Introduction #
For those of us who have ventured into the world of dual-boot systems, we know that it can be both a blessing and a headache. While I’ve personally transitioned to GPU passthrough for a smoother multi-system experience, dual-booting remains a practical option for many. In this article, I’ll guide you through setting up a multi-OS boot menu using Grub and os-prober.
Why? (Fuck Windows) #
Windows updates have a knack for causing trouble, especially when it comes to your boot-loader. They can mess up your Grub configuration, leaving you without the familiar boot menu to choose your operating system. In such cases, you’d have to manually access the boot menu to select the system you want to run.
Windows tends to be the culprit here, often disrupting your boot loader, preventing Grub from automatically appearing.
A piece of advice for those planning to install both Windows and Linux: it’s generally smoother to install Windows first and then allocate disk space for Linux. If you install Linux first and then add Windows later, you’ll likely need to reconfigure your Linux boot-loader because, more often than not, Windows will disrupt it.
Getting Prepared #
Before we dive into configuring Grub and os-prober, you should already have both Linux and your other operating system (be it Debian, Arch, or Windows) installed. What you’re missing is the boot loader for both systems.
Step 1: Install GRUB #
Let’s start by installing Grub on your system with this command:
sudo pacman -S grub
Step 2: Do You Need efibootmgr? #
Whether you need to install efibootmgr depends on whether your system uses UEFI. Here’s when you’d want to install it:
- Your system is UEFI-based.
- You’re setting up a dual-boot configuration or managing UEFI boot entries for multiple operating systems.
If these conditions apply to your system, use this command to install efibootmgr:
sudo pacman -S efibootmgr
Step 3: Install os-prober #
To proceed, you need to detect if there are multiple systems on your device. Use the following command to install os-prober:
sudo pacman -S os-prober
Step 4: Edit Grub Config File #
Now that you’ve detected the presence of multiple systems, it’s time to enable Grub to recognize them. By default, Grub doesn’t do this, but you can change that. Use the following command to add a line to your Grub settings:
echo 'GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false' >> /etc/default/grub
Explanation #
What does this line do? Normally, Grub doesn’t automatically detect if you have multiple systems. But by adding GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false, you enable Grub to do just that.
This step is crucial for adding dual-boot options to your menu.
Final Step: Adding Boot Options to the Menu #
Identify your boot path using the lsblk command. For example, if your boot path is /boot/efi, use the following command:
sudo grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi
Next, regenerate the configuration with this command:
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
Finished! #
After completing these steps, reboot your system. You should now see a list of other distributions or operating systems on your Grub menu. Enjoy the convenience of a multi-OS boot menu!