Question Is possible and safe install and use Linux through a docking station?

[Manuel Jordan]

Hello Friends

This post is about your best recommendation about the following scenario. Perhaps you can help me to sharp the idea.

Normally a new laptop has by default only one disk as expected and with Windows 10/11 available. About the capacity in the old days by default it had 512GB and right now mostly with 1Tb to 2TB.

If I want install any distribution of Linux directly in the laptop, therefore no VirtualBox involved, exists mostly two scenarios as follows:

• Resize the hard disk and take space to install Linux and apply the dual boot
• Format the disk and install Linux. Thus Windows has gone

In my case my hard disk is small 512GB and is not possible upgrade it to 1TB because there is a the risk to "burn" the chipset of the laptop. It according with the direct support of Asus. So I don't want take that risk and lost by complete the machine.

Furthermore I want take all the capacity of hardware of the laptop itself. Because VirtualBox practically let you use the half of power about processors and RAM.

My laptop is the follow: (Amazon and Asus sources respectively)

• ASUS ZENBOOK UX501VW-DS71T 15.6" 4K UHD Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 6700HQ (2.60 GHz) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 16 GB Memory 512 GB SSD Windows 10
• ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW - Specifications
• ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW - Features

According with the first and third links it has the following:

• One: Features the latest performance ports: 1x Thunderbolt III (via USB Type-C), 1x Gen 2 USB 3.1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.0, 1x HDMI. Bluetooth 4.0 and SDXC reader for all your media needs.
• Three: Thunderbolt® 3 and USB 3.1 – on a single Type-C port! ZenBook Pro UX501VX introduces the latest Thunderbolt® 3 connectivity from Intel®, which uses a USB Type-C port to give you unprecedented flexibility and hyper-fast data transfer speeds — up to 40Gbit/s via Thunderbolt® 3 , and up to 10Gbit/s via USB 3.1! This incredible technology makes UX501VX the ultimate mobile powerhouse, allowing you to transfer even the largest files in mere seconds. And that’s not all — ZenBook Pro also has three SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, which feature exclusive ASUS USB Charger+ technology that charges mobile devices much quicker than standard USB ports — even when ZenBook Pro is powered off.

According with my understanding the docking station requires a USB Port Type C.

So my idea is buy a new SSD to be connected through the docking station and use it as a secondary disk to install Linux directly there. Therefore:

• Shutdown the laptop
• Connect the docking station with the secondary SSD
• Put a Pendrive with ventoy which exists the .iso file to install Linux
• Turn on the laptop to boot through the USB (of course it configured previously through the BIOS)
• Select the iso image to load and install it in the secondary SSD

Therefore the laptop has permanently connected that docking station with Linux installed. Thus each time the laptop is started through GRUB is possible select the OS to boot.

Of course here exists two concerns:

• Speed: because the laptop is old thus the speed of the port should be slower than the speed requested of the Docking station it. Of course both being Type C but one of them slower than other. So is expected a decreasing about the time response for the interaction with Linux. Important to note that I don't have idea how slow it would be. Perhaps you did do this approach and the latency is practically nothing. I hope you see my point.
• Heat: is expected this SSD - being SSD either 2.5'' or nvme - emits heat.

About the latter I am sharing the following docking station because it has an internal cooling system. Of course I don't have any idea about how good is the cooling system itself but there is available.

• SABRENT USB 3.0 4 Bay 2.5” Hard Drive/SSD Docking Station with Fan (DS-4SSD)

Questions

1. Does my idea has sense for you?

If my idea is viable but is a problem the existence of an impact the latency of transfer through the port because the laptop is old. Exists the option to buy a new laptop with 2 Ports Type C available. Each one to be used for two docking stations as follows::

- For Multiple Monitors
- For the external SSD

Therefore here “theoretically the speed should be fast” and thus the latency would be "zero". Of course it “theoretically”. I know the speed of the a SSD installed directly through the mobo must be faster than the SSD used through the docking station. But I am assuming the port is so fast that “perhaps” the latency is really imperceptible.

2. Is this approach safe for the three parts?

It for the laptop, the docking station and the secondary SSD

3. Is the docking station with the cooling system a good approach to you?

Perhaps you are using other one with a similar or better cooling system. If yes pls share the link of the product.

Just for your consideration if I know the laptop is going to be used for many hours with Windows. Therefore when the laptop is off the docking station can be unplugged. Start the laptop, GRUB should be shown and finally Windows must be selected to work in peace.

4. Does GRUB work in peace when the secondary disk is no available?

Of course the OS located in the primary disk is going to be used

Pls, let me know your thoughts

Thank You

 

[Ralston18]

I do not understand this:

"In my case my hard disk is small 512GB and is not possible upgrade it to 1TB because there is a the risk to "burn" the chipset of the laptop. It according with the direct support of Asus. So I don't want take that risk and lost by complete the machine."

The Amazon link header states 512 GB SSD.

The spec's list "Hard disk size 512 GB"

I would not expect a HDD in a new laptop.

With the premise that the drive is indeed an SSD I am not sure about a limit on the SSD size.

There may be other options.

https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-ho...8_1730076079_b7f3461d5df6936a85bb2a6aad51f258

Check "Storage"

Something seems amiss.

 

[BFG-9000]

If your BIOS allows you to select the docking station disk as a bootable drive, then no messing with a boot manager such as GRUB will be needed, just leave Windows alone and select which disk to boot from using the BIOS when you want the other OS. Windows will boot from Bootmgr on its own C: disk, and linux will use GRUB on its own C: disk.

Unlike Windows, linux is perfectly happy to be installed on an external drive so even if the docking station disk is detected as an external it isn't a problem.

 

[Manuel Jordan]

Thanks to all for the replies

Ralston18

I do not understand this: .....

The old Asus has by default a SSD 512GB and I cant remove it to put a newer with 1TB because exists the risk to burn the chipset. So I want take the approach to put a secondary SSD of 1TB through the mentioned Docking station. Thus the original disk works with Windows 10 and the secondary disk connected through the docking station works with Linux

BFG-9000

If your BIOS allows you to select the docking station disk as a bootable drive, then no messing with a boot manager such as GRUB will be needed, just leave Windows alone and select which disk to boot from using the BIOS when you want the other OS. Windows will boot from Bootmgr on its own C: disk, and linux will use GRUB on its own C: disk.

Interesting point of view

Even if this old Asus can’t do the expected boot. I am assuming the new Asus would work in peace. I know the BIOS is old, it thanks to the support of Asus when I did do the research to upgrade the SSD from 5121GB to 1GB. Anyway I want avoid upgrade the BIOS, it to avoid any failure scenario and lost all. Therefore the new Asus should be able to do this through its own BIOS which is a new technology.

Just being curious:

• What option should appear in the BIOS to know if it can boot through a Docking station?

Normally appears USB - of course it for a pendrive with ventoy installed for example. It is my first time with this scenario.

Unlike Windows, linux is perfectly happy to be installed on an external drive so even if the docking station disk is detected as an external it isn't a problem.

Good to know that!

Just to share: This old Asus according with my understanding supports Thunderbolt up to 10Gbps of transfer and a new laptop should have Thunderbolt 4 which supports up to 40Gbps. If my memory does not fail me Thunderbolt 5 exists too. Of course it depends of the transfer of the docking station itself too.

Pls let me know your thoughts

 

[BFG-9000]

I know the BIOS is old, it thanks to the support of Asus when I did do the research to upgrade the SSD from 5121GB to 1GB. Anyway I want avoid upgrade the BIOS, it to avoid any failure scenario and lost all. Therefore the new Asus should be able to do this through its own BIOS which is a new technology.

Just being curious:

• What option should appear in the BIOS to know if it can boot through a Docking station?

Normally appears USB - of course it for a pendrive with ventoy installed for example. It is my first time with this scenario.

Even if the BIOS was so old it only supported Pentium IV and IDE disks, it would be able to boot from an external 1TB USB disk so this is hardly a new technology.

You have to put an active, bootable partition on the disk and something bootable in the boot sector, which for Linux would be GRUB. Only then should it appear as a bootable device in the BIOS menu. Yes, this means it won't be listed as a selection there until after you install linux to the disk.

Your pendrive appears on the menu because it has something bootable on it.

I would strongly suggest removing the Windows SSD while installing linux. While (unlike Windows) linux does not appear to capriciously put the boot partition onto a random disk, in this case you don't want linux to accidentally be installed on drive D or something. Having the boot drive always be C makes the installation easier to move around later if for example you ever get fed up with Windows and want to clone it over the internal SSD.

 

[Manuel Jordan]

Hello BFG-9000

Thanks again for the reply

Even if the BIOS was so old it only supported Pentium IV and IDE disks, it would be able to boot from an external 1TB USB disk so this is hardly a new technology.

Theoretically the old and new laptop should detect the secondary SSD through the docking station

You have to put an active, bootable partition on the disk and something bootable in the boot sector, which for Linux would be GRUB. Only then should it appear as a bootable device in the BIOS menu. Yes, this means it won't be listed as a selection there until after you install linux to the disk.

Your pendrive appears on the menu because it has something bootable on it.

I assumed that Ventoy should recognize the new and unformatted SSD through the docking station and let install Linux in there. Of course Linux should do the format action through its own installation process

I would strongly suggest removing the Windows SSD while installing linux. While (unlike Windows) linux does not appear to capriciously put the boot partition onto a random disk, in this case you don't want linux to accidentally be installed on drive D or something. Having the boot drive always be C makes the installation easier to move around later if for example you ever get fed up with Windows and want to clone it over the internal SSD.

Thanks. I am going to keep this advice in hands until I get the new hardware and reach that point of connection and installation

Huge thanks for the valuable support