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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Dual-booting as an intermediate phase for fully switching OSs (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

31 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hi all,

I'm currently using Zorin OS, but I'd like to perhaps explore other Linux distributions. Is it possible to dual-boot another distro, and then if I'm satisfied and after having installed all the apps I need, to erase my Zorin OS partition and only use the other, new distro?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

i've found that lots of distros do not behave well with mutiple boot scenarios and will overwrite the boot information for existing installs

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Using a third-party boot manager like rEFInd helps to bridge the gap with dubious motherboards that don't implement the UEFI spec right. Just make sure all the installed distros have their own ESP, then you can get into whatever distro's GRUB via rEFInd. And it's pretty.

The issue is usually around fighting for the same ESP, and not all distro's GRUB finding the other distros, and made worse by some UEFI firmwares not offering all available EFI applications as bootable so you end up stuck with the wrong GRUB.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If you use refind why bother with grub? Isn't it superfluous?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yes, definitely is. Just assuming here OP doesn't want to configure a bootloader manually, so it's easier to just jump into whichever distro's default GRUB.

It's not like you need a bootloader anyway, you can just add direct boot entries with efibootmgr and not use a bootloader at all.