Arch Linux

DeadLink404

Member

Registered: 2017-11-24

Posts: 41

[Solved] systemd-boot windows boot option with two EFI partitions

So I installed Arch on my second disk and left windows on my first one alone.
Which means I have two disks each with an EFI partition.

Is it possible to have systemd-boot recognize windows in this case?
I don't wanna fuck up my windows install while I noob around in Arch,
so Ideally I want to note even have to mount the partition.

Is this possible at all?

like adding an boot entry with
esp /dev/disk/by-partuuid/XXX-xxx-xxx/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

And last time I tried to install arch I broke my backlight control,
my current install doesn't have a DE yet.
Is backlight control supposed to not to work outside a desktop environment?

Last edited by DeadLink404 (2018-03-11 22:48:40)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,842

Website

Re: [Solved] systemd-boot windows boot option with two EFI partitions

Is it possible to have systemd-boot recognize windows in this case?

No.

You could try copying over the Microsoft folder from the Windows ESP to Arch's but I'm not sure if it would still work.

Use GRUB instead, that should handle two ESPs (I think).

EDIT: your backlight question  belongs in it's own thread.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2018-03-11 18:37:39)

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

DeadLink404

Member

Registered: 2017-11-24

Posts: 41

Re: [Solved] systemd-boot windows boot option with two EFI partitions

Thank you that'll spare me a lot of further useless searching.

I know the backlight thing is seperate but I'll check if it works within a DE first before making a second thread for it. Last time I think it worked somewhat but being glitchy within the DE so this time I wanted to start of right but if I need a DE I can spare the trial and error now.

ok so the solution for me is having systemd load the grub efi and have grub load windows.
Thus I can use systemd to boot linux and still default to windows.
It is a bit stupid to have a bootloader chainload a bootloader chainload a bootloader, but hey it works.

Last edited by DeadLink404 (2018-03-11 22:48:13)

luser

Member

Registered: 2016-08-27

Posts: 114

Re: [Solved] systemd-boot windows boot option with two EFI partitions

I had nothing but trouble when I had two disks with EFI partitions using systemd boot. I was using one HD for Windows and the other for Linux, each with its own EFI partition. Sometimes the system seemed to become very confused and would refuse to load either OS.

When I finally edited the files on the Windows EFI partition to provide the kernel and loader configuration files for the linux install and removed the EFI partition from the linux disk, I found I had a much more stable system.

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luser: an epithet applied by Windows users to linux users

piratebill

Member

From: Sol System

Registered: 2011-10-20

Posts: 139

Re: [Solved] systemd-boot windows boot option with two EFI partitions

Is it possible to have systemd-boot recognize windows in this case?

No.

You could try copying over the Microsoft folder from the Windows ESP to Arch's but I'm not sure if it would still work.

Use GRUB instead, that should handle two ESPs (I think).

EDIT: your backlight question  belongs in it's own thread.

Grub indeed supports more than one ESP. My system is set up like OP's and has been for years without issue.

Annoyingduck

Member

Registered: 2016-08-02

Posts: 179

Re: [Solved] systemd-boot windows boot option with two EFI partitions

2 EFI's is possible, but I've always had difficulty doing it. I always use one EFI partition even with multiple disks which works great, there just needs to be enough room on the EFI partition for your multiple entries (the default Microsoft created size of 100mb isn't adequate) which is why I always install Linux first then add in Windows. Adding Windows after Linux does not overwrite your EFI, it just adds the Microsoft bootloader to it. That doesn't answer your question, so in your case I would recommend creating a bootable ReFind usb drive and test that to see if it boots both Windows and Linux.  If it does, that should solve your problem and you can go ahead and fully install ReFind from within Arch.  After you install the program from Pacman you need to run "sudo refind-install" which will set it in your ESP and make it the default bootloader.  Also note that a bootable ReFind usb is a very handy tool to have around anyways.  Helps solve a lot of UEFI booting issues should they arise.