I have no idea about software vs bios raid except for this - with a fast cpu raid levels 0 and 1 are better in software. The chances are that a mobo would only have cheap raid anyway, still making software more attractive.
For Linux, the kernel comes with md devices (which you need) and mdadm (which is the userspace tool).
Consult your distro docs on how to setup a raid system. Failing that, ask me
