[SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

Madsub · 2015-11-04 17:59:49

hi,

I currently have a windows 7 installed and I want to have a dual boot with Arch. The problem is, I'm not able to go through the installation process.

If I follow the Beginner's guide to the letter (using "mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdxY"), this leads to the error, when I run the pacstrap script:
"error: could not open file /mnt/var/cache/pacman/pkg/vi-1:070224-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz.part: Invalid argument"
The error is printed a lot of times.

To resolve this issue, I found that using "mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdxY" works... Until I reach the step where I need to install the bootloader. There is a problem with the fact the partition doesn't seem to be EFI/GPT (but it is).

There are also sda and sdc, but I don't want to touch these (they are reserved for windows). What I want to do, is install Linux on my SSD (sdb), more precisely sdb4 (I want everything, except "/home" on it) (sdb3 is the C: drive in windows and sdb1 is the 100M partiton created by windows to boot. I don't know what is sdb2; it's not listed in windows' computer management). And I want "/home" on sdd1.

I've looked around and I'm unsure of how to install Linux. Do I have to mount "/boot" on the 100M partition, or will this action erase windows' boot data ? Do I create another 512MB partition to create the "/boot" on it ? I don't want to scrap the windows install, and I'm unfamiliar with EFI.

All the partition are EFI/GPT, thus so is windows 7.

One last thing: why do we have to format a partition created with GPT to FAT32 ? Why not directly ext4 ?

Thanks for any help on the matter !

Last edited by Madsub (2015-11-04 22:42:22)

boban_dj · 2015-11-04 18:15:29

Hi,
what I always do, I remove the windows disk from computer (physically), install Arch on your ssd (follow the arch wiki) with a bootloader of choice and install os-prober. Install the disk with Windows you removed (physically), boot from the ssd with Arch after install (make this disk default or first boot in your uefi or bios). Run Arch, run os-prober, restart and choose windows or Arch as OS.
But hey this what I always do when messing with windows.

Last edited by boban_dj (2015-11-04 18:20:49)

ayekat · 2015-11-04 18:20:08

boban_dj wrote:

Hi,
what I do, I remove the windows disk from computer (physically), install the ssd, install arch (follow the arch wiki) with a bootloader of choice and install os-prober, boot from the ssd with arch after install. Run arch, run os-prober, restart and choose windows or arch as boot option

This won't work, because OP wants to install Arch on the same disk as Windows (if I understood it right).

boban_dj · 2015-11-04 18:22:44

@ayekat, shit you are right, still I would do it my way

ayekat · 2015-11-04 18:28:01

Well, I would not waste SSD space to Windows, and put that one on a different disk entirely - but here we're stuck with OP's constraints.

@Madsub: When you reach the bootloader installation, what's the output of GRUB? From what I see, it should work.

[EDIT] Aah, yes, there was indeed something about UEFI that I forgot, as shown by Head_on_Stick.

Last edited by ayekat (2015-11-04 19:59:17)

Madsub · 2015-11-04 19:02:09

Yes, I want to install Linux on the same physical disk as windows. Unfortunately, I don't have the money for 2 SSDs

On the bootloader installation, if I run "bootctl install", the output is
'File system "/boot" is not FAT EFI System Partition (ESP) file system.'

If I try to install GRUB: I do "pacman -Sy grub efibootmgr os-prober", then
'grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=grub --recheck'

the output is
"Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
grub-install: error: /boot doesn't look like an EFI partition.
."

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-11-04 19:43:07

Madsub wrote:

Do I have to mount "/boot" on the 100M partition

^ This.

Share the EFI system partition and *do not* format it.

Madsub · 2015-11-04 20:52:15

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Madsub wrote:
Do I have to mount "/boot" on the 100M partition
^ This.
Share the EFI system partition and *do not* format it.

Ok, I managed to install Arch doing a "mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/boot", but as I restart, I cannot boot into Arch, only in windows if I chose it in the BIOS/UEFI.

If I try to boot Arch, I get a
":: performing fsck on '/dev/sdb1'
:: mounting 'dev/sdb1' on real root
mount: unknown filesystem type 'vfat'
You are now being dropped into an emergency shell."

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-11-04 20:56:48

Please post the output of:

# parted -l

You can use a pastebin client to generate a URL that can be posted here.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Li … in_clients

Madsub · 2015-11-04 21:05:23

Hey, I didn't knew about pastebins, it's nice ^^

The output of the command is:
https://ptpb.pw/6IMf

I've booted on the USB stick used to install the OS.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-11-04 21:10:30

Why have you created a second EFI system partition on /dev/sdb4 and formatted it ext4?

What is content of your grub.cfg?

Madsub · 2015-11-04 21:20:32

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Why have you created a second EFI system partition on /dev/sdb4 and formatted it ext4?

I am not sure to understand:
sdb1: boot partition
sdb2: seems windows needs this
sdb3: windows' C:\ drive
sdb4: Arch

I've formatted it to ext4, because if I format it to FAT32, I get the error "error: could not open file /mnt/var/cache/pacman/pkg/vi-1:070224-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz.part: Invalid argument" when executing the 'pacstrap' script and noting is installed.

I want my 2 OSes to be on sdb, because it is a SSD and faster than the three others disks, which are HDDs.

What is content of your grub.cfg?

I've installed systemd-boot/gummiboot, thus I don't have GRUB installed.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-11-04 21:29:44

Madsub wrote:

sdb4: Arch
I've formatted it to ext4, because[...]

You have installed your system to the wrong partition type.

A standard GNU/Linux partition should have the "8300" partition code; yours has the "EF00" partition code -- that won't work.

Madsub · 2015-11-04 21:33:46

Is there another way than doing a
"mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdb4"
? Or is there a way to fix the
"error: could not open file /mnt/var/cache/pacman/pkg/vi-1:070224-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz.part: Invalid argument"
error ?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-11-04 21:49:11

Madsub wrote:

Is there another way than doing a
"mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdb4"

That command just creates the filesystem.

You need to change the partition code -- use {g}parted or gdisk for this (I think you will have to delete /dev/sdb4 and re-create it).

Madsub · 2015-11-04 22:41:51

Oh my... I'm so stupid. I read this post:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=202726
and realized that in my "/boot/loader/entries/arch.conf" file had the following line:
"options root=/dev/sdb1 rw"

But, root is not sdb1, but sdb4 ! I was confused between root and boot.

I successfully managed to boot (in console for now) into my new Linux !

Hell's yeah ! Thanks everybody, and thank you very much Head_on_a_Stick for your help !

Arch Linux

#1 2015-11-04 17:59:49

[SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#2 2015-11-04 18:15:29

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#3 2015-11-04 18:20:08

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#4 2015-11-04 18:22:44

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#5 2015-11-04 18:28:01

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#6 2015-11-04 19:02:09

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#7 2015-11-04 19:43:07

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#8 2015-11-04 20:52:15

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#9 2015-11-04 20:56:48

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#10 2015-11-04 21:05:23

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#11 2015-11-04 21:10:30

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#12 2015-11-04 21:20:32

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#13 2015-11-04 21:29:44

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#14 2015-11-04 21:33:46

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#15 2015-11-04 21:49:11

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

#16 2015-11-04 22:41:51

Re: [SOLVED] Dual boot install with win 7 already installed

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