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Does Ubuntu 17.10.1 with Linux 4.13 kernel support the Intel Optane Memory for the purpose of dual booting with Windows 10?

This Intel support article states that Linux is not supported and only Windows 10 64-bit is.

Pang
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Mark
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    What do you want to use the optane for? Cache? System drive? Linux recognize it as a normal NVM block device, so you can use it for what you can use other block devices for - including block cache for a filesystem. If you use it for block cache for a FS, you can not use it for caching in windows... – vidarlo Feb 25 '18 at 19:27
  • Very simply, this newly purchased Dell OptiPlex 5050 with the Intel Optane Memory is sold by Dell as a means to speed up the computer. The initial Dell/Ubuntu information indicates Linux compatibility but the Intel Optane Memory is Windows only compatible. I fear I should not have bought the Optane Memory. Is there a work around? My primary interest with the computer is to run Ubuntu but with Windows still available. So far, both Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and the latest 17 on bootable USB drives do not facilitate installs. Has anyone succeeded? – Mark Mar 19 '18 at 19:46
  • Do you have additional storage? How do you want to use the Optane unit? The Optane being present will not stop you from installing Ubuntu in any way. What do you mean by does not facilitate installs? – vidarlo Mar 19 '18 at 19:50
  • @Mark. I am having a very similar situation as yours...please refer this(https://askubuntu.com/questions/1016909/installing-ubuntu-16-04lts-alongside-windows-10-on-pcie-nvme-ssd-also-has-intel). Faced one failed install. Windows recovery media didn't worked...have to reinstall Windows 10 Professional. I want to install Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on PCIe NVME and keep Windows 10 professional(dual boot)...facing all sort of issues...it's Dell XPS 8930 Computer. – Ashu Mar 23 '18 at 20:45
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    Installing ubuntu in an optane memory installed system, does we have any performance boost? just like we have observed in windows. From a end user's perspective, In windows we don't actually know how the underlying system is configured with optane memory (cache / system drive etc), but installing the software related to optane memory, gave a performance increase. – CSR Apr 12 '18 at 11:07

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Even I had this very same question an year ago. And the answer is that we can't. Though, it's easy to dual boot another operating system, you will have significantly slower boot time. Performance wise, there won't be much of a difference. But, it would be comparatively slower than what the speed you would get from other PCs without optane modeule. Intel is still silent about this and we are not expecting any updates on this anytime sooner.

prakash kumar
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  • I imagine you can set it up like Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) but you would have to use flash cache or another SSD accelerator. As far as I know EnhanceIO doesn't work with newer kernels. That said life is a lot simpler dumping the tiny SSD and hard drive and going simple SSD route. Especially an NVMe M.2 if your platform supports that form factor. Look for gen 3.0 x 4 if you are shopping for new machines today. – WinEunuuchs2Unix Apr 18 '19 at 17:18