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#1 2011-11-04 01:52:38

Tereva
Member
Registered: 2011-11-04
Posts: 15

[SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

Hi there,

Yet another post about dual boot !
I read the wiki, the beginner guide, the installation guide, and forum posts but I sill have some questions (and judging by the number of questions on the subject I am not the only one).

Situation :
----------------
- First drive dedicated for 7 on it
- Second drive will be dedicated to Arch

Questions :
----------------

- Do the /boot partition must be the first ? (I read that here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … Dual_Boot)
In this case I have to move the Windows 7 partition ? (so I can free some space for the /boot0 ?

- Which bootloader is recommended : GRUB or SysLinux ?

-When do I install the bootloader ? On the MBR or on the /boot partition ? (the article is confusing on this point)


Thx a lot for any support !!

Tereva

Last edited by Tereva (2011-11-11 21:31:45)

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#2 2011-11-04 02:25:06

rayjgu3
Member
From: Chicago IL usa
Registered: 2004-07-04
Posts: 695

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

if you move 7 & put a partition in front, it will mess up 7
you can put /boot on second drive it does not need its own partition  it is recommended but not required.
I put all of arch on same partition for years without issue, I do have my storage on separate drive
drives layout
74 gb  sata    partitions  /dev/sda1= 1gb /swap    /dev/sda2 = Arch64   /dev/sda3 = Arch32
2 TB  sata  /dev/sdb1 = storage
40gb  ide  win xp

on my setup 74gb default (set in bios)
when booting I hit dedicated button for boot menu ( on mine is F8) choose 40gb drive for xp when wanted to which when I do this the bios switches 40 gb marked as drive 1
if I were to put grub on 40 gb  it wouldnt boot proper as grub is configured for drive 1 & so is xp
so if I added an entry for xp to grub on 74gb  xp wouldnt boot proper as xp config files are set to drive1.

hope I gave an understanding & not added more confusion

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#3 2011-11-04 03:42:25

Tereva
Member
Registered: 2011-11-04
Posts: 15

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

Hi Ray,

thx for answering,

rayjgu3 wrote:

if you move 7 & put a partition in front, it will mess up 7

Yeah, I am sure it will smile

when booting I hit dedicated button for boot menu

If I got you right, in fact you use your motherboard bios to switch on with OS you want to boot.
So in fact you are not in dual boot (and avoid any issue).
This is an option I will keep in mind, thx.

hope I gave an understanding & not added more confusion

Not at all smile


Anyway, I would really like to have a dual boot : way more convenient, especially for my wife (I don't want her in the BIOS smile  )

So my question remain :

How to install Arch on a second disk when 7 is already on the first one ?
If I manage to do it, I will put the process on the wiki (by the way strange there is no clear instruction on the subject).

Any help welcome !

Tereva

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#4 2011-11-04 08:04:35

schivmeister
Developer/TU
From: Singapore
Registered: 2007-05-17
Posts: 971
Website

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

Method 1

* Do not touch the disk with Windows

- Using separate mount points is your preference depending on your use case - it is not mandatory
- If you are confused then do not use separate mount points, i.e one large "/", and if required, a swap partition
- Install GRUB(2) or SYSLINUX to MBR (see relevant docs on wiki and decide which is simpler for you)

The bootloader shall have an entry to load a kernel from the root device on the second disk and one to chainload Windows from the first disk.

Method 2

* Using Windows bootloader

- Install GRUB(2) or SYSLINUX to a partition, NOT the disk or MBR
- Raw copy the beginning of the partition into a binary file (with dd, probaby 446 or 512 bytes can't remember)
- Edit Windows bootloader config (BCD) and add an entry to load the partition with the copy of the above Linux loader

http://my.opera.com/Wutske/blog/2009/12 … ad-of-grub
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EasyBCD

Using this method you can rest assured that your mum won't be faced with a daunting GRUB or SYSLINUX prompt in case of internal Linux issues.

Last edited by schivmeister (2011-11-04 08:05:02)


I need real, proper pen and paper for this.

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#5 2011-11-04 20:00:04

shulamy
Member
From: israel
Registered: 2010-09-11
Posts: 452

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

i had a computer with xp on one disk and ubuntu on another disk.

i set the bios to boot from the ubuntu disk - once.

ubuntu found the windows on the other disk by "update-grub" and added it to the list.

and if not you can find how to add windows manualy.

ezik

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#6 2011-11-05 05:46:41

Tereva
Member
Registered: 2011-11-04
Posts: 15

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

schivmeister wrote:

Method 2

* Using Windows bootloader...

Looks tasty, I will try that ! Thank for pointing me in that direction.
Will keep you posted and do a know how if it works.



Using this method you can rest assured that your mum won't be faced with a daunting GRUB or SYSLINUX prompt

Have no fear my friend, my mummy will never hurt me ! My wife on the other hand...


Have fun

Tereva

Last edited by Tereva (2011-11-05 05:49:18)

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#7 2011-11-06 05:45:31

Tereva
Member
Registered: 2011-11-04
Posts: 15

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

#/!!$$%%#!!

I tried to install Arch on a second disk and things didn't go as expected.

After the installation,
- 7 didn't want to boot -> it start booting (the MS logo appears) and after some seconds the PC reboot !!
- Arch don't boot either, even if I set hte disk where ARCH was installed as primary boot disk in the BIOS

I manage to repair 7 with the install CD, so everything is fine (except my heart beat during 15 min...).

Can someone tell me :

1- What went wrong ? (see below for more detail about what I have done)
2- Why I wasn't prompted to chose a drive/ partition / mbr were to install the bootloader (syslinux) ?

Thx for any support


Tereva



More detail :
===================

Config :
********
1 Drive with MS 7.
this is the bootable drive and it is seen as /dev/sdb by Linux

1 Drive where I want to install Arch
Seen as /dev/sda


What I have done :
**********************

1/ Boot on Arch's install CD
2/ Did not touch at /dev/sdb (the 7 drive)
3/ Partitioned sda ( /boot , swap, / , /home)
4/Select Syslinux as bootloader
5/At the bootloader installation step I wasn't asked for a disk / partition to chose !
I just have a message, something like : "do you want to install the Bootloader and the MBR"   (the 'and the MBR' sounds stupid I know but it was something like this)
6/ I set 'NO'
7/ I got a message saying "Bootloader successfully installed"  !! I wonder what would had happen if I had selected 'YES'  ?
8/End of installation back to tty1
9/Reboot the comp

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#8 2011-11-06 07:37:13

thisoldman
Member
From: Pittsburgh
Registered: 2009-04-25
Posts: 1,172

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

I haven't tried Syslinux but I'm an old fart and stuck in my ways.  I use grub 0.97.  This is what I did for dual booting.

To avoid mistakes, I physically disconnected and reconnected drives for each installation.

I had Disk1 connected and Disk2 was not connected.
Installed Win7 on Disk1.
Removed Disk1 and connected Disk2.
Installed Arch on Disk 2.
Installed Grub on Disk2.
Reconnected Disk1.
Checked BIOS so that Disk2 was the boot disk.
Booted up on Disk2, now recognized as /dev/sda.
Edited /boot/grub/menu.lst for entry to chainload Win7, now on /dev/sdb.

You can probably do the same as I did, but now, instead of installing whole systems, all you have to install are bootloaders.

Last edited by thisoldman (2011-11-06 07:40:55)

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#9 2011-11-06 16:00:57

Tereva
Member
Registered: 2011-11-04
Posts: 15

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

Thx for the info ThisOld, a question :

Installed Arch on Disk 2.
Installed Grub on Disk2...

Where did you install Grub : on the mbr of the Disk2 or on a partition ?


Tereva

Last edited by Tereva (2011-11-06 16:10:28)

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#10 2011-11-06 17:22:27

shulamy
Member
From: israel
Registered: 2010-09-11
Posts: 452

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

same as "thisoldman" about grub.

i think you better say yes to 6.

ezik

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#11 2011-11-06 19:28:09

thisoldman
Member
From: Pittsburgh
Registered: 2009-04-25
Posts: 1,172

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

I installed Grub on sda's MBR, not on a partition. 

Since the computer sees Grub on sda, and Win7 expects its bootloader to be in the MBR of the first disk, one has to fool Windows by exchanging the drive number designations for the Windows entry in /boot/grub/menu.lst.  That's what the lines using 'map' accomplish, as shown in this excerpt:

# (2) Windows 7
title Windows 7
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

Last edited by thisoldman (2011-11-06 19:29:41)

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#12 2011-11-07 05:57:49

handy
Member
From: Oz
Registered: 2008-03-26
Posts: 719

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

I recently bought an HP midi-tower computer & have tried much of what is in this thread & some; I spent a very long day on it.

In the end, I could do no better than booting ONLY  Arch or Win-7 but not both. I used "bootsect /nt60 C: /mbr" multiple times to get Win-7 to recover from changes made during the multiple attempts at a successful (meaning both Win-7 & Arch could boot-up) Arch installation.

In the end, I shrunk the Win-7 partition with gParted, repaired it with the above command (again). Then made 3 images using Clonezilla;- an image of each of the 3 partitions on the Win-7 drive.

Then I connected a smaller (320GB) drive & made 3 partitions on it just slightly larger than those that the Clonezilla images came off.

Then I used Clonezilla to cast the images onto the 320GB drive. After which of course I couldn't get it to boot using any of the Win-7 restore disk tools, so I used the HP recover original factory default installation option. (Many of the big name manufacturers do this, they usually don't even give you any system disks, you have burn your own recovery DVD's which are a copy of a restore partition that they include on the Win-7 drive.)

This worked. Win-7 now booted from the 320GB drive. smile

Then I disconnected that drive & reconnected the original 1TB drive that Win-7 was on in the HP. Installed Arch on it, all good.

I've ordered a $25- IceCube removable drive caddy that fits into a 5.25" drive bay in the computer. On the odd occasion I have need to use windows, I just pull the Linux drive out & stick the Win-7 drive in & boot-up.

Not a good solution for those not using desktop type computers I know. But it works for me & may suit someone else who reads this.

Last edited by handy (2011-11-07 09:27:17)


I used to be surprised that I was still surprised by my own stupidity, finding it strangely refreshing.
Well, now I don't find it refreshing.
I'm over it!

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#13 2011-11-08 01:07:44

Tereva
Member
Registered: 2011-11-04
Posts: 15

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

@ ThisOldMan
Thank for the information.
Actually using the installer I didn't see any way to install the bootloader on a partition. It seems to me that you have no choice and that it will be installer on the MBR


@ Handy
I find a way to have a functional dual boot ! Not using what I wanted to, but it works.
I will post a guide.


@ All
Where should I put an dualboot guide ?
On the wiki I think, but should I create a new page (like " Dual boot Windows / Arch on 2 separates HD)
Or should I update this page : https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … _Dual_Boot  ?

Tereva

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#14 2011-11-08 02:09:48

thisoldman
Member
From: Pittsburgh
Registered: 2009-04-25
Posts: 1,172

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

Two similarly titled pages on the wiki will probably get merged into one page eventually, so my vote would be to not create a separate new page.  The current page could be reorganized to make a clearer distinction between dual booting using a single hard drive and dual booting using two or more hard drives.

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#15 2011-11-11 21:31:19

Tereva
Member
Registered: 2011-11-04
Posts: 15

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot (7/Arch) on 2 disks (confusing instruction)

Ok done !
I updated the wiki here https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … _Dual_Boot

If anyone has a comment do not hesitate !

Tereva

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