install mx linux next to or in addition to windows on hard disk

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i've already got windows installed on my hard disk and now i am about to install mx linux next to or in addition to it from a 21.3 live usb with xfce (mx welcome>install mx linux). the installation methods are 'normal installation (uses the whole drive)' and 'customise partitioning'. i chose 'customise partitioning'. on the next screen the current partitioning is displayed:
device size use as label format
nvme0n1 238,5 GB GPT
nvme0n1p1 100,0 MB ESP ESP leave blank-leave out (vfat)
nvme0n1p2 16,0 MB
nvme0n1p3 237,4 GB Acer ntfs
nvme0n1p4 1,0 GB Recovery ntfs
the rest of the fields are empty.
i am afraid of deleting or destroying the windows os. on which partition(s) is windows located and on which partition(s) should i install mx linux?
my above table has got mixed up (the spaces were deleted when i posted). how can i create a table within the input user interface?

[j2mcgreg]

Which version of Windows is preinstalled?

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@j2mcgreg could you go into the mixed up table question? it is windows 11 home.

[MXRobo]

I think forum members often recommend to manage your window's partition sizes using windows.
Then decide what you want to do and open Gparted[>View>Device Information (my preference)] and resize the linux and other partitions (e.g. DATA) using Gparted. You can set boot and esp flags on your ESP partition in Gparted or during the installation. Caution, check and recheck each format or use for column (forget exactly) so that you do not use or format a partition that you want to retain, more applicable when installing over an existing linux installation.
Suggest, create a swap partition or file.
HTH

[j2mcgreg]

@j2mcgreg could you go into the mixed up table question? it is windows 11 home.

You can't dual boot MX with an OEM install of Windows 11. Win 11 will only boot and run with Secure Boot and BitLocker enabled. On the other hand, you cannot install MX on a Bitlocker encrypted disk and MX will not boot with Secure Boot enabled. This means that your partition question is immaterial.

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@j2mcgreg i am not sure whether i got that right. does this mean i cannot install mx linux on a drive with windows 11 already preinstalled, so it will work and i can select mx linux or windows from a boot menu? in other words, do i have to decide either to continue using windows on that drive or to install mx linux which means windows would be deleted or at least cannot boot any more?

[seaken64]

This used to be simpler. In recent years some OEM's have made it very difficult, if not impossible, to run anything other than Windows 11 on a particular machine. So, you'll need to share more information with the forum and hope that someone has similar equipment. What brand? model? did the computer come with Windows 11 pre-installed? Can you access the UEFI settings and tell the system to turn off secure boot and enable Legacy booting, etc? Can you boot from a second drive while keeping the original drive setup with Win11?

Assuming you have equipment that will allow manipulating the boot settings, the standard procedure would be to open up some space by "shrinking" a volume inside of Windows using Disk Management. Then use Gparted, or similar, from the Live USB,to create a Linux partition for MX to use, and probably also a Linux Swap partition, in that unused space created by shrinking the Windows volume. Finally, run the MX Live USB and then run the Install routine, select to use existing partitions, and select the newly created Linux partitions. Allow the installer to run the boot manager routines into the ESP partition (already existing from the Windows install). Be prepared to fiddle with the boot settings or use a booter from a Live USB. Windows will make it difficult for MX to coexist. But sometimes it can be done. You may need to get some help from others who have done it on your equipment.

Seaken64

[j2mcgreg]

@j2mcgreg i am not sure whether i got that right. does this mean i cannot install mx linux on a drive with windows 11 already preinstalled, so it will work and i can select mx linux or windows from a boot menu? in other words, do i have to decide either to continue using windows on that drive or to install mx linux which means windows would be deleted or at least cannot boot any more?

Yes.

[Antediluvian]

Just kicking around some ideas in case you haven't thought about it ...

1). Because they paid the Microsoft secure boot fee you could install Fedora or Ubuntu next to Windows 11. Blasphemy, I know.

2). You could wipe Windows 11, install Windows 10, turn off secure boot and install MX LInux next to Windows 10.

3). I'm pretty sure you could do this, although somewhat inconvenient (my computer knowledge in general is greatly limited). You could turn off secure boot and install MX Linux on an external drive or create an MX Live USB with persistence. If you use MX more than Windows 11 set the UEFI/BIOS to boot one of those MX drives first. In MX set it so the Windows drive is not mounted automatically. Any time you want to run Window 11 go into the UEFI/BIOS and turn on secure boot, then make sure to start up (F12?) so that you can temporarily change the boot order to Windows 11 first. Next time you want to run MX turn off secure boot.

4). It may be possible to run MX Linux in a VM under a Windows 11 host (I don't know) or run Windows 11 in a VM and bypass TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot under an MX host. I don't know that either, but someone here may know or there are YouTube videos that seem to do that (not showing MX though).

[figueroa]

Install MX-Linux in a VirtualBox virtual machine. It's like "Having your cake and eating it too." Or run from a live-usb.