ROCK installation with Windows11pro or Linux

Roon Software Discussion ROCK
1

Hello I am planning to install ROCK on a NUC11TNHi7 with 8GB of RAM that already has Windows 11pro installed. I am neither knowledgeable nor very competent with technology. I understand that ROCK runs on Linux. I plan to follow the video installation guide that appears on the gabster You Tube channel but that says nothing about Linux. Am I able to keep Windows 11 pro or do I need to delete it and replace with Linux? If so do I need to do this before starting the ROCK installation process? Any help that does not assume technical knowledge that I do not have would be very much appreciated. Thank you

3

You do not need to remove Windows 11 first, the ROCK installation process will reformat the m.2 SSD for you before installing the Roon operating system and the Roon Server software on it.

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4

Thank you, that is very helpful but where does Linux come in? My understanding was that ROCK ran on Linux so is that something that I have to install later?

5

Rock is an installer for Roon server on Roon OS.

Roon OS is a minimal Linux distro.

6

Roon OS has been built on Linux by Roon Labs for support of Roon Server. ROCK is the installation program - it is bootable, and does not require the existence of an OS to run.

7

Take it easy, u just need to burn the image into a usb drive and then make the NUC boot with it. The installation steps are very simple and straightfoward. Just as above pals said, ROCK will take the whole SSD, and you can’t store any files on it, as long as it’s dedicated for ROCK.

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8

Thank you again. Pardon my ignorance - it sounds that I follow the installation instructions as in your first response the process will look after itself.

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9

Yes, maybe u try on an spare or obsolete hd, set it up and run for a few days, before you erased your windows os totally.

10

Yes, but don’t bother yourself with that. ROCK, or Roon Optimized Core Kit, is self contained ready to go Roon Server in simple installer form. Follow the directions on the Roon website and you’ll be good to go. In fact, you can’t even log into it. There are no options. It’s already “optimized”. It’s nice they tell us its built on top of a custom Linux but that doesn’t really matter with how locked down it is. oh, I mean “optimized” :wink: I kid. It’s a great package and just runs and runs. If you run into issues ask here. Good luck. Should take about 10-15 min before you’re up and running.

11

You have answered my question. Your response is very helpful & explains a lot so I will press on. Many thanks & best wishes.

12

Be careful, installing ROCK (by USB image installer) on a NUC with Windows already installed will erase Windows instantly. And vice versa. A ROCK installation via image installer cannot handle, recognize or tolerate any pre-existing “thing” on any boot drive connected to a NUC.
I had nightmares trying to get ROCK and Windows installed on a NUC. And currently I do not know of any kind of boot loader, beyond BIOS boot select, that would merge a ROCK and Windows installation.
Experiences I made here…

  1. Assuming there’s only one drive attached/installed with the NUC there’s no way to actually allow both ROCK and Windows to co-exist on that drive. ROCK installation by image will erase the whole drive no matter of any pre-existing partitions/installations. At least installing Windows 10, after ROCK has been installed on the same drive, the Windows Installation obviously doesn’t recognize the ROCK partition and will not integrate ROCK into the Windows boot selector.

  2. Inserting an additional SSD into the NUC. Now, we have two separate internal drives. Final behavior is the same thing as described in 1. ROCK installation will allow only itself in the boot partition. Any pre-existing partition on any drive will not be accessible. Windows installation also won’t recognize and integrate ROCK partition in its own boot selector no matter on which drive ROCK is already installed.

  3. Solution with two internal drives. Since it seems to be impossible to allow both ROCK and Windows being selectable through a boot partition/loader I got to one lower system level, the BIOS boot selector. This should be able to detect almost any boot partition on any drive once ROCK and Windows had been installed properly each with its own boot partition and on separate drives.
    To do so you have to get sure that only one drive is inserted into the NUC each time you install ROCK or Windows resp. So, while installing each of it it’s impossible for them to destroy anything the prior installation created.
    In the final step you insert the drive you disconnected, first having a properly ROCK/Windows installation. Now, the BIOS boot selector is able to see and offer both boot partitions/drives. And this is how you are able to boot ROCK or Windows.

If anyone has a different solution, please describe :slightly_smiling_face: