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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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Safe to Install New Dual Boot? (www.theverge.com)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

13 comments fedilink hide all child comments

My GF recently said I can install Linux on her laptop. Then I saw Windows broke dual boot systems.

Is it safe to do a dual boot if she already has the update that broke dual booting?

Should I just figure out how to install Windows in a VM for her?

Appreciate any insight y'all can offer

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

no.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Today on "Was this caused by stupidity or malice"...

Microsoft said earlier this month it would apply “a Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) update to block vulnerable Linux boot loaders that could have an impact on Windows security,”

(emphasis mine)

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago

I would advice to just move to Linux all together. No need for dual boot ;)... It took me way too long to do that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

this reads like you don't make backups or don't have a restore strategy. if the system is important enough that you worry about updates breaking it, you should make backups from time to time and have a bootable restore system on a removable medium.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 months ago (2 children)

It should be safe, although for the future, I'd recommend installing the os to a completely separate drive and changing boot device by uefi.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

That's what I did on my wife's pc, and she's had no issues with the dual boot BS Windows has created.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Thank you! I'll look into changing the boot device

[–] [email protected] -4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Dumb title. Yes, it's safe. Windows has nerfed boot records for any other OS since the beginning of dual-booting. Just replace the boot record.

Also, if you want to be hardcore about it, and since everything is UEFI now, just use your BIOS boot manager to control booting. Shouldn't be a problem.

[+] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I looked at the breakdown, and I believe it's only changing the preference for same device.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It doesn't change the preferences but it does replace bootx64.efi which is the default bootloader executable for a drive, when the UEFI doesn't have more specific entries. In some configurations both Windows and GRUB want to be that.

If you add a boot entry for GRUB and don't point it to the default executable, then it won't be affected. Until you reset the BIOS or try to use the drive in another system that is, in which case the firmware will then only know about the default executable. But it's easy to add the boot entries back.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Yes, on the same device. If your BIOS specifically orders a different device as boot, this wouldn't matter, as in my original post.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

it should be safe. From what I know the update only broke it as it was updating so installing a dual-boot after should be fine. You might want to test first so just install something small like mint for a test and see if it works.