Arch Linux

Rewired87

Member

Registered: 2015-11-23

Posts: 30

GRUB With Ubuntu/Arch/Win10 Triple Boot

I want my system to be set up in a way that both Ubuntu and Arch Linux have separate GRUBs that will automatically boot their associated OS (no menu)-- the default being Arch, and to boot a different one I would have to use the F12 boot list to select one. I noticed the Ubuntu GRUB shows up as 'ubuntu' in my motherboard's boot list, and I assume Arch is likely to do a similar thing.
The main question is, can the GRUB for Arch Linux and Ubuntu be installed on the same ESP partition without overwriting one another?
Thanks in advance & happy holidays!

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We hope as a new society rises from the ashes that you will forge a better world. A world that values the free people, a world where greed is not encouraged, a world that belongs to us again, a world changed forever.  ~Mr. Robot

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: GRUB With Ubuntu/Arch/Win10 Triple Boot

The main question is, can the GRUB for Arch Linux and Ubuntu be installed on the same ESP partition without overwriting one another?

Yes, the GRUB .efi loader is stored in a sudb-folder on the ESP named after the distribution so the files remain separate.

If you wish to boot via the firmware menu then just make a custom NVRAM entry to boot the kernel image directly and take GRUB out of the equation:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EF … bootmgr.29

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-12-19 20:29:58)

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

Rewired87

Member

Registered: 2015-11-23

Posts: 30

Re: GRUB With Ubuntu/Arch/Win10 Triple Boot

Yes, the GRUB .efi loader is stored in a sud-folder on the ESP named after the distribution so the files remain separate.

If you wish to boot via the firmware menu then just make a custom NVRAM entry to boot the kernel image directly and take GRUB out of the equation:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EF … bootmgr.29

Thank you so much! Just one other question, does the custom entry pose any risk to my motherboard? I don't want to go modifying stuff on it and then have it be unbootable.
PS. Does the firmware menu mean the crappy Windows one that makes you select each time or the motherboard's F12/boot priority?
I would love to take GRUB out of the equation.

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We hope as a new society rises from the ashes that you will forge a better world. A world that values the free people, a world where greed is not encouraged, a world that belongs to us again, a world changed forever.  ~Mr. Robot

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: GRUB With Ubuntu/Arch/Win10 Triple Boot

does the custom entry pose any risk to my motherboard? I don't want to go modifying stuff on it and then have it be unbootable.

Unfortunately, I can give you no assurances.

UEFI implementations vary widely in their quality and feature set and some barely work at all.

All I can say is that I fiddle with mine a lot and although NVRAM entries may be "lost", they are easily re-created from the live environment and it is possible to simplify things further by placing the bootmanager .efi loader at the default location(s) [1] and doing without NVRAM entries as well.

Does the firmware menu mean the crappy Windows one that makes you select each time or the motherboard's F12/boot priority?

The motherboard's F12 option.

[1] http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloader … ive-naming

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

Rewired87

Member

Registered: 2015-11-23

Posts: 30

Re: GRUB With Ubuntu/Arch/Win10 Triple Boot

Unfortunately, I can give you no assurances.
UEFI implementations vary widely in their quality and feature set and some barely work at all.

All I can say is that I fiddle with mine a lot and although NVRAM entries may be "lost", they are easily re-created from the live environment and it is possible to simplify things further by placing the bootmanager .efi loader at the default location(s) [1] and doing without NVRAM entries as well.

From what I can make out, looking at this command, it seems to create something in the ESP partition that acts as a "redirecting" bootloader that gets the kernel going with the right settings, as opposed to doing something with the motherboard itself. I'll give it a try, worst case scenario it doesn't work and I have to use GRUB.
Thank you so much for the help!

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We hope as a new society rises from the ashes that you will forge a better world. A world that values the free people, a world where greed is not encouraged, a world that belongs to us again, a world changed forever.  ~Mr. Robot

tom.ty89

Member

Registered: 2012-11-15

Posts: 897

Re: GRUB With Ubuntu/Arch/Win10 Triple Boot

The main question is, can the GRUB for Arch Linux and Ubuntu be installed on the same ESP partition without overwriting one another?

Yes, the GRUB .efi loader is stored in a sudb-folder on the ESP named after the distribution so the files remain separate.

FWIW it only make sense if you make sure that the different binaries does not load the same config file/modules. The easiest way is NOT to have shared /boot (hence do not use the ESP as /boot), otherwise you'll probably have to play some --boot-directory trick.

Last edited by tom.ty89 (2015-12-19 23:32:19)