Don’t do it on a machine that holds valuable data or one that you need the machine to stay functional for work. I repeatedly fucked up my installation trying to get dual boot setup initially. Bootloader are easy to mess up. Even on a working installation, a Windows update would sometimes break the dual boot.
Its not difficult to set up a virtual machine inside your Linux installation. That way you don’t have to reboot and lose your other workflow to access your windows apps.
Or if you make two efi partitions, one for Linux and one that Windows uses. Then use the Probe Foreign OS in Linux to make a chainloader entry to windows. Set Linux as UEFI bootloader. Windows doesn’t know about the other partitions and leaves them alone.
This is true. On some distros you just tell it to ignore the windows EFI and it suggests a new during partitioning. You say OK and the installer takes care of it.
Not if you separate into two EFI partitions and set Linux one in your UEFI boot options. Windows only gets access when grub hands over boot to windows via a chainloader entry, windows only knows about its EFI. I have run it 8 years like this…after dealing with windows killing my first shared EFI.
And then fuck it up by pointing Linux at your windows EFI partition, end up with neither system bootable and make things worse as you panic and try to rush a fix without understanding what you’re doing.
If you’re new to how it all works and having a working machine is important, best to keep it simple and as separated as you can.
I’m also not convinced that “Windows doesn’t know about the other partitions”, that sounds like the kind of thing that’s true until it isn’t and it overwrites your Linux bootloader.
Chainloading hands the boot over to Windows (from grub) but windows just thinks its a fresh boot. When windows does EFI changes its only to its own designated partition.
You can even run windows update and when it prompts for reboot to install, you can launch Linux and do whatever, then boot back to windows and the install will continue like you didn’t interrupt it.
The reason two drives works is same as what I mentioned, you have two EFI partitions that are separate.
The only way you will wreck it is if you go into windows device manager and delete the unknown partitions.
Don’t do it on a machine that holds valuable data or one that you need the machine to stay functional for work. I repeatedly fucked up my installation trying to get dual boot setup initially. Bootloader are easy to mess up. Even on a working installation, a Windows update would sometimes break the dual boot.
Its not difficult to set up a virtual machine inside your Linux installation. That way you don’t have to reboot and lose your other workflow to access your windows apps.
If you can, dual boot by having each OS on a separate physical drive.
This is what I was planning, I added a small nvme drive to my desktop to put Linux on
Or if you make two efi partitions, one for Linux and one that Windows uses. Then use the Probe Foreign OS in Linux to make a chainloader entry to windows. Set Linux as UEFI bootloader. Windows doesn’t know about the other partitions and leaves them alone.
This sounds more complicated than it probably is.
This is true. On some distros you just tell it to ignore the windows EFI and it suggests a new during partitioning. You say OK and the installer takes care of it.
Windows is notorious for wiping Linux parts off a shared drive
Not if you separate into two EFI partitions and set Linux one in your UEFI boot options. Windows only gets access when grub hands over boot to windows via a chainloader entry, windows only knows about its EFI. I have run it 8 years like this…after dealing with windows killing my first shared EFI.
Too much hassle, would never recommend that for beginners
That’s a fair point. And probably true on many distros.
And then fuck it up by pointing Linux at your windows EFI partition, end up with neither system bootable and make things worse as you panic and try to rush a fix without understanding what you’re doing.
If you’re new to how it all works and having a working machine is important, best to keep it simple and as separated as you can.
I’m also not convinced that “Windows doesn’t know about the other partitions”, that sounds like the kind of thing that’s true until it isn’t and it overwrites your Linux bootloader.
I have run a dualboot for 8 years this way.
Chainloading hands the boot over to Windows (from grub) but windows just thinks its a fresh boot. When windows does EFI changes its only to its own designated partition.
You can even run windows update and when it prompts for reboot to install, you can launch Linux and do whatever, then boot back to windows and the install will continue like you didn’t interrupt it.
The reason two drives works is same as what I mentioned, you have two EFI partitions that are separate.
The only way you will wreck it is if you go into windows device manager and delete the unknown partitions.