GRUB issue

[Qqmike]

Post 20:

4. Unmounted /dev/sda6 (Windows ESP)

Yes. So that the Windows ESP is not visible (to any utility or installer).
(You can also just turn off the boot flag to that ESP (using gparted), and then later turn it back on.)

[Qqmike]

BUT, would it not be a good thing that during the install process and a Windows installation is detected that some advice be given regarding creating a separate ESP for the Linux install, and not automatically use the current Windows ESP?

Good question! Who knows?!
It certainly seems your approach (two ESPs) works fine.
But is it always necessary? That's the question.
It seems that Windows always throws some curve ball at the game.
And Windows 12 might have its own curve balls we didn't see coming.
If I used Windows in dual boot, for sure I would use two ESPs. No question. Even if I only used one disk, I'd use two ESPs.

[kc1di]

I haven't run a machine with window or dual boot in a long time, but as I remember windows always wanted to be in control and sounds like that has not changed.
But glad you got it sorted and hope it will help others. I was following this thread simply because on my machine when I tried to install 25.04 in legacy bios mode (no UEFI) if simply would not not matter how I tried install grub correctly. So ended up installing in UEFI and it all worked great.

[cookiemuncher]

Sounds like you got it working.
Two ESPs, each on a separate disk for a separate OS.
(I see, too, that you have three disks.)

Hope all is good now!

All good thanks.

Route I took:
1. Created new partition on the Linux drive using Gparted on a live Linux USB
2. Set this partition as ESP and bootable using Gparted
3. Reboot into 25.04
4. Unmount /dev/sda6 (Windows ESP, currently shared with Linux)
5. Edited /etc/fstab to link to the correct (new) ESP (edit the UUID)
6. Mounted new ESP (sudo mount -a)
7. sudo grub-install /dev/sdb4
8. sudo update-grub
9. rebooted

I hope I haven't missed any steps.


BUT, would it not be a good thing that during the install process and a Windows installation is detected that some advice be given regarding creating a separate ESP for the Linux install, and not automatically use the current Windows ESP?

[Qqmike]

Sounds like you got it working.
Two ESPs, each on a separate disk for a separate OS.
(I see, too, that you have three disks.)

Hope all is good now!

[cookiemuncher]

I think you mean 'separate ESP partition.'
It sounds like you are on top of things and have a good skill level.

FWIW, I just did a how-to on using two ESPs, it is NOT for Windows, but it should still apply here,

Dual booting two (or more) *ubuntu operating systems in UEFI mode -- 1 drive or 2 drives, 1 ESP or 2 ESPs
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forum/...-esp-or-2-esps

Great writeup Qqmike

My setup now:

$ lsblk -p -o NAME,FSTYPE,SIZE,MOUNTPOINTS
NAME FSTYPE SIZE MOUNTPOINTS
/dev/sda 465.8G
├─/dev/sda1 ntfs 549M
├─/dev/sda2 16M
├─/dev/sda3 ntfs 456.9G
├─/dev/sda4 ntfs 673M
└─/dev/sda6 vfat 1.5G
/dev/sdb 232.9G
├─/dev/sdb1 ntfs 156G
├─/dev/sdb2 swap 5G
├─/dev/sdb3 ext4 70.8G /
└─/dev/sdb4 vfat 1G /boot/efi
/dev/nvme0n1 465.8G
└─/dev/nvme0n1p1 ext4 465.8G /srv/nvme

sda6 is my ESP for booting Windows and sdb4 for booting Linux.

[Qqmike]

The solution seems to be to use a separate boot partition to the one used by Windows.

I think you mean 'separate ESP partition.'
It sounds like you are on top of things and have a good skill level.

FWIW, I just did a how-to on using two ESPs, it is NOT for Windows, but it should still apply here,

Dual booting two (or more) *ubuntu operating systems in UEFI mode -- 1 drive or 2 drives, 1 ESP or 2 ESPs
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forum/...-esp-or-2-esps

[cookiemuncher]

The solution seems to be to use a separate boot partition to the one used by Windows.

[Qqmike]

I caught up reading all this.
I had also read here and there people claiming Windows was changing their BIOS boot order.
As I said above, sounds nuts but ... certainly something is amiss!
It does seem, though, to sort of It might point at your firmware UEFI-BIOS ->
You could google on that, your specific model/mobo.
Of course, nothing wrong with Megatrends, but maybe HOW the UEFI was implemented by the PC maker ... ?
As claydoh says, you can use sudo efibootmgr -o to change the boot order.

[cookiemuncher]

With efibootmgr you can check your boot order, so it may be easier to see when it is being changed.
You can then change the order without booting to the BIOS, if you want.

In my experience, Bios/uefi firmware updates and major Windows updates very often change the boot order to Windows. But don't rule out a buggy BIOS firmware. An update may fix that, maybe/hopefully?

Hi claydoh
If this is not affecting every user of (K)ubuntu then I am suspecting my BIOS

:~$ inxi -M
Machine:
Type: Desktop Mobo: TBYTE model: H510-VH serial: <superuser required>
UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: TEH51A01 date: 09/15/2022

EDIT: Reinstalled Kubuntu 24.10 and that has the same problem.

EDIT2: Installed Kubuntu 24.04 and that has the same problem.

[claydoh]

With efibootmgr you can check your boot order, so it may be easier to see when it is being changed.
You can then change the order without booting to the BIOS, if you want.

In my experience, Bios/uefi firmware updates and major Windows updates very often change the boot order to Windows. But don't rule out a buggy BIOS firmware. An update may fix that, maybe/hopefully?

[cookiemuncher]

Interesting reading

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...b-1b8529a5f277

[cookiemuncher]

From Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubuntu/comm...ual/?rdt=44533

only once so far. windows did an update and somehow changed the boot order in bios? seems like magic but it really happened. i changed it back and haven't faced much issues

Windows can definitely change the contents of the BIOS boot order.
Happens to me each time I use Windows 11.
If this does no stop then I am going back to Kubuntu 24.10

Edit: re-enabling secure boot makes no difference.

[claydoh]

https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-manag...ager%20entries

[cookiemuncher]

I don't have 25.04. I have checked 22.04 and 24.04.
If you look in your /etc/default/grub file, by some strange chance, you do not have anything like the following, right? -->
GRUB_DEFAULT=saved
GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true

(That would cause you to re-boot into the previously booted OS.)

You should have something like, simply, GRUB_DEFAULT=<some number, like 0, or 15, etc.>

[FONT=monospace][COLOR=#000000]GRUB_DEFAULT=0[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]GRUB_TIMEOUT=-1[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR='Kubuntu'[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT='quiet splash'[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000]# If your computer has multiple operating systems installed, then you[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]# probably want to run os-prober. However, if your computer is a host[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]# for guest OSes installed via LVM or raw disk devices, running[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]# os-prober can cause damage to those guest OSes as it mounts[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]# filesystems to look for things.[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]#GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false[/COLOR][/FONT]

etc
etc...
​

All looks normal to me?

But this:

In summary: While Windows 11 doesn't directly change the BIOS boot order, certain events within the operating system can lead to unintentional alterations. You can always check and adjust the BIOS boot order through the BIOS setup utility.

Window pretends it doesn't see any bootable Linux partitions.