Trying to install EasyOs to Dual Boot with Win10

[rickhunt]

Hello, I am trying to install EasyOs along with Windows 10. I tried following the instructions and copying the files it said to my SDA5 partition which is EXT4, but when I try to boot it drops me to grub rescue.

Is there a simple way to do this? Can I remaster my current thumb drive and install it to SDA5 partition? Would that find Windows and add it to a boot menu?

I was running Peppermint 10, but it just seemed to get really slow, I tried EasyOs and like it, but I can't seem to get it to play well with the booting. haha.

Any help would be welcome.

[rcrsn51]

I posted to your other thread. Your first step should be to get Windows booting. Then you can look at EasyOS.

[rickhunt]

Thats what I am trying to do now, is get Windows back up, and then go from there.

[Berto]

Good day,

if you still have your USB stick with EasyOS on it, boot this, then install grub4dos on the USB stick (not on harddisk!). It will find Windows, EasyOS and Puppies on your HDD too , but not your peppermint or other Linux distros.

Then you can use your USB as Bootstick for now and repair your grub2. Alternatively, there's a lot of documentation about grub rescue on the web, and normally with a few simple steps you can get grub2 run again.

Regards,
Berto

[mikeslr]

I was going to reply to your last post on original thread but figured I'd first check to see if you had taken my advice and posted here.

With grub4dos not working on the computer you want to install EasyOS to, How are you communicating with us? Or more to the point, are you booting into a OS on a USB-Key, from another computer or something else.

Hopefully, it's not "something else".

Perhaps someone more familiar with EasyOS has a better idea. But with my limited knowledge of EasyOS I'd suggest the below work-around to (a) overcome the road-block of Windows 10 requiring a UEFI boot-loader and (b) EasyOS not following the usual Puppy structure. Puppys are published as an ISO; EasyOS as an IMG. In creating a grub.cfg, Grub2config recognizes Puppys because all have core file systems begining with the word 'puppy'; e.g. fossapup64's core file system is named puppy_fossapup64_9.5.sfs. Even if these impediments could be overcome*, a deployed EasyOS occupies two partitions, while a Puppy only requires a folder for system files plus a boot-loader somewhere.

I don't think Windows 10 has (or can obtain) the tools you'll need. It's one thing to install EasyOS to a USB-Key; quite another to install it to the same hard-drive from which Windows 10 boots.

The work-around: create a functional Puppy Linux as an intermediate step. For example, install Fossapup64 to either a USB-Key or the hard-drive of the computer you want to run EasyOS on.
From a running Fossapup64, you can install the grub2config boot-loader which will OOTB boot both Windows 10 and Fossapup64. You can probably manually install EasyOS's files to however many partitions it needs after decompressing the EasyOS.img. You can also edit grub2config's grub.cfg file to provide a listing for EasyOS. [If you already have a boot-able EasyOS on a USB-Key, you have an example on that Key of the arguments EasyOS needs to boot. grub2config's listing for Fossapup64 provides an example of the arguments grub2 responds to].
Later, if all goes well and you want to, you can delete the Fossapup64's folder and its listing on grub.cfg. [But I'd leave it just in case something goes wrong in the future].

-=-=-=-=-
* An Img can be decompressed and repackaged as an ISO, if necessary. But it probably isn't necessary as what I'm proposing is a 'manual install' of the contents of EasyOS.img.

IIRC, I was able to get grub2config to work with puli. Puli's core sfs also doesn't begin with the name 'puppy'. So I temporarily renamed it. Then once there was a listing for it on grub.cfg, I changed the name back to just puli.sfs and edited the grub.cfg listing.

[williwaw]

I posted to your other thread. Your first step should be to get Windows booting. Then you can look at EasyOS.

after you get windows working, and should you wish to use rEFInd to boot Easy (installed as per your screenshot from the other thread)

uo1qMPy.png (25.72 KiB) Viewed 1596 times

then I would create a partition label for sda5 with gparted, and create a stanza in refind.conf something like

Code: Select all

 menuentry " 347" {
    volume EZ3
    loader /347/vmlinuz
    initrd /347/initrd
    ostype Linux   
    options "rw" 

}

in this example, EZ3 is my partition label, and /347 is my subfolder for the frugal install. the subfolder does not necessarily need to be called /boot or anything specific relating to the version such as I have with /347.

In fact, if you plan to use the update feature in easy, rather than recreate your frugal install manually, a more generically named subfolder such as /easy would serve well.

Edited to remove previous easy version recommendation

[Berto]

@ mikeslr and williwaw:

I don't know much about windows, and not much about puppies, but I know a little about EasyOS and grub2. As rcrsn51 wrote, he dropped into grub rescue, and the partition where EasyOS is installed is sda5, I assume that there are more Linux distros installed, maybe on sda3, sda4, .... and grub2 is already installed. So first rescue grub2, (too long to post here, much Infos on the web) a very simple process ... 5 minutes, then you're done.

Then simply boot from stick into EasyOS on USB, open geany and edit the 40_custom file in /etc/grub.d/ of the OS where grub2 is installed. Type this entry and don't forget to save after writing:

menuentry 'EasyOS Dunfell' {
set root = '(hd0,5)'
linux /dunfell/vmlinuz
initrd /dunfell/initrd
}

# I assume that the folder where easy.sfs, vmlinuz and initrd are is "dunfell" on /dev/sda5

Then boot in your distro where grub2 is installed and type sudo update-grub into terminal. (For debian-based distros, for others the update command is slightly different, refer to your distros documentation)

That's all. It will find all installed distros, easy and windows. Just puppy not.

I'm always doing this from EasyOS with geany, coz there I'm root already and don't need to type passwords a million times but certainly you could do this from the distro where grub2 is also.

Regards,
Berto

[williwaw]

@Berto
can you mention if your grub2 came from an earlier install or whether from a bootloader project at this forum?

[mikeslr]

Just posting to suggest that you follow berto's or williwaw's advice. They have a working version of EasyOS on a hard-drive. I don't. Experience beats theory every time.

That said I'd add that I know nothing about rEFind. My recollection of EasyOS requiring 2 partitions may have been mistaken (dd of EasyOS.img to USB-Key?). If so, once you have the following files in a folder (e.g. dunfell) on sda5 --easy_x.x._amd.64, initrd and vmlinuz-- you should be able to boot into it with a grub.cfg listing suggested by berto of:

menuentry 'EasyOS Dunfell' {
set root = '(hd0,5)'
linux /dunfell/vmlinuz
initrd /dunfell/initrd
}

Both grub2config and peppermint's grub are grub2. The boot arguments don't depend on how grub2 was installed. If you installed grub2config, grub.cfg is a simple text file. If you still have Peppermint you can either follow berto's instructions to edit the 40_custom file in /etc/grub.d/. But if you have or intend to remove peppermint, suggest that you install grub2config. What you have, or would have, is grub2 without an application to work with it.

Edit: I wonder if somehow your the partition on which your grub2 is located (sda1 ?) has been formatted as Linux Ext4 -64-bit.. Peppermint is a Ubuntu derivative. Per the grub2config thread, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 703#p29703:
"Only one case the Grub2config does not support:
When you clean install Ubuntu Linux and/or derivatives on a legacy BIOS PC, the partition sda1 is ext4 formatted. See viewtopic.php?f=155&t=3931". I don't think this would be applicable unless you installed your Window 10 to a bios pc. If your pc was manufactured as Windows 10 installed, it wouldn't.

[Berto]

@ williwaw

I got base AntiX on /dev/sda3 with grub2 installed. Whenever I change things in 40_customs, I just boot into AntiX and run "update-grub". Works without any problems.

@ mikeslr

I've downloaded grub2config now. Thanks for the info. I'll try if it works from EasyOS also (on USB first) ...

[mikeslr]

Grug2config only installs grub to the 1st partition of a drive. [Grub2 install by the 'Big Boys' are more flexible]. I think you only have one hard-drive; and peppermint probably wrote to sda"1" taking control from the previous boot-loader used by Windows 10. Otherwise you could probably configure Peppermint's install grub to chainload grub2config's grub2 written to say, sdb.

To avoid problems I use a dedicated USB-Key. Plug in the Key and it will boot Puppys. Unplug the Key and Linux Mint's boot-loader will boot either Linux Mint or Windows7. I set bios to give boot-priority to USB-ports. [Some computers require that a USB-Key be plugged in to do that]. I then installed grub2config to the USB-Key. However, both Windows7 and LinuxMint were on the computer when I installed grub2config. So they were recognized as operating systems and the grub.cfg's menu listings were automatically created for both Windows7 and LinuxMint. I can boot into them without unplugging the Key. [But as I implied before, grub2config doesn't recognize EasyOS as an operating system: it's listing would have to be hand-written].

Note: My desktop was originally a Window 7 (non-UEFi) computer.

[Berto]

@mikeslr

it gets a little off-topic now, but i just wanted to say that grub2config does not work on EasyOS. The pet gets installed, but then I get an error (see pics).

[BarryK]

I have only speed-read this thread, coz somewhat preoccupied right now. Just an extra note:

The EasyOS flash-stick has the capability to dual-boot windows, or any other OS. It has refind in its boot-partition, with EFI/BOOT/refind.conf, which has this in it:

Code: Select all

timeout 10
textonly on
textmode 0
showtools shutdown,reboot,firmware
#scan_all_linux_kernels off
#scanfor manual,internal
scanfor manual
menuentry "EasyOS 3.4.7" {
 loader /vmlinuz
 initrd /initrd
 ostype Linux
 options "rw"
 submenuentry "Normal bootup (remove lockdown)" {
  add_options "qfix=normal"
 }
 submenuentry "Filesystem check" {
  add_options "qfix=fsck"
 }
 submenuentry "Commandline only, do not start X" {
  add_options "qfix=nox"
 }
 submenuentry "Rollback to last saved session" {
  add_options "qfix=bak"
 }
 submenuentry "Rollback to pristine first-boot" {
  add_options "qfix=new"
 }
 submenuentry "Copy session to RAM & unmount partitions" {
  add_options "qfix=lock1"
 }
 submenuentry "Copy session to RAM & disable drives" {
  add_options "qfix=lock2"
 }
 submenuentry "Fix broken video" {
  add_options "qfix=vid nomodeset"
 }
 submenuentry "initrd shell: Nothing yet mounted" {
  add_options "qfix=dropout0"
 }
 submenuentry "initrd shell: Boot & wkg partitions mounted" {
  add_options "qfix=dropout1"
 }
 submenuentry "initrd shell: Before recovery & maintenance operations" {
  add_options "qfix=dropout2"
 }
 submenuentry "initrd shell: Before version control" {
  add_options "qfix=dropout3"
 }
 submenuentry "initrd shell: Before setting up SFS layers" {
  add_options "qfix=dropout4"
 }
 submenuentry "initrd shell: Before moving mount points to wkg f.s." {
  add_options "qfix=dropout5"
 }
 submenuentry "initrd shell: Just before switch_root" {
  add_options "qfix=dropout6"
 }
}
menuentry "Windows 10" {
 volume SYSTEM
 loader \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
 disabled
}

...notice the "disabled" in the "Windows 10" entry, remove that. That is dependent on the Windows volume label to be "SYSTEM".

That is manual configuration, but you can also tell refind to automatically scan and find all OSs. See refind.conf details here:

https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/configfile.html

So, booting from the flash-stick is a simple non-invasive way to multiple-boot.

Or, if you create a esp vfat partition on the internal drive, with refind in it, the same principles apply. A simple way to multiple-boot, an alternative to grub2.

[BarryK]

I posted some notes about refind.conf here:

https://easyos.org/install/how-to-insta ... drive.html

Awhile ago, Clemens sent me steps to setup grub2 to boot EasyOS:

https://easyos.org/install/files/clemen ... nstall.txt

[BarryK]

I have posted simple steps for a frugal install:

https://bkhome.org/news/202206/simple-f ... e-fix.html

[BarryK]

@mikeslr

it gets a little off-topic now, but i just wanted to say that grub2config does not work on EasyOS. The pet gets installed, but then I get an error (see pics).

EasyOS no longer has guess_fstype. It used to be in a patched busybox, and Easy still has /bin/guess_fstype symlink to busybox, but it no longer works.

guess_fstype has been deprecated for a very long time, years, now we use blkid.

[BarryK]

@mikeslr

it gets a little off-topic now, but i just wanted to say that grub2config does not work on EasyOS. The pet gets installed, but then I get an error (see pics).

EasyOS no longer has guess_fstype. It used to be in a patched busybox, and Easy still has /bin/guess_fstype symlink to busybox, but it no longer works.

guess_fstype has been deprecated for a very long time, years, now we use blkid.

Here is a script, that, I think, should work the same as guess_fstype:

https://bkhome.org/news/202206/guessfst ... moved.html

[rickhunt]

Well, just to update.

After I got Windows working again, something managed to wipe my entire SDA1 partition, so I lost Windows again.

I did install Easy to the Hard drive following the method here
https://easyos.org/install/how-to-insta ... drive.html

It actually tells you how to add an entry for Windows 10, but since my sda1 partition got wiped, I didnt know what files I needed. I found "bootmgfw.efi" on my sda3 partition, but it is not a boot partition is is a Basic Data partition, if I move the EFI folder from SDA3 to SDA1, it attempts to load Windows Boot Manager but then tells me I am missing the BCD file for boot config. But when I move that file to sda1, I loose my easyos boot menu and it only tries to boot windows. I think there is a way in Setup to set the order as to what boot partition boots first, but I dont remember where it is, all I see now is options to set Legacy Boot, UEFI Boot, Auto. and CSM mode is on, and I have the option to select Legacy First, or UEFI first.

Easy is on sda5 as boot partition and sda6 as working partition, that works fine, but don't know how to get windows back at this point. Maybe just wait for now and buy Win11 at some point. I really don't use windows much, I only use it to program some of my Ham Radios because the programming software for those only runs on Windows.

[rickhunt]

This is my partitions, Windows is on sda3 but not sure what files are needed to get it to boot.

[williwaw]

Or, if you create a esp vfat partition on the internal drive, with refind in it, the same principles apply. A simple way to multiple-boot, an alternative to grub2.

Have you tried to boot windows from sda5? you might have to remove the boot and esp flags from sda1 with gparted.

[rickhunt]

Well, I ordered the Lenovo Recovery Media Thumb Drive for my desktop from Lenovo, I think this will be solved once I get Windows back, I think I know how to do it now. But since this desktop had Windows as an OEM install, I dont have the Windows installation disks to reinstall it.

But I think I will be able to have a windows boot partition and a separate EasyOS boot partition, and then I can change the boot order in the Windows BIOS manager to boot the Linux Partition first, then the rEFInd will allow me to add an entry for Windows. Its there now, but it just doesn't work because I deleted the boot partition for windows some how.

anyway, I will update after I receive my USB recovery key.

Thanks for all the help.

[williwaw]

But I think I will be able to have a windows boot partition and a separate EasyOS boot partition, and then I can change the boot order in the Windows BIOS manager to boot the Linux Partition first, then the rEFInd will allow me to add an entry for Windows. Its there now, but it just doesn't work because I deleted the boot partition for windows some how.

Most machines I have worked with allow you to change the boot order between disks, so I can not comment too much about your desktop or plan except to mention I have had better results and less headaches in the long run by allowing windows to live on it's own disk, and use a second drive, USB connected or internal, for all things linux. Please let us know if you have a method or application that allows two boot partitions to work together on the same disk.