Arch Linux

phaebz

Member

Registered: 2011-01-25

Posts: 13

[SOLVED] Post-Arch dual boot setup check

Hello everyone,

I just want to be sure that my thoughts and the intended procedure for doing this is reasonable. I installed windows and GNU/Linux (Ubuntu back then) side by side once. I installed windows first and then ubuntu which was fairly straightforward. Now I have an existing Arch install and want to install windows.

Short system description: I installed Arch as recommended with three partitions, namely
/dev/sda2 /boot
/dev/sda3 swap
/dev/sda4 /

The first partition is called DellUtility which is safe to remove I think. Then I want to resize the root partition (ext4) to make space for the new /dev/sda1 which will house windows eventually - I need that for my job btw. After resize with fairly new gparted liveCD (last time I used it, ext4 was not supported by gparted afaik), I am going to install windows. The install will overwrite the MBR so I need to add an entry for the /boot partition to the windows boot loader or reinstall GRUB on the MBR. I plan on saving the MBR and restoring it via a livecd. Lastly, I would add an entry for windows to grub's menu.lst to be able to dual boot.

Is there an easier / simpler way? Other suggestions?

Thank you,
Michael

Last edited by phaebz (2012-02-25 19:59:53)

Gcool

Member

Registered: 2011-08-16

Posts: 1,456

Re: [SOLVED] Post-Arch dual boot setup check

That all sounds about right. Just ditch the windows bootloader, add an entry in your menu.lst for the Windows partition and install GRUB in the mbr.

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Burninate!

KingX

Member

From: CA

Registered: 2010-03-24

Posts: 324

Re: [SOLVED] Post-Arch dual boot setup check

You don't really need to save the MBR, just let windows over-write it. Then use your archlinux cd/usb to boot into your arch install and re-install grub to the MBR and add an entry for Windows.

phaebz

Member

Registered: 2011-01-25

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] Post-Arch dual boot setup check

Thanks for your responses!

Just for reference, I ended up restoring the saved MBR and adding an entry for the windows partition to menu.lst

Now it is windows-driver-install-time...