(original posted: 2012)

To install Ubuntu Linux on your samsung series 5 ultrabook with SSD you should change some stuff in your BIOS as well as change some things in your Ubuntu Linux install.
I used Ubuntu 12.10 as that’s the most current version at this moment.

You must first disable ‘secure boot’ as it’s a Microsoft thing we don’t need it and would make things a lot more complicated.
Start the laptop and keep pressing the F2 button.
Your now in the BIOS setup.

‘Advanced’ -> ‘Fast Biosmode’ > Disabled
‘Security’ -> ‘Secure boot configuration’ > Customized signatures
‘Boot’ -> Move USB HDD to the top
-> ‘Secure Boot’ > Disabled
-> ‘OS mode selection’ > CSM OS
‘Exit’ > Save and exit

That’s it, no more secure boot crap.

Connect your usb-stick.
Boot the laptop.

When installing Ubuntu remove all the partitions on sda (HDD) and sdb (SSD).
Make one new partition on sdb (SSD) with mount point ‘/’ (root)
Make on sda (HD) the following (extended) partitons:
(Size is a personal issue but you get the idea)
sda5 swap 6GB
sda6 /var 20GB
sda7 /home remaining space

Install Ubuntu.

When the install is finished no want to set some mount options in to keep the write actions to the SSD to a minimum.
Open you /etc/fstab file and make sure you have the following mount options for your SSD:
noatime,nodiratime,discard,errors=remount-ro
So your fstab line for SSD would look something like this:
(This is actually one line in fstab)
UUID=c1526b35-193f-4573-9817-b0fa06100b93 / ext4 noatime,nodiratime,discard,errors=remount-ro 0 1
(Of course your UUID would be different.)

You should also move the /tmp directory to a ramdisk so that the directory would no longer be on SSD but lives in RAM.
Again it’s something you do in fstab:
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0

You could also set a different scheduler for the SSD to get the most out of it.
Edit /etc/rc.local and add the following line ABOVE the line ‘exit 0’.
echo deadline >/sys/block/sda/queue/scheduler

Your done, reboot and enjoy your 3 seconds boot time :-)”