Is possible and safe install and use Linux through a docking station?

Hardware
1

Hello Friends

This post is about your best recommendation about the following scenario. Perhaps you can help me to sharp the idea.

Normally a new laptop has by default only one disk as expected and with Windows 10/11 available. About the capacity in the old days by default it had 512GB and right now mostly with 1Tb to 2TB.

If I want install any distribution of Linux directly in the laptop, therefore no VirtualBox involved, exists mostly two scenarios as follows:

  • Resize the hard disk and take space to install Linux and apply the dual boot
  • Format the disk and install Linux. Thus Windows has gone

In my case my hard disk is small 512GB and is not possible upgrade it to 1TB because there is a the risk to “burn” the chipset of the laptop. It according with the direct support of Asus. So I don’t want take that risk and lost by complete the machine.

Furthermore I want take all the capacity of hardware of the laptop itself. Because VirtualBox practically let you use the half of power about processors and RAM.

My laptop is the follow: (Amazon and Asus sources respectively)

According with the first and third links it has the following:

  • One: Features the latest performance ports: 1x Thunderbolt III (via USB Type-C), 1x Gen 2 USB 3.1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.0, 1x HDMI. Bluetooth 4.0 and SDXC reader for all your media needs.
  • Three: Thunderbolt® 3 and USB 3.1 – on a single Type-C port! ZenBook Pro UX501VX introduces the latest Thunderbolt® 3 connectivity from Intel®, which uses a USB Type-C port to give you unprecedented flexibility and hyper-fast data transfer speeds — up to 40Gbit/s via Thunderbolt® 3 , and up to 10Gbit/s via USB 3.1! This incredible technology makes UX501VX the ultimate mobile powerhouse, allowing you to transfer even the largest files in mere seconds. And that’s not all — ZenBook Pro also has three SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, which feature exclusive ASUS USB Charger+ technology that charges mobile devices much quicker than standard USB ports — even when ZenBook Pro is powered off.

According with my understanding the docking station requires a USB Port Type C.

So my idea is buy a new SSD to be connected through the docking station and use it as a secondary disk to install Linux directly there. Therefore:

  • Shutdown the laptop
  • Connect the docking station with the secondary SSD
  • Put a Pendrive with ventoy which exists the .iso file to install Linux
  • Turn on the laptop to boot through the USB (of course it configured previously through the BIOS)
  • Select the iso image to load and install it in the secondary SSD

Therefore the laptop has permanently connected that docking station with Linux installed. Thus each time the laptop is started through GRUB is possible select the OS to boot.

Of course here exists two concerns:

  • Speed: because the laptop is old thus the speed of the port should be slower than the speed requested of the Docking station it. Of course both being Type C but one of them slower than other. So is expected a decreasing about the time response for the interaction with Linux. Important to note that I don’t have idea how slow it would be. Perhaps you did do this approach and the latency is practically nothing. I hope you see my point.
  • Heat: is expected this SSD - being SSD either 2.5’’ or nvme - emits heat.

About the latter I am sharing the following docking station because it has an internal cooling system. Of course I don’t have any idea about how good is the cooling system itself but there is available.

Questions

  1. Does my idea has sense for you?

If my idea is viable but is a problem the existence of an impact the latency of transfer through the port because the laptop is old. Exists the option to buy a new laptop with 2 Ports Type C available. Each one to be used for two docking stations as follows::

  • For Multiple Monitors
  • For the external SSD

Therefore here “theoretically the speed should be fast” and thus the latency would be “zero”. Of course it “theoretically”. I know the speed of the a SSD installed directly through the mobo must be faster than the SSD used through the docking station. But I am assuming the port is so fast that “perhaps” the latency is really imperceptible.

  1. Is this approach safe for the three parts?

It for the laptop, the docking station and the secondary SSD

  1. Is the docking station with the cooling system a good approach to you?

Perhaps you are using other one with a similar or better cooling system. If yes pls share the link of the product.

Just for your consideration if I know the laptop is going to be used for many hours with Windows. Therefore when the laptop is off the docking station can be unplugged. Start the laptop, GRUB should be shown and finally Windows must be selected to work in peace.

  1. Does GRUB work in peace when the secondary disk is no available?

Of course the OS located in the primary disk is going to be used

Pls, let me know your thoughts

Thank You

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There should be no problem with that, as long as the laptop bios has the ability to boot from a usb device.

The speed will be limited by the usb capacity.
It will be similar to what you get using an external usb disk for backup. … maybe 3Gbps, not the 6Gbps you get with a sata disk on a proper sata connection.

Grub will still give you a menu if the disk is removed., but obviously the linux menu item will not boot.

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Thanks for the reply Neville

There should be no problem with that, as long as the laptop bios has the ability to boot from a usb device.

I think is possible because even for old laptops the pendrive with ventoy can boot in peace. Or do you mean about the Docking station?

If is about the docking station and this Asus can’t do the expected boot. I am assuming the new Asus would work in peace. I know the BIOS is old, it thanks to the support of Asus when I did do the research to upgrade the SSD from 5121GB to 1GB. Anyway I want avoid upgrade the BIOS, it to avoid any failure scenario and lost all

The speed will be limited by the usb capacity.
It will be similar to what you get using an external usb disk for backup. … maybe 3Gbps, not the 6Gbps you get with a sata disk on a proper sata connection.

This old Asus according with my understanding supports Thunderbolt up to 10Gbps of transfer and a new laptop should have Thunderbolt 4 which supports up to 40Gbps. If my memory does not fail me Thunderbolt 5 exists too. Of course it depends of the transfer of the docking station itself too.

Grub will still give you a menu if the disk is removed., but obviously the linux menu item will not boot.

Sounds good: it means the grub when is loaded does not check if each SSD is connected or not. Of course it mostly about the secondary through the docking station.

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The docking station is just an adaptor. It shoukd make no difference

That is right. It only checks if you do update-grub and it uses os-prober to see what is present.

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I had one of those (Asus UX501) about 9 years ago… Great laptop… Was good for gaming… But your’s looks like a much later model - mine didn’t have USB C ports…

I didn’t want to sell mine - but was out of work and had cash flow problems…

That docking station looks pretty neat too! Would make a great NAS with a SFF PC hooked up to it…

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Again thanks for the replies

Neville

The docking station is just an adaptor. It shoukd make no difference

I assumed the BIOS would show a special item to let select the boot media/approach for a docking

That is right. It only checks if you do update-grub and it uses os-prober to see what is present.

Thanks for that advice

daniel

I had one of those (Asus UX501) about 9 years ago… Great laptop… Was good for gaming… But your’s looks like a much later model - mine didn’t have USB C ports…

If my memory does not fail me I had the intention to buy that one too. But it seems it didn’t have touch screen support for my parents thus I selected the current mine.

I didn’t want to sell mine - but was out of work and had cash flow problems…

Sorry about that

That docking station looks pretty neat too! Would make a great NAS with a SFF PC hooked up to it…

Thanks for share that point. Is good to know it can be used for that too

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