[SOLVED]Dual boot - Arch and Win 7

vinnom · 2016-01-22 11:52:33

Hi guys,

I have an HDD (/dev/sda) and a SSD (/dev/sdb). For speed up reasons, I installed my Windows 7 in my SSD, but leaving free GB, so I could mount my arch root partition on it too. So this is what I have:

/dev/sda1 = D:\
/dev/sda2 = swap
/dev/sda3 = /home

/dev/sdb1 = C:\
/dev/sdb2 = windows system reserved
/dev/sdb3 = root
/dev/sdb4 = BIOS partition
/dev/sdb5 = boot
/dev/sdb6 = var

I followed GRUB instructions for dual booting, so I installed os-prober. I ran grub-install and grub-mkconfig. Then when I rebooted, grub menu only showed Windows 7 option to boot from.

I grabbed /boot/grub/grub.cfg and /etc/grub/10_linux to check and found awkward that grub identifies Arch. Before I saw this, I thought about editin 40_custom file as GRUB wiki says so, but I don't think it is necessary it is listed in the file

here is the files:

grub.cfg

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
insmod part_gpt
insmod part_msdos
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
   set default="${next_entry}"
   set next_entry=
   save_env next_entry
   set boot_once=true
else
   set default="0"
fi

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
  menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function load_video {
  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
    insmod all_video
  else
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
    insmod ieee1275_fb
    insmod vbe
    insmod vga
    insmod video_bochs
    insmod video_cirrus
  fi
}

if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then
   font=unicode
else
insmod part_msdos 
insmod ext2
set root='hd1,msdos2'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd1,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,msdos2  175d37de-f1ec-4485-b2ce-a3829fc94723
else
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 175d37de-f1ec-4485-b2ce-a3829fc94723
fi
    font="/usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2"
fi

if loadfont $font ; then
  set gfxmode=auto
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
  set lang=en_US
  insmod gettext
fi
terminal_input console
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then
  set timeout_style=menu
  set timeout=5
# Fallback normal timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is
# unavailable.
else
  set timeout=5
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-DCCC5738CC570C60' {
	insmod part_msdos 
	insmod ntfs
	set root='hd0,msdos2'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2  DCCC5738CC570C60
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root DCCC5738CC570C60
	fi
	chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/60_memtest86+ ###
### END /etc/grub.d/60_memtest86+ ###

10_linux

#! /bin/sh
set -e

# grub-mkconfig helper script.
# Copyright (C) 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
#
# GRUB is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# GRUB is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
# GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with GRUB.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

prefix="/usr"
exec_prefix="/usr"
datarootdir="/usr/share"

. "${datarootdir}/grub/grub-mkconfig_lib"

export TEXTDOMAIN=grub
export TEXTDOMAINDIR="${datarootdir}/locale"

CLASS="--class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os"

if [ "x${GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR}" = "x" ] ; then
  OS=Linux
else
  OS="${GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR} Linux"
  CLASS="--class $(echo ${GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR} | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z' | cut -d' ' -f1|LC_ALL=C sed 's,[^[:alnum:]_],_,g') ${CLASS}"
fi

# loop-AES arranges things so that /dev/loop/X can be our root device, but
# the initrds that Linux uses don't like that.
case ${GRUB_DEVICE} in
  /dev/loop/*|/dev/loop[0-9])
    GRUB_DEVICE=`losetup ${GRUB_DEVICE} | sed -e "s/^[^(]*(\([^)]\+\)).*/\1/"`
  ;;
esac

if [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" = "x" ] || [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}" = "xtrue" ] \
    || ! test -e "/dev/disk/by-uuid/${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" \
    || uses_abstraction "${GRUB_DEVICE}" lvm; then
  LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=${GRUB_DEVICE}
else
  LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=UUID=${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}
fi

case x"$GRUB_FS" in
    xbtrfs)
	rootsubvol="`make_system_path_relative_to_its_root /`"
	rootsubvol="${rootsubvol#/}"
	if [ "x${rootsubvol}" != x ]; then
	    GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="rootflags=subvol=${rootsubvol} ${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX}"
	fi;;
    xzfs)
	rpool=`${grub_probe} --device ${GRUB_DEVICE} --target=fs_label 2>/dev/null || true`
	bootfs="`make_system_path_relative_to_its_root / | sed -e "s,@$,,"`"
	LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE="ZFS=${rpool}${bootfs}"
	;;
esac

intel_ucode=
if test -e "/boot/intel-ucode.img" ; then
    gettext_printf "Found Intel Microcode image\n" >&2
    intel_ucode="$(make_system_path_relative_to_its_root /boot/intel-ucode.img)"
fi

title_correction_code=

linux_entry ()
{
  os="$1"
  version="$2"
  type="$3"
  args="$4"

  if [ -z "$boot_device_id" ]; then
      boot_device_id="$(grub_get_device_id "${GRUB_DEVICE}")"
  fi
  if [ x$type != xsimple ] ; then
      case $type in
	  recovery)
	      title="$(gettext_printf "%s, with Linux %s (recovery mode)" "${os}" "${version}")" ;;
	  fallback)
	      title="$(gettext_printf "%s, with Linux %s (fallback initramfs)" "${os}" "${version}")" ;;
	  *)
	      title="$(gettext_printf "%s, with Linux %s" "${os}" "${version}")" ;;
      esac
      if [ x"$title" = x"$GRUB_ACTUAL_DEFAULT" ] || [ x"Previous Linux versions>$title" = x"$GRUB_ACTUAL_DEFAULT" ]; then
	  replacement_title="$(echo "Advanced options for ${OS}" | sed 's,>,>>,g')>$(echo "$title" | sed 's,>,>>,g')"
	  quoted="$(echo "$GRUB_ACTUAL_DEFAULT" | grub_quote)"
	  title_correction_code="${title_correction_code}if [ \"x\$default\" = '$quoted' ]; then default='$(echo "$replacement_title" | grub_quote)'; fi;"
	  grub_warn "$(gettext_printf "Please don't use old title \`%s' for GRUB_DEFAULT, use \`%s' (for versions before 2.00) or \`%s' (for 2.00 or later)" "$GRUB_ACTUAL_DEFAULT" "$replacement_title" "gnulinux-advanced-$boot_device_id>gnulinux-$version-$type-$boot_device_id")"
      fi
      echo "menuentry '$(echo "$title" | grub_quote)' ${CLASS} \$menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-$version-$type-$boot_device_id' {" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
  else
      echo "menuentry '$(echo "$os" | grub_quote)' ${CLASS} \$menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-$boot_device_id' {" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
  fi      
  if [ x$type != xrecovery ] ; then
      save_default_entry | grub_add_tab
  fi

  # Use ELILO's generic "efifb" when it's known to be available.
  # FIXME: We need an interface to select vesafb in case efifb can't be used.
  if [ "x$GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX" = x ]; then
      echo "	load_video" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
      if grep -qx "CONFIG_FB_EFI=y" "${config}" 2> /dev/null \
	  && grep -qx "CONFIG_VT_HW_CONSOLE_BINDING=y" "${config}" 2> /dev/null; then
	  echo "	set gfxpayload=keep" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
      fi
  else
      if [ "x$GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX" != xtext ]; then
	  echo "	load_video" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
      fi
      echo "	set gfxpayload=$GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
  fi

  echo "	insmod gzio" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"

  if [ x$dirname = x/ ]; then
    if [ -z "${prepare_root_cache}" ]; then
      prepare_root_cache="$(prepare_grub_to_access_device ${GRUB_DEVICE} | grub_add_tab)"
    fi
    printf '%s\n' "${prepare_root_cache}" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
  else
    if [ -z "${prepare_boot_cache}" ]; then
      prepare_boot_cache="$(prepare_grub_to_access_device ${GRUB_DEVICE_BOOT} | grub_add_tab)"
    fi
    printf '%s\n' "${prepare_boot_cache}" | sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/"
  fi
  message="$(gettext_printf "Loading Linux %s ..." ${version})"
  sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/" << EOF
	echo	'$(echo "$message" | grub_quote)'
	linux	${rel_dirname}/${basename} root=${linux_root_device_thisversion} rw ${args}
EOF
  if test -n "${initrd}" ; then
    # TRANSLATORS: ramdisk isn't identifier. Should be translated.
    message="$(gettext_printf "Loading initial ramdisk ...")"
    sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/" << EOF
	echo	'$(echo "$message" | grub_quote)'
	initrd	${intel_ucode} ${rel_dirname}/${initrd}
EOF
  fi
  sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/" << EOF
}
EOF
}

machine=`uname -m`
case "x$machine" in
    xi?86 | xx86_64)
	list=`for i in /boot/vmlinuz-* /vmlinuz-* /boot/kernel-* ; do
                  if grub_file_is_not_garbage "$i" ; then echo -n "$i " ; fi
              done` ;;
    *) 
	list=`for i in /boot/vmlinuz-* /boot/vmlinux-* /vmlinuz-* /vmlinux-* /boot/kernel-* ; do
                  if grub_file_is_not_garbage "$i" ; then echo -n "$i " ; fi
	     done` ;;
esac

case "$machine" in
    i?86) GENKERNEL_ARCH="x86" ;;
    mips|mips64) GENKERNEL_ARCH="mips" ;;
    mipsel|mips64el) GENKERNEL_ARCH="mipsel" ;;
    arm*) GENKERNEL_ARCH="arm" ;;
    *) GENKERNEL_ARCH="$machine" ;;
esac

prepare_boot_cache=
prepare_root_cache=
boot_device_id=
title_correction_code=

# Extra indentation to add to menu entries in a submenu. We're not in a submenu
# yet, so it's empty. In a submenu it will be equal to '\t' (one tab).
submenu_indentation=""

is_top_level=true
while [ "x$list" != "x" ] ; do
  linux=`version_find_latest $list`
  gettext_printf "Found linux image: %s\n" "$linux" >&2
  basename=`basename $linux`
  dirname=`dirname $linux`
  rel_dirname=`make_system_path_relative_to_its_root $dirname`
  version=`echo $basename | sed -e "s,vmlinuz-,,g"`
  alt_version=`echo $version | sed -e "s,\.old$,,g"`
  linux_root_device_thisversion="${LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE}"

  initrd=
  for i in "initrd.img-${version}" "initrd-${version}.img" "initrd-${version}.gz" \
	   "initrd-${version}" "initramfs-${version}.img" \
	   "initrd.img-${alt_version}" "initrd-${alt_version}.img" \
	   "initrd-${alt_version}" "initramfs-${alt_version}.img" \
	   "initramfs-genkernel-${version}" \
	   "initramfs-genkernel-${alt_version}" \
	   "initramfs-genkernel-${GENKERNEL_ARCH}-${version}" \
	   "initramfs-genkernel-${GENKERNEL_ARCH}-${alt_version}"; do
    if test -e "${dirname}/${i}" ; then
      initrd="$i"
      break
    fi
  done

  config=
  for i in "${dirname}/config-${version}" "${dirname}/config-${alt_version}" "/etc/kernels/kernel-config-${version}" ; do
    if test -e "${i}" ; then
      config="${i}"
      break
    fi
  done

  initramfs=
  if test -n "${config}" ; then
      initramfs=`grep CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE= "${config}" | cut -f2 -d= | tr -d \"`
  fi

  if test -n "${initrd}" ; then
    gettext_printf "Found initrd image: %s\n" "${dirname}/${initrd}" >&2
  elif test -z "${initramfs}" ; then
    # "UUID=" and "ZFS=" magic is parsed by initrd or initramfs.  Since there's
    # no initrd or builtin initramfs, it can't work here.
    linux_root_device_thisversion=${GRUB_DEVICE}
  fi

  if [ "x$is_top_level" = xtrue ] && [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU}" != xy ]; then
    linux_entry "${OS}" "${version}" simple \
    "${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX} ${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT}"

    submenu_indentation="$grub_tab"
    
    if [ -z "$boot_device_id" ]; then
	boot_device_id="$(grub_get_device_id "${GRUB_DEVICE}")"
    fi
    # TRANSLATORS: %s is replaced with an OS name
    echo "submenu '$(gettext_printf "Advanced options for %s" "${OS}" | grub_quote)' \$menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-$boot_device_id' {"
    is_top_level=false
  fi

  linux_entry "${OS}" "${version}" advanced \
              "${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX} ${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT}"
  
  if test -e "${dirname}/initramfs-${version}-fallback.img" ; then
    initrd="initramfs-${version}-fallback.img"
    
    if test -n "${initrd}" ; then
      gettext_printf "Found fallback initramfs image: %s\n" "${dirname}/${initrd}" >&2
    fi
    
    linux_entry "${OS}" "${version}" fallback \
    "${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX} ${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT}"
  fi
  
  if [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY}" != "xtrue" ]; then
    linux_entry "${OS}" "${version}" recovery \
                "single ${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX}"
  fi

  list=`echo $list | tr ' ' '\n' | grep -vx $linux | tr '\n' ' '`
done

# If at least one kernel was found, then we need to
# add a closing '}' for the submenu command.
if [ x"$is_top_level" != xtrue ]; then
  echo '}'
fi

echo "$title_correction_code"

Maybe it is enough for some help? Thanks in advance

Last edited by vinnom (2016-01-22 22:05:29)

Docbroke · 2016-01-22 14:00:18

Why there are both Bios partition and boot partition? What you are using GPT(UEFI) or MBR?
Kindly post exactly how did you install grub.

vinnom · 2016-01-22 15:57:59

I tried to follow exactly what is said here to make it work using Win7 bootloader. It didn't work, it broke Win7 boot (I had to fix mbr and eveything was normal again) and grub menu didn't even appear.

Then I installed ubuntu alongside with Win7 and it worked. But I don't like ubuntu and ended up formating linux partitions again, but following the exactly same configuration it left me, that it is as I described (before this, I didn't have bios partition, but after it worked like that, I let it there).

When I installed grub, I already had os-prober installed here, so I typed:

grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck --debug /dev/sdb # where I have my root partition and the bios partition itself
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Then I tried to reboot and grub menu only have Windows 7 entry, although when I check through live_arch, grub has that entry.

I decided to not install grub to partition, but if you tell me this is what wrong with my setup, I can try to format everything again and try one more time installing it to partition.

Oh, before I forget, I'm using MBR

Last edited by vinnom (2016-01-22 16:00:57)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-01-22 20:30:08

vinnom wrote:

I'm using MBR

You don't need a BIOS boot partition for MBR-style disks.

Please post the output of:

# parted -l

Will the system boot if you add an Arch entry to /etc/grub.d/40_custom (and `update-grub` afterwards)?

menuentry Arch {
   set root=(hd1,5)
   linux /vmlinuz-liunx root=/dev/sdb3 rw
   initrd /initramfs-linux.img
}

You may have to change "root=/dev/sdb3" to "root=UUID=$UUID"

EDIT: Typo

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-01-22 21:02:29)

vinnom · 2016-01-22 22:04:35

I decided to format everything and repeat all the steps I already did. Ended up that everything is fine now.

I'll mark as solved, even if I don't know what was really wrong. The steps were the same that I described before.

Arch Linux

#1 2016-01-22 11:52:33

[SOLVED]Dual boot - Arch and Win 7

#2 2016-01-22 14:00:18

Re: [SOLVED]Dual boot - Arch and Win 7

#3 2016-01-22 15:57:59

Re: [SOLVED]Dual boot - Arch and Win 7

#4 2016-01-22 20:30:08

Re: [SOLVED]Dual boot - Arch and Win 7

#5 2016-01-22 22:04:35

Re: [SOLVED]Dual boot - Arch and Win 7

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