dual boot installation

[j2mcgreg]

@newbee85 wrote:

next step is: Shrink Windows C drive partition, I have enough space, so I guess that is not needed?

If your intention is to install MX on to your external Toshiba HDD, then you should rethink your plan. It can be done, but it's not something a newbie to Linux should attempt.
This leaves your Seagate internal drive as the target and it's absolutely essential that you use Win 10's disk management utility to shrink it's partition to create the space for MX. If you don't, Win 10 will still consider that space to be it's own and will overwrite it at the first opportunity.
Take this to heart.
Your biggest hurdle to learning Linux will be unlearning Windows, but it's well worth the effort.

[FullScale4Me]

My new quote about Dual Boot:

Dual Boot is easy to setup using the short/concise guides found on the Internet .....until it's not!
FullScale4Me, December 17, 2024

Two primary reasons for this are: 1) PC makers interpret the UEFI standard and implement their interpretation of what it says.
2) Windows 11 is a 'moving target' of sorts. Many of my edits to my guide were necessitated due to Microsoft's changes.

Early on I found the need for an outline to help the newbies and to ground others so minor sub-topics were not skipped to cause future discussions here. Thus

2.0 Summary of How-To Steps:

◦ Windows settings changes:

▪ Create a Windows 'Recovery Disk' - can be DVD or USB.
▪ Backup your BitLocker and Windows Keys.
▪ Disable BitLocker in Windows (if enabled).
▪ Disable Windows Fast Startup.
▪ Defragment Hard Drive.
▪ Shrink Windows C drive partition.
▪ Create the new partition for MX Linux.
• Create a (optional) data sharing (Windows ←--> Linux) partition.

◦ PC Firmware settings changes:

▪ Set a Supervisor/Admin password (if needed).
▪ Turn off CSM/Legacy/BIOS Boot. May exist in two (or more) places.
▪ Change SATA controller mode to 'AHCI' (from RAID/RST/Optane).
▪ Disable/Turn OFF Secure Boot.
▪ Change the Boot Order to USB drive first (Disks).
▪ Fast Boot - Turn off/set to ‘Thorough’ if present.
▪ Enable/turn on USB Boot ability (off by default on some PCs).

◦ Install MX Linux.

▪ Prepare MX boot USB – GPT preferred.
▪ Install MX Linux on the new partitions.
▪ Reboot.

A newbie-level user should print that page and use it as a check list; both for personal research and to ensure all steps were performed.

As it stands 'chapter' 2 (above) assumes a single disk is in use. Elsewhere 2 disks are recommended (both in my guide and a distro that sounds like something you would use for a bad breath issue). I'll leave the creation of 'chapter 2b' for my edits in or before January 2025.

edit: feedback

[DukeComposed]

Early on I found the need for an outline to help the newbies and to ground others so minor sub-topics were not skipped to cause future discussions here.

Thanks for compiling and maintaining this guide. It's helped a bunch of people since you've published it and serves as a nice counterpoint to the official MX user manual.

I am wondering, however, if it wouldn't be useful to skip future discussions here by including shorter, simpler instructions for some of the minor subtopics. As in, "Run 'manage-bde -off C:' into an admin command prompt." This is an unambiguous statement and users don't necessarily even need to understand BitLocker syntax in order to copy and paste it.

In the end, disabling BitLocker and Fast Boot create discussions here that often skew towards the "how do I do that?" side rather than the more esoteric questions about startup sequences and bootloaders that you'd typically consider to be a discussion. A short and sweet "just run this" command in the guide may cut down on the confusion.

[artytux]

@DukeComposed
[0] I've got to start abbreviating this. Apologies.

I dont think you should be abbreviating those extra words they can make a world of difference between crystal clear and clear as mud. Personally I like a good read of info.

[DukeComposed]

I dont think you should be abbreviating those extra words

You're really bothered by skipping "4Me" a few times?

[artytux]

I dont think you should be abbreviating those extra words

You're really bothered by skipping "4Me" a few times?

Must be an American saying - Dunno

[fehlix]

▪ Run MX Boot Repair from Live USB.
Run ‘Repair GRUB configuration file’ and close the program.
▪ Reset the ‘UEFI Boot Order’ with MX Boot Options. Reboot.

Not sure, about those two, at least some explanation, why a ‘Repair GRUB configuration file’
may be needed. It may be that it was needed in the past, but I think that WIndows entry in the grub menu should be displayed normally now.
Also Reset ‘UEFI Boot Order’ is probably in most cases not needed, b/c the installer will set MX UEFI entry onto the first position
within the UEFI boot order list. Exception may be mentioned and LiveUSB would be of help.

[FullScale4Me]

▪ Run MX Boot Repair from Live USB.
Run ‘Repair GRUB configuration file’ and close the program.
▪ Reset the ‘UEFI Boot Order’ with MX Boot Options. Reboot.

Not sure, about those two, at least some explanation, why a ‘Repair GRUB configuration file’
may be needed. It may have been in the past needed, but I think WIndows entry in Grub menu,
should now normaly show up.
Also Reset ‘UEFI Boot Order’ is probably in most cases not needed, b/c the installer will set MX UEFI entry onto the first position
within the UEFI boot order list. Exception may be mentioned and LiveUSB would be of help.

Thanks for catching that. I just removed it from my local copy. I have a few pending edits yet to add. I need good proofreaders! A change in 2023 removed the need to do at least one of those steps.

Some PC motherboards have an additional layer of security (Windows/Custom) that prevents adding new NVram entries and/or saving any non-Microsoft path. My how-to covers this, but no MX Tool is needed to perform the changes.

[newbee85]

Thanx for all the help, I just understood there is a possibility of experimenting with linux within windows, with virtualbox,https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads I will try that first, when I succeed, I don't need dual boot, that would help,so maybe I will come back to this later

[fehlix]

Thanx for all the help, I just understood there is a possibility of experimenting with linux within windows, with virtualbox,https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads I will try that first, when I succeed, I don't need dual boot, that would help,so maybe I will come back to this later

VirtualBox is certainly one way to try it out, but also to keep longer. Another way would be to generate a LiveUSB stick and with enabled persistence kind of a "MX Linux" on a stick. where data and any changes can be stored, no installation on hard-drive needed.