Dual boot windows 10 and Leap 15.2

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I’m building a dual boot laptop for someone learning Linux.
I hand installed Windows 10 first, (using legacy MBR) and created partitions for
\boot \swap and slash \ for OpenSUSE
My goal is to have EasyBCD be the primary menu to choose the OS
I was able to do this with OpenSUSE 42.3 with no problems but
cannot figure this out for 15.2

I would simply like to install OpenSUSE with the boodcode in either \ or
\boot or somewhere else and have EasyBCD choose between Windows and OpenSUSE 15.2
I’m just trying to avoid multiple boot menu choices and let Windows boot EasyBCD menu be the primary menu.

I have tried multiple combinations and I always wind up with
a back screen that says GRUB4DOS

How can I properly install OpenSUSE 15.2 to permit EasyBCD (Windows boot menu) as the primary menu choice.

Thanks in advance

2

Hi
In the openSUSE final install summary screen you can select where the bootloader goes, as in / or /boot (if created).

3

Malcom
I have tried that, but EasyBCD always comes up with GRUB4DOS instead of starting SUSE
What am I doing wrong ??

4

Hi
Not sure, never used it (EasyBCD) :frowning: I just use grub, setup the default OS to boot to, make sure os-prober is on and done… probably the only thing I do different is use the extended partition for the boatloader on Legacy boot system. Most are now UEFI…

5

For that to work, you need to set the bootloader to boot from a partition. And it must boot using a PBR (partition boot record).

That won’t work if the partition uses “xfs”, because “xfs” does not support a PBR.

It also won’t work if the partition uses “btrfs”, because “btrfs” uses a boot block but not a PBR.

I guess your choices are:

1: Use “ext4” for the root partition, and boot from there;
2: Use “ext4” for a separate “/home” and set up install to use that partition as a custom boot partition.

6

You may check whether your system supports UEFI. In this case the operating systems are perfectly isolated from each other and may be installed as with single boot: How to Install Windows 10 for Free - Forums Feedback - openSUSE Forums

7

[SOLVED]

I installed OpenSUSE Leap 15.2 multiple times and learned through
other research that EasyBCD does not support EXT4 file system, only EXT3
I re-installed and formatted to EXT3 and created three partitions for Linux:
**/boot (500mb) ** **
Swap (8gb)
****slash / (150gb) for Linux OS
**Then had the installer put the boot code in **/boot **not MBR
I also set the GRUB2 timeout to zero seconds and hid the SUSE boot menu.

I booted to Windows 10 and created a menu entry in EasyBCD to point to /boot

**Works like a charm !!

**PS - I hand installed Windows 10 first (fresh from licensed Microsoft USB), and used legacy MBR

8

It most certainly will work. All that is required is free first sector that is not overwritten by file system where executable loader code is stored. Whether this sector is called “PBR” or “boot block” does not matter.

9

Thanks
What is the equivalent Linux command for partition creation to this Windows command ?
create partition primary align=1024 size =250000