Windows 10 and Slackware Dualboot (bootloader issues)
SlackwareThis Forum is for the discussion of Slackware Linux.
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Windows 10 and Slackware Dualboot (bootloader issues)
I am trying to dualboot Windows 10 with Slackware 14.1
Apparently, some on the Slackware IRC channel say it can be done, but they do not exactly know how or were just lucky (or don't know how to explain it). However, when I install on a desktop, the bootloader keeps failing. Can someone please document how s/he gets a dualboot successfully working? What bootloader configurations are needed? One claimed that a small change was needed on the Windows side, but cannot remember what it is. I went into expert mode and tried '-P ignore table', '-P fix table' among other things.
I am sure I am not the only one with this issue. Come on you Slackware Jedi's, sharesies!
If you're using UEFI, disable Secure Boot, then just install normally and it will set up eLILO for you.
You should have at least the following partition layout:
/(root) - any journaled file system will work.
/boot - at least ext2. 100MB is fine.
/boot/efi - atypical 100MB FAT32(EF00) partition.
swap - 1.5x to 2x your RAM size up to 8 GB.
Let your Windows NTFS partition get automounted without an fstab entry.
If you can't get secure boot disabled, try this method:
You should have at least the following partition layout:
/(root) - any journaled file system will work.
/boot - at least ext2. 100MB is fine.
/boot/efi - atypical 100MB FAT32(EF00) partition.
swap - 1.5x to 2x your RAM size up to 8 GB.
A /boot ext2 partition is generally useless, a swap partition is not always necessary depending on amount of RAM and usage (e.g. hibernation or not)
What is needed in all cases is:
One partition type EFI (type ef00)
One partition for / (type Linux)
But the first question is: can you disable Secure Boot?
I ask because if you can't disable Secure Boot you will have to provide a signed EFI image that Slackware doesn't ship, so some preparation is needed, see for instance The rEFInd Boot Manager: Managing Secure Boot by Roderick W. Smith.
As a reminder the Microsoft policy with OEM is :
If the machine was upgraded to Windows 10 then Secure Boot may[1] be disabled.
If the machine was shipped with Windows 10 preinstalled then disabling Secure Boot should not be allowed.
Also, if you have Windows 10 with Secure Boot disabled the Slackware64-14.1 installer can probably just re-use the existing EFI partition if there is enough room there thus you don't have to add one (but I couldn't try as I don't have such a configuration).
In any case I remind that only the 64-bit edition of Slackware version 14.1 can boot with an EFI firmware.
[1]But that it really can be disabled is up to the OEM IIRC. Not sure about that though.
Last edited by Didier Spaier; 10-18-2015 at 07:19 AM.
If you have a Lenovo, HP or Acer, the computer is yours, period. If you have another brand, which likes to walk on the leash of microsoft, you're gonna have a hard time. I chose for Lenovo or HP (I got a G50) and all traces of Windows have been eradicated and I am pretty sure MS will not bother me ever again.
If, on the other hand, you have a dual boot, windows may erase part of your system. It has access to the UEFI section so erasing the Linux entries is possible. It's just a matter of time until MS will start doing this.
If you have a Lenovo, HP or Acer, the computer is yours, period. If you have another brand, which likes to walk on the leash of microsoft, you're gonna have a hard time.
Well, Lenovo has started to put rootkits into their BIOS (and has previously put Superfish preinstalled on Windows machines).
I have no reason to trust them more than other companies. They're all in the same business and Lenovo machines are certainly not "mine".
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.