernation.

It was the reason I tried to desactivate SSH caching mode... but may be not with the good way, through the Firmware in place of dedicated Intel Rapid Storage program!

So, now, I tried to know how to recover main disk, or at least to access it, since it seems to be 'downgraded' in non RAID physical disk...
And I hope another forum member have a succeed similar experience... or at least an idea?

After reach to access it (or not, but in case it no more readable, I can use warranty...), I will certainly define a more classical boot, using SSD Disk for systemS, and HardDisk for data and swap... and Legacy boot in place of UEFI!

[wintpe]

ok, well i also wont be of any more help except to add to your comment about 1TB drive

disk cloners like clonezilla dont backup 1TB bit by bit including empty space (well unless its full)

they break the disk down into partition table first backed up, then
they backup all the files and compress them into 2gb chunks

so if you had only used 20GB of that 1TB , then the backup/image would have required aproximatly 10GB space.

10 gig based on a 2:1 compression, which with most disk data is a reasonable assumption.

only highly compresed data like gzip/bzip or movies and jpegs dont compress by much.

so with a newly delivered system , my 256 gig SSD with windows 8 took 3gig.

and if i needed to sell the laptop because i had expirienced issues like you are

that made the £1500 pounds a costly mistake it was easy to put it back.

im saying all this so anyone else who sees this may not have the preconcieved idea about cloners that you had.

regards peter

[dubs120]

Hi,
just to write : I removed every new wonderfull technology, UEFI, RAID0, SSD caching mode, Win8, GPT... and set back Legacy+AHCI+MBR... MAgeia3 + Win7...
And the main difficulties were to install Win in splitted partitions, and to find suitable window$ drivers!
Regards.