Arch Linux

geekmiki

Member

Registered: 2011-10-10

Posts: 72

Second Arch installation: how to proceed with bootloader and other OS

Hi,

I am trying to set up a triple boot system with Arch + Arch + Windows. Currently the system looks like this:
NVME1: EFI + Arch
NVME2: Windows
Bootloader is Refind.

I would like to install the second Arch on a partition on NVME1, but also keep kernels separated. And that's where I get lost. I have read about mount binding boot folders but I haven't figured out what to do with my current install and how to handle that during the installation of the new one.

Also, when installing Arch with the archinstall script, I am forced to choose a bootloader (systemd-boot or grub), which I imagine will crash with my current refind installation.

Any help is welcome.
Thank you in advance

jl2

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From: 47° 18' N 8° 34' E

Registered: 2022-06-01

Posts: 592

Website

Re: Second Arch installation: how to proceed with bootloader and other OS

I would like to install the second Arch on a partition on NVME1, but also keep kernels separated. And that's where I get lost. I have read about mount binding boot folders but I haven't figured out what to do with my current install and how to handle that during the installation of the new one.

Edit /etc/mkinitcpio.d/*.preset and append something to the output file name.

Also, when installing Arch with the archinstall script, I am forced to choose a bootloader (systemd-boot or grub), which I imagine will crash with my current refind installation.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide

Last edited by jl2 (2023-10-06 11:28:00)

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Why I run Arch? To "BTW I run Arch" the guy one grade younger.
And to let my siblings and cousins laugh at Arsch Linux...

geekmiki

Member

Registered: 2011-10-10

Posts: 72

Re: Second Arch installation: how to proceed with bootloader and other OS

Thanks, that partially solves the problem. I get to rename initramfs-linux* but not vmlinuz-linux through editing /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset.
And I guess it would be wrong to assume that vmlinuz-linux can be shared by the two installations.

Thanks again!

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,104

Re: Second Arch installation: how to proceed with bootloader and other OS

You can simply not mount your ESP to /boot and let refind detect the additional kernel images directly from the root partition of your additional install.

geekmiki

Member

Registered: 2011-10-10

Posts: 72

Re: Second Arch installation: how to proceed with bootloader and other OS

@V1del That didn't work, since refind cannot see inside the encrypted partition. I also tried with a separate unencrypted /boot partition, but still not picked up by refind.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 12,454

Re: Second Arch installation: how to proceed with bootloader and other OS

Bind mounts are a simple way of doing this. What's the issue there?

geekmiki

Member

Registered: 2011-10-10

Posts: 72

Re: Second Arch installation: how to proceed with bootloader and other OS

I have read https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/EFI_sy … bind_mount

From what I understand, I would:
-create a directory in esp named for example 'arch' where i would place all boot files (vmlinuz, initramfs)
-then I mount esp in /mnt/esp and bind mount that to /boot
-the EFI directory (with refind) stays where it is in ESP
-I would do the same for the second linux installation

I guess refind needs to be configured manually or does it find the different environments even if they're in folders?

Last edited by geekmiki (2023-10-07 10:07:21)