How to set up OSes (Mac/Win/Ubuntu) and TRIM on a SSD

[tog]

Originally posted to SuperUser - no answers from the normally expert users there!

I recently bought an SSD (a 64GB Crucial M4 - which I _believe_ has garbage collection, based on these specs) for my new computer. I've installed OS X 10.7.2 on it, and would like to reinstall this and also install Windows 7 and Ubuntu on it. I'd like to know how to do so, for each OS, to best promote its longevity. This covers how/if to enable TRIM, and what/how to symlink to my hard drive.

In particular, I'm looking to clarify the following for OS X:

1. OS X's built-in TRIM only supports Apple-approved SSDs, but you can enable it for others with these terminal commands or this app. There are some warnings that doing so will damage your SSD, but since my original edit of this question I've been convinced (here) that it's safe - still, it'd be good if someone could confirm this.
2. I've symlinked most directories that are large or will be written to frequently. However, I'm not sure whether to do this for my Library directory; it seems like that'd cause a performance hit, but it's written to frequently by Quicksilver etc.
3. I'd also like to move the swap directory to HD. An app called XSupport is meant to do this but I can't find it. There are unanswered SuperUser questions on how to do this at http://superuser.com/questions/354699/m ... -os-x-lion and http://superuser.com/questions/337674/s ... -os-x-lion
4. I'd like to confirm that an erase can restore performance of a degraded SSD. Many sources say this, this most convincingly: http://macperformanceguide.com/Storage- ... oning.html

(_Places I've looked, more in my 'answer' below: discussions.apple.com, forums.macrumors.com, http://digitaldj.net, comments at groths.org_)

 

[Going Bald]

viewtopic.php?f=81&t=20872 for installing, but I don't know if only 64Gb SSD is going to be large enough.

http://lnx2mac.blogspot.com/2010/09/mov ... ition.html gets your OS X users onto a hard drive. You can probably use the Linux equivalent for moving your Ubuntu user files to a HD, too.

Haven't looked at moving Win7 users, as my Win7 is a 300Gb Velociraptor and has all the space i need, since all documents/pics/ebooks/music, etc is on a NAS.

Just remember that you must install grub to the Ubuntu root if you want boot with Chimera. Of course, you could always boot everything with Grub2 if you wanted to.

Also, you can, if you would rather, Use OS X to partition the disc, quit the OS X installer, then install Win7 first. Get it updated, etc. and then install OS X. I haven't tried installing Ubuntu first or second and not sure what the effect would be.
Play with it and try all the different combinations. Have fun!

 

[akspecs]

I would like to be clear on which boot loader would be best for tri booting Lion Ubuntu and Windows. And what would be the ideal order to install the OS'es in? I'm planning to use a 120 gb SSD and install a 60gb windows partition and approximately a 30/30 partition for lion and Ubuntu. I'll then probably have a 2nd HD with 1 tb of space.

About that - what's the best format to have the HD in? I would like to have read write access from all my operating systems. Would it be smart to format it in NTFS and install a read write driver (like tuxera NTFS, paragon NTFS, etc) for my Macintosh os?

Would it be then possible to install Mac apps and other Macintosh related software to the NTFS drive (assuming to proper read write drivers are installed)?

I've been real worried about this and I'm quite new to macs. I'm not even sure if it is possible to install Mac apps to a separate hd.

Help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[tog]

http://lnx2mac.blogspot.com/2010/09/moving-os-x-users-to-separate-partition.html gets your OS X users onto a hard drive. You can probably use the Linux equivalent for moving your Ubuntu user files to a HD, too.

The thing is, as I alluded to in point 2 in the OP, there's a speed hit to move the whole home folder, and especially some of the config files in ~/Library. That's why I've symlinked folders within home like ~/Downloads and ~/Music/iTunes Music (leaving the iTunes XML library in ~/Music/ on the SSD for fast iTunes startup times). However, there are some files in ~/Library - like swap files (see the links in point 3), and the QuickSilver and Spotlight catalogues wherever they are - that seem sensible to symlink out (though this is partly what I'm checking here.

I've heard similar advice for Ubuntu - keep /var /home/ swap /tmp and possibly /etc/ in separate partitions on the HDD - though not from highly reliable sources, hence checking here.

Just remember that you must install grub to the Ubuntu root if you want boot with Chimera. Of course, you could always boot everything with Grub2 if you wanted to.

Thanks, do you know of any good step-by-step documentation on installing Ubuntu/Grub on a hackintosh which'll make the above clearer for me? The issue with grub had initially made me think I might fall back on keeping Ubuntu on a separate HD, which might then be easier to select as a different boot device from chameleon or my bios? Slightly out of my depth here so any clarification on all this'd be much appreciated

Also, you can, if you would rather, Use OS X to partition the disc, quit the OS X installer, then install Win7 first. Get it updated, etc. and then install OS X. I haven't tried installing Ubuntu first or second and not sure what the effect would be.
Play with it and try all the different combinations. Have fun!

Hmm, I've already installed OS X and don't fancy reinstalling it! Unless as a test I install Win7 on my HD, then install a separate copy of OS X on a partition on that HD and try booting from that rather than my SSD. (Might be good while I've not yet worked out how to set up OS X on the SSD to promote its longevity!)

 

[tog]

I've been real worried about this and I'm quite new to macs. I'm not even sure if it is possible to install Mac apps to a separate hd.

I know that this is fine - but not the answers to your other questions, as we're in the same boat there!

 

[Going Bald]

Thanks, do you know of any good step-by-step documentation on installing Ubuntu/Grub on a hackintosh which'll make the above clearer for me? The issue with grub had initially made me think I might fall back on keeping Ubuntu on a separate HD, which might then be easier to select as a different boot device from chameleon or my bios? Slightly out of my depth here so any clarification on all this'd be much appreciated
Hmm, I've already installed OS X and don't fancy reinstalling it! Unless as a test I install Win7 on my HD, then install a separate copy of OS X on a partition on that HD and try booting from that rather than my SSD. (Might be good while I've not yet worked out how to set up OS X on the SSD to promote its longevity!)

The link I posted is a step by step guide for installing OS X 10.6.x, Win7 64-bit and Ubuntu on the same hard drive. If you already have OS X installed, just pick up at step 2 and continue from there. Be especially careful around (IIRC) step 3N,O,P,Q, somewhere around there where you will be installing grub. Make absolutely certain you install it to Ubuntu root and not to the hard drive- you will screw up the Chimera bootloader.
If the HD is less than 120Gb, I would install Ubuntu on a separate drive if at all possible. You have to watch the size of the swap partition if you have a lot of ram on your motherboard - you need at least as large a swap partition as you have ram (e.g. 16 Gb ram onboard = 16 Gb or larger swap partition)

 

[moritzf]

I have the same SSD (crucial m4 64GB) and can confirm that TRIM support can be enabled in OSX 10.7.2 using the terminal commands.

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