Arch Linux

neoire

Member

Registered: 2015-08-07

Posts: 3

Need guidance on installing multiple Linux systems

Hi all,

I've tried a few searches on Google and I've found some instructions, but none of them hit a few details I'm still murky about. Answers or suggested readings welcome.

Right now I have my hard drive partitioned as:
- ESP
- /boot
- swap
- /
- free space

With Arch installed in the / partition, booting with grub. The idea is to use the free space for another distro. My understanding of how the boot process works is that the executable in the EFI partition is run first, which happens to be grub. Grub then mounts the second partition, loads the config, and once I select Arch, the kernel image and initramfs (both in /boot) are loaded and booting continues from those. From what I've gathered from wiki pages, I just need to add another grub entry to the config, and point the root to the new partition. What I don't understand is how to keep the two distros from stepping on each other's toes:

- Should I not install grub at all in the second distro?
- Where do the kernel image and initramfs go for the second distro? Won't it override the one already in /boot?

thanks!
Geoff

thiagowfx

Member

Registered: 2013-07-09

Posts: 586

Re: Need guidance on installing multiple Linux systems

You should choose which distribution you want grub to be managed from. Let's say you choose Arch. Then you would install your other operating system -- let's call it alpha on the free space. Don't separate the /boot partition from alpha by creating a new one: I mean, you could do it, but there is no reason for that.  You should either not separate its boot partition at all, or choose the same one you chose for Arch.

After installing alpha, make sure you DON'T re-install grub from it (or any other bootloader, for that matter). Then, log into Arch again, install the os-prober package, and finally update the grub config (usually with a grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg, assuming the /boot partition is properly mounted).

This should do it.

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The other way is to install grub in the second distro, and then update it from there.

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I'm just not sure about the part of /boot being overwritten. I'd usually not separate the /boot partition from alpha at all. But if you choose to use the same /boot from Arch for alpha...well, then I'd recommend you to wait for other person to confirm whether this is secure (=no overwrites would be commited).

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User:Thiagowfx