LINUX and WINDOWS in dual-boot mode on SSD+HDD

After many days of work I have finally managed to figure out  how to install Windows 8 & Linux in dual-boot mode on SSD+HDD with UEFI Bios system.

My plan was this: install Windows & Linux onto Samunsug Evo SSD (126gb) and use HDD as "data" for either systems. The combination  of UEFI Bios and Windows 8 produces an armored system that prevents installation of all other type of operatives system (like linux). So it is necessary to break this useless "armored" system.

As first thing you must enter in Bios (with F2 or Esc, the key depends on your machine) and disable the Secure Boot option, FastBoot (or something similar) and enable CMS (compatibily mode system). These options can have  different acronyms, it depends on your bios (I have an Asus s56cm ultrabook). Now, you are able to boot into a linux live-usb. The next move consists in partitioning your system.

I've started from a clean situation: both SDD and HDD  have been formatted. I've created this partition scheme (I've used gparted):

• SSD with two partitions: the first formatted as an NTFS file system (Windows parition) and the second with ext4 (Linux partition).
• HDD without any partition: only unallocated memory space (the reason for this move will be explained soon).

Now is time to install Windows. Windows doesn't allow the user to decide how to manage the partitions of their operative system. For this reason I've left the HDD with unallocated memory space: in this way, Windows will not use the HDD for its obscure decisions. So, during the installation, you must tell windows to use the first partiton of the SSD. If all goes well, windows should have only used  the first partition to store every part of its system (including the boot manager). The next step consists in install Linux (debian distro like Ubuntu or Linux Mint).

Fortunately Linux doesn't hide any particular "obscure mechanism". So it is simple to install. Firstly it is necessary to create two partitions on HDD: one for the swap and the other for the "home" folder (you must leave enough space to create another partition to use for windows data). Now we proceed to install linux. The second partition of SSD will be used to install the "root" of linux while the partition of HDD will be used as "home partion" as indicate above.

ATTENTION: you must install the grub into the SSD and not into its partitions!!!!! For example : dev\sdb and not dev\sdb1.

Now you can click on the install button. Good. If everything has gone according to plan you will find yourself in four scenarios:

• First: the pc will boot only into Windows OS.
• Second: the pc will boot only into Linux.
• Third: the pc will not boot anything (Some kind of grub error has happened).
• Fourth: You can dual boot windows and linux (GOAL STATE).

Don't panic. Nothing is impossible. We'll analayze the first scenario. If you have the scenario indicated on first point, you must follow this guide to re-install grub from a linux-live-usb: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair ( remember: install grub into the root of SSD). If everything has gone well you will be able to dual-boot Linux and Windows. If everything hasn't gone well check into the bios if the right device boot is selected. It can happen that the bios boots with a device that doesn't have a grub installation. If you still have problems , follow the next lines.

From a terminal on linux-live-usb insert the following commands (I've taken the code from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing):

sudo mount /dev/sdXY /mnt # Example: sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sdX # Example: sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda

Where "X" corresponds at the SSD position into the system (i.e mine is sdc). Now, reboot the system and finally (I hope) you are able to dual boot Linux and Windows. You might see the grub menu you see only in linux options, so you can't boot the windows system. To fix this problem, follow the following lines.

Troubles of this kind are generated from the Windows partitioning table. Windows uses the GPT partition table to install its operative system and it seems that grub doesn't recognize (when you install the grub) the GPT partition.
From linux-live-usb we will modify the grub with "hand-mode" (In my opinion it is the best way). So, from the terminal put the following commands (I've taken these code snippets from this thread http://askubuntu.com/questions/210914/grub-does-not-show-a-windows-8-option-after-dual-boot):

sudo nano /etc/grub.d/40_custom

then insert the following lines (into nano editor):

menuentry "Windows 8" {
    set root='(hdX,gpt1)'
    chainloader /EFI/microsoft/BOOT/bootmgfw.efi
}

where X is the partition of windows into SSD (In my case, SSD is sdc and it is the third disk in my system, so hdX become hd2, numbering is starts from 0,1,2... ). Now save the file and close the document. And update the grub with the command (always into the terminal):

sudo update-grub

Reboot the system and finally you are able to dual boot Windows and Linux!