Install Linux on Asrock Z87 Pro3 Motherboard

It’s lucky, I have installed Debian Linux testing(Jessie) and Fedora 19 on Asrock Z87 Pro3 Motherboard successfully, with i7-4770 Haswell CPU, one single Kingston DDR3 1600 8GB memory,  two West Data WD10EZEX 1T hard disk drivers assembled as Linux software raid. This article is a memo note for me and intend to share for some people.

Before buy:
As we known, Linux is less supported by the desktop hardware companies(even this Z87 board, its official support OS is Windows 7/8). So, purchasing a new desktop computer hardware will face the hardware compatibility problem in Linux sometimes. I do some home work before buying it. Its onboard net card is “Giga PHY Intel® I217V”, onboard sound card is “Realtek ALC892”, both of them has Linux driver in its officical website. 6 intel sata3 interface support intel fake-raid(intel Rapid Storage Technology), I think intel’s product should supported by Linux. So, I bought it. Because I don’t play big game, so I think intel i7-4770’s integerated display card hd4600 should ok.

Install Linux OS:
I have tried install Debian 7.2, Debian Testing(Jessie), Fedora 19 on the hardware.

Original Debian 7.2 is old for this computer, it can’t recognize intel i217v ethernet card, and can’t use cpu’s integrated graphics to enable gnome-shell, so I don’t use it on this computer.

Fedora 19 Live CD works well on this machine, and it is easy to install on this machine within its Live CD desktop environment.

Because I am familiar with Debian, I installed Debian Testing(Jessie) on this machine. It works well too.

I record some key points of mine installing Linux below:

1, Onboard Fake-Raid(here is intel Rapid Storage Technology) v.s. Linux software Raid

The main reazon of Purchasing this Asrock Z87 Pro3 motherboard is I want taste its onboard raid function. I bought two hard disks. For intel Rapid Storage Technology, this Fake-Raid can be set into two separated raid, this can be done by press Ctrl+i enter intel raid setup interface when booting. For example, one is raid0 for speed access disk and another is raid1 for data safe. Fedora 19 Live CD can recognized these two raids and install it on the raid without any broblem. But for install Debian Jessie, need some tricks, see Debian wiki: DebianInstaller SataRaid: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/SataRaid

After several days’ struggle, I choose Linux software raid for this machine. three main reasons:

1), Both onboard Fake Raid and Linux software Raid use the CPU do the raid calculating, they have equal performance.

2), Linux Software Raid is more flexible. Combine Raid with LVM, I can adjust raid easily, for example, shriking the LVM on raid0 and extending the LVM on raid1.

3), Just as Debian wiki said in above page, “only if you want to have a dual-boot system with Debian and the other operating system on the same Serial ATA RAID”. For example, you need other OS access your Linux data(I have not tested it here). In my situation, I don’t need other OS visit my Linux data, if I need install other OSes, I can still adjust LVM to empty some raid partition for this easily. My Linux can visit the data in these OSes, if these OSes can recognize Linux software raid and LVM, they can also access data in Linux too.

See also: Intel Matrix Storage Manager vs Linux Software RAID: http://superuser.com/questions/461506/intel-matrix-storage-manager-vs-linux-software-raid

There are also three points about fake raid and software raid:

1), Delete the Intel fake raid in the BIOS raid setup isn’t delete the disk data really, you can still rebuild same type and size raid, then to recover your fake raid;

2), When use Linux software raid, disable NCQ of disk seems necessary. For my case, disable NCQ improve raid0 hdparm read test from about 250 MB/sec to 340 MB/sec(twice of single disk). The command example to close NCQ: “echo 1 > /sys/block/sda/device/queue_depth”. See also: Raid Performance: https://raid.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Performance ;

3), Install /root on the LVM over Linux software raid is possible, no necessary seperated /boot partition needed, I tested it in the virtual machine with Debian 7.2, both LVM over raid0 and LVM over raid1 is ok, see: DebianInstaller SoftwareRaidRoot: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/SoftwareRaidRoot .

In the end, the overview of my disks now is:
Two hard disks, partiting every disk into 21 partitions, the first 20 partitions of two disks formed 20 raid0, and the last partition formed 1 raid1. Then, the first raid0 used as /boot partition(in fact, separated /boot partition isn’t necessary ), later 19 raid0 formed a volume group for fast accessing, and the one raid1 formed a volume group for safe data storing. Then, create logic volume for swap partition, and partitions for mounting /, /home, etc.. Raid1 volume group created a logic volume too.

I think, using this “lvm over raid over multiple partitions” scheme, it is easy to adjust data storing layout. For example, shrink fast access volume group and extend safe data storing volume group.

The main question of installing is settled. The other steps of installing Debian Jessie is similar as before.

2, Wake on Lan over internet

Wake on lan over internet is possible. See: Wake On LAN: https://wiki.debian.org/WakeOnLan . Follow the instruction to set WOL. In Asrock Z87 Pro3 UEFI setup, I must enble “Advanced->ACPI Configuration->PCI Devices On”. I set a static local network ip in “/etc/network/interfaces” for my machine, append “ethernet-wol g” at the end of this config file. Then did a port mapping using UDP protocol in the router, e.g., port 12345, bound the ip with MAC address of onboard intel i217v ethernet card. After I shutdown the machine using Debian’s shutdown menu item, I can wake up the machine over internet, in Linux, I use command line “wakeonlan -i <PULIC IP> -p 12345 <MAC ADDRESS>” to wake up it. Under windows, I use “WakeOnLanGui“: http://www.depicus.com/wake-on-lan/wake-on-lan-gui.aspx , the netmask field should fill “255.255.255.255” when wake up over internet.

3, Virtual Machine installation
I tested VMware Player 6.0.1, VirtualBox 4.3.2, QEMU emulator version 1.1.2 (qemu-kvm-1.1.2+dfsg-6, Debian), both of them works fine in this machine. Gnome-shell is available in the Linux guest OS, e.g., Fedora 19 LiveCD. Another tip, for VMware Player, enble 3D displaying support in guest, need add line “mks.gl.allowBlacklistedDrivers = “TRUE”” into virtual machine configuration file. It is no problem for using Gnome-shell of Linux guest without adding this line, but VMware Player will warn of this.

4, Chinese input methods in VNC Viewer

Start vnc4server in this machine, Fcitx in Wheezy in VNC Viewer will delay about 20 seconds to startup. Fcitx in Testing, Unstable can not work in VNC Viewer simply. Ibus works in VNC Viewer well. But Ibus in Jessie has changed its enabling key, press “Alt + Shift” will circle between all available input methods, and “Shift” will toggle between English and Chinese. I modified /usr/share/im-config/xinputrc.common to start ibus as below:

if [ -n "$SSH_TTY" ]; then
if [ "$DISPLAY" != ":0" ]; then
IM_CONFIG_XINPUTRC_USR=$HOME/.xinputrc.vnc
echo "`date`: I'm in a ssh client: $SSH_TTY  and in a display isn't :0" >> $HOME/xinput.log
fi
fi

The default input method config file ~/.xinputrc filled with “run_im fcitx” and “~/xinputrc.vnc” is “run_im ibus”.

Conclusion:
All in one sentence, Asrock Z87 Pro3 works well with current Linux basically.

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