Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

dockland · 2017-05-06 13:51:16

Add entry to systemd-boot (Dual boot Sabayon)

I'm reading a lot about systemd-boot and dual- tripple- multi-booting different linux distribution, but the most articles is about dualbooting with Windows.
I installed Sabayon that required a mount point to /boot/efi, but i'm currently running systemd-boot with Arch Linux with mount point in arch set to /boot

After mounting /boot/efi during Sabayon install and created new / and swap i rebooted and i only get the option to login to Arch Linux

When i ran GRUB2 i could customize about everything, but i'm a bit lost here. Sabayon installed nicely but some how i managed to mess up the boot-loader part.
My question is, is it possible to achieve a dual boot with systemd-boot with different boot mount points per linux installs?

My partitions:

lsblk
NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda           8:0    0   1,9T  0 disk 
├─sda1        8:1    0    16M  0 part 
├─sda2        8:2    0   916G  0 part 
└─sda3        8:3    0 745,1G  0 part /home
nvme0n1     259:0    0 953,9G  0 disk 
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0   512M  0 part /boot
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0    16G  0 part [SWAP]
├─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0    70G  0 part /
├─nvme0n1p4 259:4    0    70G  0 part 
└─nvme0n1p5 259:5    0    16G  0 part [SWAP]

Trilby · 2017-05-06 13:54:17

Yes, not only possible, it's trivial - and covered in our wiki. But there is no magic, you do need to create an entry (a conf file).

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … tallations

tom.ty89 · 2017-05-06 14:06:35

If a certain distro installation does not have the ESP mounted as /boot, you need to make sure it puts a copy of its kernels and initramfs images under the ESP (/boot/efi in its sense) and update the copy when it has its kernel packages updated.

Or perhaps you should just move the files under its /boot to /boot/efi amnd make changes to its fstab.

dockland · 2017-05-06 14:26:33

Thank you. I don't expect anyone holding my hand, been there done that as a recovering help vampire

There is something essential i'm missing, knowledge wise, that is.

The /boot/efi partition seems not having any kernels, and i asume it's not

...initramfs-linux-fallback.img  initramfs-linux.img...

i need to copy beeing Arch kernel and initramfs.

[tim@arch]> cd /boot
[tim@arch]> ls
EFI  initramfs-linux-fallback.img  initramfs-linux.img  intel-ucode.img  loader  vmlinuz-linux
[tim@arch]> cd EFI
[tim@arch]> ls
BOOT  sabayon  systemd

I've created a "/boot/efi/loader/entries/sabayon.conf" consisting

title          Sabayon
options        root=UUID=9de2f5ae-9b58-4cb1-83ba-925d33d6d8c9 rw

And i know i'm missing something trivial here, it wont boot missing kernel of course, as soon as i get a grip of that i believe i will be able to set up "unlimited" amounts of distributions if i wish, as long as there is room in /boot
Or, should i copy everything except the "title" and "Options"- part?

dockland · 2017-05-06 14:42:13

tom.ty89 wrote:

If a certain distro installation does not have the ESP mounted as /boot, you need to make sure it puts a copy of its kernels and initramfs images under the ESP (/boot/efi in its sense) and update the copy when it has its kernel packages updated.
Or perhaps you should just move the files under its /boot to /boot/efi amnd make changes to its fstab.

I did mount my /dev/nvme0n1p1 to /boot/efi during install of Sabayon. But, that was done via the installer (calamares i think) so i really dont have a clue where Sabayon installer puts its stuff. I'm not that familiar to that sort of installation, but i assume the Sabayon installer installed everything to where i mounted things at least. I think it would be easier to install via CLI, but i failed big time trying to install Gentoo alongside Arch Linux yesterday, so i thought "Sabayon, how hard can it be" And now, here i am

tom.ty89 · 2017-05-06 15:02:24

Kernels and initramfs images will always be placed under /boot. If the ESP is mounted on /boot, you have nothing to worry about. However if it is not, additional copying needs to be done either manually or via some distro-specific automated method.

I don't really parse you second last post but at least I can see you have a set of Arch's kernel (vmlinuz-linux) and initramfs images (initramfs-linux.img and initramfs-linux-fallback.img) in the ESP. What's lacking there is a set of those of Sabayon (with similar name but different suffix I suppose, which you should be found under Sabayon's /boot).

Your Sabayon entry conf makes no sense since it should have linux and initrd lines like the Arch entry conf, pointing to the Sabayon set under the ESP (currently missing).

Note that since not all bootloaders are like systemd-boot (can only load kernels and initramfs images located in in the ESP), so a distro installer/package manager may not have the copying job done for you while it does not have the ESP mounted on /boot, if for example it doesn't have systemd-boot in consideration.

P.S. Why not mount the ESP on /boot in Sabayon though? As I said, you can move the content in its /boot to /boot/efi, and change its fstab so that it also mounts the ESP on /boot (like your Arch does). (If you don't see an /boot entry in it, you just need to change /boot/efi to /boot there; if you do, just additionally eliminate the original /boot line; you'll have an "abandoned" partition in that case).

Last edited by tom.ty89 (2017-05-06 15:12:12)

dockland · 2017-05-06 15:14:59

Thank you @tom.ty89

That was the way i thought as well. I don't really know how to achieve this. I dont have a separate /boot for Sabayon, i just mounted the partition to /boot/efi that does not consist any kernels or initramfs, just as stated above

BOOT  sabayon  systemd

whatever that is.

I think i switch to GRUB2, i think i'm more use to that bootloader. It m i g h t be that Sabayon doesnt like systemd-boot at all. I really don't know.

dockland · 2017-05-06 15:53:27

I did remove Sabayonpartitions completley. Never mind.

How do i clean up my bootctl now afterwards? There are entries from yesterdays Gentoo/Funtoo-install left some how. I'd like to remove them, but can't find any info on deleting entries there

bootctl
Using EFI System Parition at /boot.
System:
     Firmware: UEFI 2.40 (American Megatrends 5.11)
  Secure Boot: disabled
   Setup Mode: setup

Loader:
      Product: systemd-boot 232
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/57e459fa-7fc1-4211-9bb4-a5277b8fe856
         File: └─/EFI/SYSTEMD/SYSTEMD-BOOTX64.EFI

Boot Loader Binaries:
          ESP: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/57e459fa-7fc1-4211-9bb4-a5277b8fe856
         File: └─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi (systemd-boot 232)
         File: └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI (systemd-boot 232)

Boot Loader Entries in EFI Variables:
        Title: Linux Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0004
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/57e459fa-7fc1-4211-9bb4-a5277b8fe856
         File: └─/EFI/SYSTEMD/SYSTEMD-BOOTX64.EFI

        Title: Funtoo Linux [GRUB]
           ID: 0x0002
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/57e459fa-7fc1-4211-9bb4-a5277b8fe856
         File: └─/EFI/FUNTOO LINUX [GRUB]/GRUBX64.EFI

        Title: UEFI OS
           ID: 0x0005
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/57e459fa-7fc1-4211-9bb4-a5277b8fe856
         File: └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

        Title: Linux Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0007
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/57e459fa-7fc1-4211-9bb4-a5277b8fe856
         File: └─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi

tom.ty89 · 2017-05-06 16:12:18

dockland wrote:

BOOT  sabayon  systemd

You were confused. These are the content under the /EFI of the ESP, which was /boot/EFI in Arch and /boot/efi/EFI in Sabayon (before you "correct" the fstab). The kernels should be under / of the ESP, which was /boot in Arch and /boot/efi in Sabayon (before you "correct" the fstab).

The content under /EFI of the ESP are EFI executables (i.e. the bootloaders, systemd-boot installed in Arch and whatever by the Sabayon installer) that would be loaded by the the UEFI. You should see .efi files under those three directories.

Look into efibootmgr for UEFI boot entry manipulation.

Last edited by tom.ty89 (2017-05-06 16:18:57)

dockland · 2017-05-06 16:28:12

Indeed i am confused. The first partition attempt during Sabayon install i wanted to mount to /boot, but the calamares installer/Sabayon didn't let me.
Calamares stated that there has to be a mountpoint to /boot/efi otherwise it would not proceed the installation. So i mounted to /boot/efi and carried on the insallation, basicly wathing it become ready/done.
I know there are bootloaders that require a mount point to /boot/efi and others that are fine with /boot but this part of the installation process i don't understand. I thougt it would be some how straight forward, like in GRUB2 where i only update one conf file and update grub and then it's done.

Dualbooting Arch Linux and Windows is a piece of cake, never had any issues what so ever, so i hoped it would be as simple as that

Perhaps i should create a new thread regarding all my entries in bootctl output.

E: Thanks for the bootctl entries, that is going to do the trick.

Last edited by dockland (2017-05-06 16:29:49)

tom.ty89 · 2017-05-06 16:36:38

AFAIK no bootloader requires the ESP mounted (nor specifically on /boot/efi). It's just a convention and the requirement in your case is just for Calamares (since it's not as smart as you). Truth is you don't really need multiple bootloaders installed, if the installer has no option to opt out that, you can just change stuff afterwards. Relocating the content under /boot and change mountpoint in the fstab is also a piece of cake.

P.S. I guess you should mark it as solved (by editing the "Subject").

Last edited by tom.ty89 (2017-05-06 16:41:02)

dockland · 2017-05-06 19:21:47

Well, it might be the Sabayon installer that some how isn't suited for systemd-boot.

I did a reinstall of sabayon, this time in CLI, but it was lacking so much, it's actually automated install (anaconda-installer) and the options was more or less the same as the GUI- (calamares) installer.
This time, i did create a sabayon.conf in /boot/loader/entries/sabayon.conf and copied the kernel and initramfs to my /boot
did a bootctl-update and rebooted.
Now i could select "Sabayon" from the boot menu, and it started, but failed after a while telling that my PARTUUID=1234556787899... was not a root device or something similar.
I know there is a kernel parameter like waitroot or rootwait iv'e used with Funtoo but i don't have the time to trial and error so i wiped the Sabayon partitions and everything concerning that distribution, never to look back.

So, for me it's solved, but i think that it was something more than my part resulting in a non result at the end.
Solved or not solved, i do think this thread could go to dust bin.

Arch Linux

#1 2017-05-06 13:51:16

Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#2 2017-05-06 13:54:17

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#3 2017-05-06 14:06:35

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#4 2017-05-06 14:26:33

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#5 2017-05-06 14:42:13

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#6 2017-05-06 15:02:24

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#7 2017-05-06 15:14:59

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#8 2017-05-06 15:53:27

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#9 2017-05-06 16:12:18

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#10 2017-05-06 16:28:12

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#11 2017-05-06 16:36:38

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

#12 2017-05-06 19:21:47

Re: Is it possible to dual-boot another linux distro with systemd-boot?

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