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Question for Alienware Area-51 Desktop installing Linux
Hi, I am looking to buy a Alienware Area-51 Desktop. I need to install both Linux(Debian) and Windows. But I have noticed that Dell does not officially support Linux on Alienware, only a few old posts talk about how to do it, there seems have 2 ways to approach it,
Method 1:
1. Disable RAID, this will remove current Windows OS, and need to re-install Windows
Method 2:
2. Buy a new SSD card, install Linux on new SSD
If I choose method 1, how do I re-install Windows? Go to Microsoft website, download Windows, and then buy Windows Home license? But this new Windows will not include pre-installed Dell/Alienware software.
First, be sure you can disable IRST (RAID) -- on many newer systems, there is no longer an AHCI mode -- you cannot disable IRST at all.
You can install Windows as you propose, but I suspect you may do better with a gaming system other than Alienware if Linux is a priority -- the boutique builders that use retail mainboards will have a much better chance of being supported by Linux than any pre-built gaming system from a big name manufacturer will.
anne_droid
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Posted June 15th, 2025 10:20
Hi
Dunno.
Obviously when it arrives new, it will have a Licenced copy of W11, and there will be recovery partitions.
So use something like Belarc Advisor to print out the Licence Codes.
Hopefully there will be an option to download a recovery image, HOWEVER this may very well takeover the whole drive. So be aware of that.
You need your 48 character BitLocker Key, written / printed out.
Initially I would try to shrink the main Windows C: partition, and create a DATA partition for both 11 and Debian to use, then make either just a / root or a / root and /home partitions. Carefully preserving the W11 recovery areas.
ERRrrrrrrrrr have I proposed a 3rd alternative.
If in doubt please ask.
Kind Regards
anne_droid