Working installation instructions for Andrew Sutkowski’s Linus Ubuntu disc image that includes GNU Radio, SDR drivers and GNU SDR modules including SDR Play 3 module for GNU Radio and other radio astronomy software pre-installed on image.

---

These instructions install the software directly onto an Intel PC rather than booting into Linux on to USB pendrive or SD card.

These instructions use a paid-for piece of Windows software called Active@ Disc Imager. Although this software has a free trial version, that version does not create boot discs so a paid-for version is required.

1. Create Active@ Disc Imager Software Boot Disc on an USB Pendrive.

Need to use Active @ Disc Imager software to produce a boot disc – this is an USB pendrive which is different from one containing the Ubuntu disc image we wish to install. This pendrive for boot disc needs to be at least 8 GB in size. Active @ Imager requires Windows Boot Manager to be installed on the pendrive before it can install the Boot Disc software on it – I find easiest way to do this is to download “Microsoft Windows 10 MediaCreationTool_22H2” from Microsoft website and run this in order to create Windows 10 installation media on the pendrive we are going to use as the Active@ Imager boot disc. Once this is done, run Active@ Disc Manager on any Windows machine and choose <create boot disc> and then choose the USB pendrive prepared earlier for installation.

2. Load a copy of Andrew Sutkowski’s Linus Ubuntu disc image onto a separate USB pendrive from the one used in (1) above.

This is NOT a bootable image. If you only have a bootable USB drive or SD card with Andrew’s image on it, then use Active@ Disc Imager, choosing <disc to image> option to create the image. Then copy this image onto the new USB pendrive using normal Windows Explorer copy function.

3. Install the Andrew Sutkowski’s Linus Ubuntu disc image on your new Intel PC.

This involves putting firstly the Active@ Boot Disc from (1) above into USB slot on new PC, starting new PC ensuring you enter one-time boot menu in bios – on my Dell computers, this involves rapidly pressing <F12> as soon as I press start button on computer, until screen indicates one-time boot menu is loading, but the button to press can differ between machines, other common options are <F2> or <ESC>. Now insert the disc image pendrive from (2) above into second USB slot on the new computer. Once the one-time Active@ Imager boot menu appears, select <image to disc> option. From the disc options, navigate to pendrive with disc image from (2) above and choose the image file. Make relevant selections to install this image. Once completed, close down computer, remove all USB drives, and restart the computer – now Linux with GNU Radio pre-installed show appear.

Sometimes, this process in (3) finishes, and then when you try to reboot the computer, the system crashes. This is commonly due to the computer using Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST). If so, then this needs to be switched off before Linux can be installed – see (4) below.

4. How to switch off Intel Rapid Storage Technology (Intel RST) on a PC or BIOS, required before installing Linux Ubuntu on a previously Windows machine.

With the introduction of Windows 11, Microsoft has made extensive changes to improve user experience, enhancing performance and integrating various system functionalities. One such feature is Rapid Storage Technology (RST), which optimizes data read/write actions, increases disk performance, and enhances system reliability. However, some users may find that they need to disable RST for various reasons, whether it’s to troubleshoot issues, manage drives differently, or for compatibility with certain third-party software.

To effectively disable RST in Windows 11, you have to approach it from the BIOS/UEFI settings, especially if you want to switch to AHCI mode, which is a prerequisite for many other configurations.

How to access UEFI/BIOS Setup:

1. Reboot Your PC: You will need to enter the UEFI/BIOS setup utility during the boot process.
2. Enter BIOS: Depending on your manufacturer, various keys can be pressed during startup:
   1. For Dell: Press F2 or Del
   1. For HP: Press Esc or F10
   1. For Lenovo: Press F1, F2, Del, or Esc
   1. For ASUS: Press Del or F2
3. Navigate in UEFI/BIOS: Use arrow keys to navigate the menus. Locate the options related to storage configuration, often found under settings like “Advanced”, “Integrated Peripherals”, “Storage”, or “Configuration”.

Step 3: Change SATA Mode

1. Locate SATA Configuration: Find the core option for SATA Mode (this is where RST is enabled).
2. Modify SATA Mode: Change the setting from RST/RAID to “AHCI”. This setting may be referred to as “IDE” for some systems, but ensure you select AHCI for modern performance.
3. Confirm Changes: Save the changes and exit (usually by finding the “Save & Exit” option or hitting F10).

Another source suggested following:

Save and exit.

Enter the BIOS/UEFI

1. Reboot the computer.

Press F2, DEL, or the key specific to your motherboard to enter BIOS.

Find the SATA mode

1. Look for a section like Advanced, Storage, or SATA Configuration.

You’ll see SATA Mode set to Intel RST Premium or similar.

Change SATA Mode to AHCI

1. Select AHCI instead of RST.

1. Enter the BIOS/UEFI
   • Reboot the computer.
   • Press F2, DEL, or the key specific to your motherboard to enter BIOS.
2. Find the SATA mode
   • Look for a section like Advanced, Storage, or SATA Configuration.
   • You’ll see SATA Mode set to Intel RST Premium or similar.
3. Change SATA Mode to AHCI
   • Select AHCI instead of RST.
   • Save and exit.
4. Important:
   • If Windows is installed, you must enable AHCI drivers first or it may not boot.
     • In Windows, run:

§  bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal

4. Reboot, change to AHCI in BIOS, then boot back into Windows.
5. Then run:

§  bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot

---