Switch disk – SSD NVMe – setting from AHCI to RAID (Intel RST)

[Member TheBigBadBoy]

I have a computer with an intel i9 10th generation cpu, and 2 disks: HDD and SSD NVMe with Intel RST technology (also called RAID). I’m particularly interested in AntiX for its minimalism, so I was able to find an iso image that could be installed on a pc with the 10th generation intel cpu.

My goal would be to have Linux and Windows on my NVMe SSD in dual boot, leaving the mode on RST.
Thanks to this link, I now know how to have the 2 OS (in dual boot) having put the SSD in AHCI.
The “problem” is that
– it is impossible for me to install directly in RST any Linux distribution
– with AHCI selected, the reading of the SSD disk is slower.

This brings me to 2 questions:
– Once Linux is installed in AHCI mode, is it possible to make it work when switching to RST (RAID) mode? Maybe like in the previous link, by activating the safe boot?
– If not, can we expect to see support for RST (RAID) technology in Linux soon? If so, how long will it take?

Many thanks for your attention to this message.

[Member Xecure]

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If you update the antiX live system before installing, you may be able to directly install on RAID without the need for switching to AHCI mode. It may also require a newer kernel but you can try it out first.
Based on the changelog of the antiX installer:

gazelle-installer (1.5.1) unstable; urgency=medium

  * Virtual devices (such as LVM or software RAID volumes) can now be chosen

and the current version in the repos is 1.5.2, so this change may be included.

Try it out. If it doesn’t work then maybe someone else can recommend a better approach.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member TheBigBadBoy]

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First, my current kernel is 5.8.16 with antix 19.3.

I don’t know where I can see the 1.5.2 version of the antix installer…

So as you said, I tried to install a new kernel. The package installer doesn’t let me choose a lot of kernels : only 64bit_latest_LTS_meltdown-patched (kernel version 4.19.152) and three others, which their kernel version is above 4.19.
Anyway, I tried with the 64bit_latest_LTS_meltdown-patched. I downloaded it, remastered the live usb, and then went to live-kernel-updater. Unfortunately this tool didn’t see the new kernel (I could only update initrd, thing I did not do).I look again in the package installer, and it doesn’t show me I had downloaded it (I can redownload it). I rebooted, and again, the new kernel is not shown.

My USB live is 64Gb, with 32 persistent data made with rufus, so I don’t think there is a problem right there.

I don’t really know where to go…

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by TheBigBadBoy.

[Member Xecure]

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Forget the kernel for now. Launch the live-USB antiX system, run in terminal
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
Install everything and then check that the antiX installer is a newer version (1.5.2)
apt policy antix-installer
Once confirmed, check that the installer can detect your RAID system and proceed to install. See if it can detect and let you select the RAID disk for installing and you will be sure that it works. Stop and don’t install (if you are not ready yet) or continue and install and see if everything goes well (and it boots after install).
This feature is new, added by the MX team, and I am not sure how much it has bee tested, as I haven’t seen any report in the forums there.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member TheBigBadBoy]

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Unfortunately, after sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade, the antix-installer version is only 1.3.5…

This is what I got

$ sudo apt policy antix-installer
antix-installer:
  Installed: 1.3.5
  Candidate: 1.3.5
  Version table:
 *** 1.3.5 100
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

So it is normal I don’t see my SSD (for now). I also used the software antiX Updater, which didn’t change anything.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by TheBigBadBoy.

[Member Xecure]

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As the custom ISO was created half a year ago, it is now suffering the EXPRESSIG issue (that is my guess).
Follow these instructions first: https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/expkeysig-error/
Once fixed, you should be able to update all the antiX packages.

If this doesn’t fix it let me know and I will try building a new ISO with kernel 5.10 and all the updates and fixes, but hopefully there is no need for it.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Forum Admin anticapitalista]

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Xecure wrote:

If this doesn’t fix it let me know and I will try building a new ISO with kernel 5.10 and all the updates and fixes, but hopefully there is no need for it.

No need. User can download antiX-19.4.

Philosophers have interpreted the world in many ways; the point is to change it.

antiX with runit - leaner and meaner.

[Member Xecure]

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It would be good news to know that the 19.4 ISO can also boot on 10th gen Intel machines.

If you can solve the expressig issue (or even if not), please try it out to let us know so we can recommend its use in the future.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member TheBigBadBoy]

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Indeed, the problem came from EXPKEYSIG, because after having the different steps the version of antix-installer was 1.5.2. Unfortunately, even after that, my SSD is still not visible neither in the installer nor in GParted…

So I tried again with the most recent iso image (May 21, 2021), and when I choose the mode in which I want to boost antix, I have an infinite black screen (even in secureboot safe mode). What’s weird is that it looks like antix is working, but there is no graphical feedback (I say that because, with only a short press on the power button, the pc shuts down after a few seconds).

If it makes a difference, my SSD is “NVMe WDC PC SN530 SDB”

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by TheBigBadBoy.

[Member Xecure]

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It seems like the installer is not ready yet for RAID.

Would you mind trying out the latest MX Linux 19.4 AHS iso, update the live system and see if their new installer can detect and let you select your RAID system?

The MX LInux team is doing a lot for improving support for newer hardware, so they are a reference for us. As most antiX users have old hardware, we will lag behind compared to other distros.

Let us know if you can test MX installer out (and probably use them instead if you see they also have good performance). If we are asking too much, I understand, as time is precious.

Sorry for not being able to provide much support for this particular issue.

TheBigBadBoy wrote:

So I tried again with the most recent iso image (May 21, 2021), and when I choose the mode in which I want to boost antix, I have an infinite black screen (even in secureboot safe mode). What’s weird is that it looks like antix is working, but there is no graphical feedback (I say that because, with only a short press on the power button, the pc shuts down after a few seconds).

That is what usually happens with the 4.9 kernel on newer hardware. Though the antiX developer has done a lot to improve hardware support on that particular kernel, not everything can be included and work.

Again, thanks for testing everything out.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member TheBigBadBoy]

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As you asked, I tried latest MX version. The version I have downloaded is MX-19.4.1_x64 “ahs” (advanced hardware support).

I updated all the packages (mx-installer version was 21.6.01), but unfortunately the installer was unable to find my SSD.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for all the help already given (even if not conclusive, you spend time to help me ^^).

I see several possibilities from now on: maybe try to install (just see if the installation can be done on my SSD) another Linux distribution?
Or maybe you need more information about the SSD (which I could get via Windows)?
Or, installing AntiX on my SSD while it is in AHCI mode, and then perhaps it could start (and it would continue to function normally) if I re-switch to RST (RAID) mode?
Thanks again for your time, and I would understand if you wanted to drop the case (Antix and MX are surely distributions intended to be used mainly on old computers?).

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by TheBigBadBoy.

[Member Xecure]

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I have created an ISO for antiX 19.4 with kernel 5.10 and what I think gives support for RAID. It is not exactly the same as antiX 19.4 (it is using older live boot menus it is has less live capabilities than 19.4, and some different configurations, but it is the best I can do for now. It should have almost the same packages and be almost identical for untrained eye).
pseudo-antiX-19.4-5.10_kernel_x64

When you boot, add the boot parameter
load=all
before booting to the live system so it loads all modules, including the one that supports RAID (hopefully it works).

If after this it doesn’t detect the RAID, I give up. I cannot test it myself, and I am only following advice randomly found in the MX Linux forums.

If you have the time, please check to see if it can detect RAID partitions and such, be it Gparted or the installer. If you can’t it is OK. This was an experiment anyway.

Regards.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Xecure. Reason: improved formating

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Forum Admin anticapitalista]

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alternatively, try antiX-bullseye-beta1

Philosophers have interpreted the world in many ways; the point is to change it.

antiX with runit - leaner and meaner.

[Forum Admin Dave]

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I could be wrong… but I do not think there is an driver / kernel module for intel rst to work. If there is, maybe it is in a newer kernel . You may be able to see the drive by running modprobe intel-rst. Before even trying the installer you should check if there is an actual disk available under /dev or by running lsblk.

Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine until you start opening Windows. ~Author Unknown

[Member TheBigBadBoy]

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I have created an ISO for antiX 19.4 with kernel 5.10 and what I think gives support for RAID.

Unfortunately, it didn’t recognizer the RST disk (same for bullseye-beta-1).

I would like to thank you for all the time you spent trying to help me, and also apologize for that time “lost”.

I turn my disk setting (my NVMe SSD) to AHCI, and antix was now able to see it.

I would like to know, is there any chance that (after antix installation on AHCI MODE) antix could load on RST mode (even in safe mode)? Like this link, but from ahci to rst with antix.

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