Arch Linux

devfortunato

Member

Registered: 2024-10-16

Posts: 3

Dual boot Windows and Arch linux different disks

Hi,
Since I want to start tinkering with Arch Linux, but still need Windows for some programs, I was thinking to set up a dual boot installation on separate disks.
Right now, I have Windows 11 installed, and I have a free drive ready for the Arch installation. I’ve skimmed the official wiki, but since I’m leaning toward using systemd-boot for Arch, I’m unsure if it will automatically detect the Windows boot manager, or if I need to configure something else (another entry for windows efi?)
Could you clarify this step?

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,090

Re: Dual boot Windows and Arch linux different disks

in any case: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dual_boot_with_Windows
as for the question if systemd will find windows' bootmgr itself - idk - I use grub and this requires os-prober

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 23,447

Re: Dual boot Windows and Arch linux different disks

systemd-boot will not detect your Windows UEFI at all if it's on separate disks.

You can use your UEFIs own menu to switch between the entries however.

Last edited by V1del (2024-10-16 23:56:15)

devfortunato

Member

Registered: 2024-10-16

Posts: 3

Re: Dual boot Windows and Arch linux different disks

systemd-boot will not detect your Windows UEFI at all if it's on separate disks.

You can use your UEFIs own menu to switch between the entries however.

If i try something like that in the path "/boot/loader/entries/windows.conf":
   title  Windows 11
   efi    /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

May it work?
In any case, what is uefi menu?

Last edited by devfortunato (2024-10-17 08:34:04)

devfortunato

Member

Registered: 2024-10-16

Posts: 3

Re: Dual boot Windows and Arch linux different disks

in any case: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dual_boot_with_Windows
as for the question if systemd will find windows' bootmgr itself - idk - I use grub and this requires os-prober

As said in the post, the official wiki doesn't convey the dual boot setup with separate disks.

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,090

Re: Dual boot Windows and Arch linux different disks

please don't full-quote
also: please read linked wiki articles carefully and complete - mark 1.4 is important https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dual_b … ibernation

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 23,447

Re: Dual boot Windows and Arch linux different disks

systemd-boot can only reference binaries that are present on the same ESP it is installed on, what you can do is have one shared ESP on one disk that then logically boots into the other one, in which case this would work.

The UEFI menu is whatever your mainboard gives you when pressing/checking it's own bootable entries setup. The button to invoke it varies from vendor to vendor, usually F10 or F2 or so.